Subject: Re: My Ambassador has an intermittant!
Author: Ian Adkins
Date: Jun 11, 2001, 7:37 AM
Post ID: 1707069669
Bill,
My first thought might be the coil. Sometimes they start failing when they
get hot and then work again when they cool off but the failure would be of
longer duration I think?
Could be a short in the light switch? Maybe the ignition switch. I had a
friend that had that happen. To test for that I would wiggle the switch
when the bike is running well...to see if I could induce the failure.
For sure I would think that the problem is electrical and in a connerctor
somewhere. My first bet is the ignition switch followed by the light switch
shorting out. Lastly.....a short somewhere? Also might look at the rotor cap
to see if it is on ok.
Good luck and let us know what you find out.....Ian
-----Original Message-----
From: William Dudley <du-@casano.com>
To: Loopfram-@topica.com <Loopfram-@topica.com>
Date: June 11, 2001 8:49 AM
Subject: My Ambassador has an intermittant!
| Folks, My 71 Ambassador has been wonderful and trouble free but lately has been intermittantly "dying" while I'm riding along. Duration of the intermittant can be very short (like one or two missing plug firings) to "long" like 15 seconds. Symptoms: 1. Seems just like I shut off the ignition - power goes away, then the intermittant "repairs" itself and the motor starts pulling again. 2. Generator light goes on (dimly) during intermittant failure. I don't know what this is telling me. 3. Highbeam indicator stays on (if it was on) during failure, implying that lighting circuit is unaffected. 4. Tachometer needle swings wildly after intermittant is restored, suggesting power to tach is also restored. This suggests (to me) diagnosis (b) below. My guess would be (a) an intermittant failure of the ignition feed or (b) intermittant failure of the points (due to oil or grease getting on the points, for example) but I'm looking for other suggested diagnoses in case my logic is incorrect. I also welcome suggestions as to how to debug this. Here are my ideas: One way would be to continue to use the bike but carry a voltmeter and a coil of wire and some electrical tape in my pocket at all times. Another way would be to instrument the bike by adding LED indicators showing voltage present at crucial points: feed to coil, fuse in headlight, . . . Or I could just examine all the connections on the bike, but it would seem difficult to ensure that I've found them all. Bill Dudley 71 Ambassador |