This may be a silly question..
My ballast resistor has carked it, and I (and a mechanic) can't find it. Where is it usually located in an LH? Or, where are some other places where it may have been moved to?
Cheers
Claire
Ballast resistor
Started by
_misszilla_
, Jul 06 2009 05:19 PM
33 replies to this topic
#2
Rockoz
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 05:50 PM
Its a resistance wire which is part of the harness. Runs from the ignition switch to the coil.
#3
_torbirdie_
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 06:44 PM
Its a resistance wire which is part of the harness. Runs from the ignition switch to the coil.
Not sure about the LH, but at least on the LX and UC only one wire runs to the coil, its a yellow wire and it is not a resistance/ballast wire. Trace this wire back and at some stage(past the first underbonnet connector) it branch into two wires, one yellow and the other pink, the pink one is the resistance wire and runs to the ignition switch.
#4
_Bomber Watson_
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 06:58 PM
Im pretty sure you will find the yellow wire is the resistance wire man.....
Misszilla, i recently overcame a problem like this in a mates ute by running a hot wire from the batt to a toggle switch (cleverly located) then to the coil, and i just tech screwed a ballast resistor to the firewall and wired that into the series (he wants stuff done for free it gets tech screwed
)
Just told him to go get a 12v-7v resistor, he did this, many smiles were had when the HJ-Z kicked into life again
.
Plus side of this is that ignition no longer works through the key barrel (which on his, all of mine and probably yourse is buggered and doesnt actually need a key.) Key still works acc and the starter on his setup but ign doesn work, so the batt will go flat before it starts unless you know where the toggle switch is...........
So yeah, basically fixed the problem and installed a prehistoric but effective immobiliser
Cheers.
Misszilla, i recently overcame a problem like this in a mates ute by running a hot wire from the batt to a toggle switch (cleverly located) then to the coil, and i just tech screwed a ballast resistor to the firewall and wired that into the series (he wants stuff done for free it gets tech screwed
)Just told him to go get a 12v-7v resistor, he did this, many smiles were had when the HJ-Z kicked into life again
.Plus side of this is that ignition no longer works through the key barrel (which on his, all of mine and probably yourse is buggered and doesnt actually need a key.) Key still works acc and the starter on his setup but ign doesn work, so the batt will go flat before it starts unless you know where the toggle switch is...........
So yeah, basically fixed the problem and installed a prehistoric but effective immobiliser
Cheers.
Edited by Bomber Watson, 06 July 2009 - 06:59 PM.
#5
_torbirdie_
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 07:43 PM
Im 100% sure its not.Im pretty sure you will find the yellow wire is the resistance wire man.....
Definitely toranas such as the LJ had the pink(resistance wire) and yell wires both going to the coil, but at some stage they realised that was wasting wire and the one underbonnet yellow wire as seen on the lx and uc was adopted.
Edited by torbirdie, 06 July 2009 - 07:46 PM.
#6
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 08:12 PM
All the ones i have played with must be broken cause they have yellow wire with 7v at the coil and funnily enough there is 12 at the key.
Then funnily enough when i have thrown electric ignitions on my cars and mates cars i have replaced the yellow (apparently not resistance) wire with a normal wire from the key to the coil and suddenly had 12v.
Like i said im sure they were all broken, i'll but out.
Cheers.
Then funnily enough when i have thrown electric ignitions on my cars and mates cars i have replaced the yellow (apparently not resistance) wire with a normal wire from the key to the coil and suddenly had 12v.
Like i said im sure they were all broken, i'll but out.
Cheers.
Edited by Bomber Watson, 06 July 2009 - 08:14 PM.
#7
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 08:37 PM
Hmmm ok plot thickens, LJ is different to LH, LJ apparently has two wires going to the coil, LH only has one, but has two wires joining up after the ignition switch but before the column plug.
Just checked both workshop manuals (genuine GM) out of curiosity and figured that.
Now the LJ one marks a white wire as the resistance wire, the yellow one is +12, but on the LH type one it only has one wire and it doesnt actually specify if its resistance.
And according to the LH manual the pink wire that runs to the switch is just normal 12 guage.
LH worshop manual has a stupid wiring diagram though.
So yeah, i'll eat my words with the LJ one, and hang my head in shame, all the ones i played with (4 LJ's in total) must have been changed before i got to them, can you shed any light on the LH setup......Short of running a micrometer on the yellow and pink wires on mine i cant think of much else to do....
Now were slightly off track, and i will maintain my little tip up on my first post would be the quickest and easyest way for someone with only basic wiring knowledge to get the car going again......
Cheers.
Just checked both workshop manuals (genuine GM) out of curiosity and figured that.
Now the LJ one marks a white wire as the resistance wire, the yellow one is +12, but on the LH type one it only has one wire and it doesnt actually specify if its resistance.
And according to the LH manual the pink wire that runs to the switch is just normal 12 guage.
LH worshop manual has a stupid wiring diagram though.
So yeah, i'll eat my words with the LJ one, and hang my head in shame, all the ones i played with (4 LJ's in total) must have been changed before i got to them, can you shed any light on the LH setup......Short of running a micrometer on the yellow and pink wires on mine i cant think of much else to do....
Now were slightly off track, and i will maintain my little tip up on my first post would be the quickest and easyest way for someone with only basic wiring knowledge to get the car going again......
Cheers.
#8
Joshua
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 08:47 PM
thanks for the laugh bomber.
#9
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 08:51 PM
Yes thanks bomber. I'm more confused than ever now Does that mean I still have the actual ballast resistor somewhere? like a little white box thing?
Does that mean I still have the actual ballast resistor somewhere? like a little white box thing?
#10
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 09:19 PM
No worries Josh.
According to me i was confused to.
No you dont have a ballast resistor, unless one has been retrofitted at a later date.
http://peterpam.cust...t.au/lxwire.jpg
I was gonna scan that page in but someone did that for me, as you can see there.
Now just find the coil, on the left hand side of the page near the middle, and follow the yellow wire from that, then it gets to a connector, thats the steering colom plug, then it goes to the ignition switch.
As you can see there is a pink wire that joins it after the steering colom plug then goes to a different pin on the ignition switch, which then goes through the fuse panel to the tell tales on the dash.....
Still with us???
Now assuming torbirdie is right, the pink wire between the ignition switch and the colom plug is the resistance wire, the pink wire that goes the other way from the ignition switch would just be plain 12 guage wire (as it says), and the yellow wire would be plain 12 guage.
The only sence i can make out of that set up is the LH model had a bypass system that put a full 12 volt to the coil when you were cranking to reduce the voltage drop across the coil when the starter motor kicks in, the bypass wire would be the yellow wire from the ignition switch and the resistance wire would be the pink wire from the ignition switch, which becomes the normal path once cranking has stopped......
The way my brain was working doesnt make much sence having the yellow wire as resistance, but it would be nice if the manual specified these things.......
OK, who's still with me? And how far wrong am i so far in this post?
OK, now Misszilla, what exactly makes you think that the resistor is gone???
Have you done a voltage check to the coil and seen that you have 12 volts then decided something is wrong, or is there a different problem??? Might be chasing the wrong dream here....
Still think my first little bypass idea is quickest and easyest though
Oh yeah, and READ MY DISCLAIMER!!! vvvv
According to me i was confused to.
No you dont have a ballast resistor, unless one has been retrofitted at a later date.
http://peterpam.cust...t.au/lxwire.jpg
I was gonna scan that page in but someone did that for me, as you can see there.
Now just find the coil, on the left hand side of the page near the middle, and follow the yellow wire from that, then it gets to a connector, thats the steering colom plug, then it goes to the ignition switch.
As you can see there is a pink wire that joins it after the steering colom plug then goes to a different pin on the ignition switch, which then goes through the fuse panel to the tell tales on the dash.....
Still with us???
Now assuming torbirdie is right, the pink wire between the ignition switch and the colom plug is the resistance wire, the pink wire that goes the other way from the ignition switch would just be plain 12 guage wire (as it says), and the yellow wire would be plain 12 guage.
The only sence i can make out of that set up is the LH model had a bypass system that put a full 12 volt to the coil when you were cranking to reduce the voltage drop across the coil when the starter motor kicks in, the bypass wire would be the yellow wire from the ignition switch and the resistance wire would be the pink wire from the ignition switch, which becomes the normal path once cranking has stopped......
The way my brain was working doesnt make much sence having the yellow wire as resistance, but it would be nice if the manual specified these things.......
OK, who's still with me? And how far wrong am i so far in this post?
OK, now Misszilla, what exactly makes you think that the resistor is gone???
Have you done a voltage check to the coil and seen that you have 12 volts then decided something is wrong, or is there a different problem??? Might be chasing the wrong dream here....
Still think my first little bypass idea is quickest and easyest though
Oh yeah, and READ MY DISCLAIMER!!! vvvv
#11
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 09:20 PM
instead if a ballast resistor it had a resisted wire? thats what I have mad of that anyway 
#12
View GaragePosted 06 July 2009 - 09:20 PM
Look very closely at that pink wire, it actually has something along the lines of 'Resistance wire do not cut' printed on the insulation (if its still readable after 30+ years).Short of running a micrometer on the yellow and pink wires on mine i cant think of much else to do....
misszilla there is no ballast resistor, this pink resistor wire is used instead, it doesn't connect directly to the coil itself but you will find it not far down the chain
#13
Posted 06 July 2009 - 09:21 PM
Bingo!The only sence i can make out of that set up is the LH model had a bypass system that put a full 12 volt to the coil when you were cranking to reduce the voltage drop across the coil when the starter motor kicks in, the bypass wire would be the yellow wire from the ignition switch and the resistance wire would be the pink wire from the ignition switch, which becomes the normal path once cranking has stopped......
#14
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Posted 06 July 2009 - 09:43 PM
Bingo!
Yay only took me four goes and a big spoonfull of humble pie hahaha.
#15
_torbirdie_
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Posted 07 July 2009 - 12:31 AM
Now assuming torbirdie is right, the pink wire between the ignition switch and the colom plug is the resistance wire, the pink wire that goes the other way from the ignition switch would just be plain 12 guage wire (as it says), and the yellow wire would be plain 12 guage.
The only sence i can make out of that set up is the LH model had a bypass system that put a full 12 volt to the coil when you were cranking to reduce the voltage drop across the coil when the starter motor kicks in, the bypass wire would be the yellow wire from the ignition switch and the resistance wire would be the pink wire from the ignition switch, which becomes the normal path once cranking has stopped......
The way my brain was working doesnt make much sence having the yellow wire as resistance, but it would be nice if the manual specified these things.......
OK, who's still with me? And how far wrong am i so far in this post?
OK, now Misszilla, what exactly makes you think that the resistor is gone???
Have you done a voltage check to the coil and seen that you have 12 volts then decided something is wrong, or is there a different problem??? Might be chasing the wrong dream here....
Still think my first little bypass idea is quickest and easyest though
OK, glad we have confirmed something here, that the LH wiring is indeed the same as the LX and UC here.
Bomber, the bypass idea is fine(though their could be just a problem with the underbonnet connector, we dont know), however, not sure where you get a 12V/7V you talk about, it would need to be specific for points resistors ballast coils.
The resistance wire has a resistance of 1.2 Ohms, the ballast resistor would need to have these written on it as well as a current rating of 5A or a power rating of ~7W.
To get this right, the best option would be to visit a wrecker and just get the pink resistance wire out of any HJ-VB or LH/UC. As you have alluded to, there is also another pink wire that goes to the ignition switch that is not resisted, it is much thicker and goes to the fuse panel.
Misszilla, as Bomber said, it would be good to know what has brought you and your mechanic to the conclusion that the resistance wire is the problem. Perhaps you have faith in your mechanic, but to be honest, any mechanic that cant sort this out or doesnt know these old holden basics has probably made certain incorrect assumptions in their diagnosis also.
Edited by torbirdie, 07 July 2009 - 12:34 AM.
#16
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 11:50 AM
I think it's the resistance wire because it just won't start, that is it will only catch for a couple of seconds then stop. I've connected a wire from the coil directly to the battery, and it started on the third go.. which is about average for my car haha. However, there is the original problem of it not running properly and stalling.. but I'll try and get this fixed first.
#17
fuzzypumper
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 01:22 PM
The wire direct from battery to coil with no ballast solution works for testing but its success doesnt mean you have pinpointed the only problem as the ballast. Also dont run for any more than a few seconds at a time for your testing. Only to determine whether the ballast is faulty, otherwise you will burn out your points in no time.
Your fault could be someplace else, you did mention your car was having trouble idling before it finally faulted and wouldnt start.
1. Could be faulty unadjusted points & condensor, try some new ones.
2. A slowly faulting coil, Try another coil. (the wire direct from battery sollution could also mask and point to a deteriorating coil which is
putting out a low voltage. This could also explain your usuall 3 go starting procedure as well.)
3. A blocked idle fuel circuit in carby. When you manage to start car can you keep it running by revving it constantly? if so and you let it
drop to idle, does it stall?
Your fault could be someplace else, you did mention your car was having trouble idling before it finally faulted and wouldnt start.
1. Could be faulty unadjusted points & condensor, try some new ones.
2. A slowly faulting coil, Try another coil. (the wire direct from battery sollution could also mask and point to a deteriorating coil which is
putting out a low voltage. This could also explain your usuall 3 go starting procedure as well.)
3. A blocked idle fuel circuit in carby. When you manage to start car can you keep it running by revving it constantly? if so and you let it
drop to idle, does it stall?
#18
_misszilla_
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 01:45 PM
The wire direct from battery to coil with no ballast solution works for testing but its success doesnt mean you have pinpointed the only problem as the ballast. Also dont run for any more than a few seconds at a time for your testing. Only to determine whether the ballast is faulty, otherwise you will burn out your points in no time.
Your fault could be someplace else, you did mention your car was having trouble idling before it finally faulted and wouldnt start.
1. Could be faulty unadjusted points & condensor, try some new ones.
2. A slowly faulting coil, Try another coil. (the wire direct from battery sollution could also mask and point to a deteriorating coil which is
putting out a low voltage. This could also explain your usuall 3 go starting procedure as well.)
3. A blocked idle fuel circuit in carby. When you manage to start car can you keep it running by revving it constantly? if so and you let it
drop to idle, does it stall?
Yep, no doubt there is something else wrong with it. As it's been stolen it's been thrashed so alot of things have broken or been damaged in some way.
1. I will give that a go
2. Pretty likely. Again i'll give that a go too. The coil is only about 18 months old, is it usual for them to deteriorate that fast?
3. Ah ha! I just went outside and tried to start it.. started almost immediately. Idled a little funny so I went to have a look under the bonnet and realised I had disconnected the wire running from the battery to the coil, and it had started normally! It stopped after idling for about a minute, so I restarted it and it still idled a bit strange.
#20
_misszilla_
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 02:23 PM
No I haven't.. How do you check the timing?
Edit; Figured it out. I don't have a timing light.. but I can probably borrow one. Next job I think
Edit; Figured it out. I don't have a timing light.. but I can probably borrow one. Next job I think
Edited by misszilla, 08 July 2009 - 02:30 PM.
#22
_torbirdie_
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Posted 08 July 2009 - 08:57 PM
To test if there is a problem with the resistance wire or the related ignition contact, turn on the ignition and measure the voltage between the +ve of the coil and the -ve of the battery(not the -ve of the coil).
The reading will typically be 7v as the motor will stop with the points closed, but it can stop with them open and this will give a reading of 12V.
if you record either 12 or 7V your resistor wire is okay(for the test anyway!), 0V = problem.
phsst: I have a timing light I'd like to exchange for a few $, but unless someone has been messing with the dizzy doubt that is your prob.
The reading will typically be 7v as the motor will stop with the points closed, but it can stop with them open and this will give a reading of 12V.
if you record either 12 or 7V your resistor wire is okay(for the test anyway!), 0V = problem.
phsst: I have a timing light I'd like to exchange for a few $, but unless someone has been messing with the dizzy doubt that is your prob.
Edited by torbirdie, 08 July 2009 - 08:58 PM.
#23
Posted 08 July 2009 - 09:21 PM
Yep, no doubt there is something else wrong with it. As it's been stolen it's been thrashed so alot of things have broken or been damaged in some way.
phsst: I have a timing light I'd like to exchange for a few $, but unless someone has been messing with the dizzy doubt that is your prob.
I dunno, sounds like misszilla should be starting at the start and making sure everything is right before replacing things
#24
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Posted 12 July 2009 - 03:31 PM
I dunno, sounds like misszilla should be starting at the start and making sure everything is right before replacing things
I havent suggested replacing things, just in my experience timing is set and forget and would be the least likely of items to be suddently causing a problem. Even changing the points or adjusting them is unlikely to cause a difference of more than 1 degree, to get the conditions she reported it would have to be out be retarded by at least 6 deg, certainly never hurts to check and if you have a timing light it only takes a minute.
my light is still for sale!
Edited by torbirdie, 12 July 2009 - 03:32 PM.
#25
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Posted 13 July 2009 - 09:55 PM
Every car I've had that had points needed adjusting every 4-6weeks. Always had massive spark and were driven like they were going out of fashion, though.
If they've been neglected for a few months they may need looking at.
Not saying there's not other problems, just a good place to start.
If they've been neglected for a few months they may need looking at.
Not saying there's not other problems, just a good place to start.
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