I've searched this forum... but haven't found what I'm looking for, so don't berate me, okay?

Pulled the engine on 66 Valiant (225 /6)... didn't lable all the wires. Things are back together now, but when I turn the key... nothing. Except that the ignition ballast resistor gets REAL hot and smoke starts coming from the insulation on the wires attached to it...

Oh well. It's hard to figure stuff out without pictures. Have only the wiring diagram from a '67 Valiant. Can anyone help? I know, I should have labeled things... if this were a computer forum, I'd be able to help, but with cars, I'm not quite as bright as I'd like to be.

Thanks for the help in the past, I appreciate all.

tomglander@netzero.net

The '66 and '67 are the same as far as engine wiring is concerned. You definitely have a short if it's smoking! On the ballast resistor, the brown and one dark blue wire should go to one side and two dark blue wires to the other side.

I have a '66 schematic I can scan for you, if you can't figure it out.


lancer_41@excite.com

Sounds like it does not even crank the starter/engine over?

From the ballast power goes to the "+" side of the coil, be sure nothing is touching ground. Test by disconnecting the blue wire fron the "+" (ign) side of the coil and see if the ballast still overheats. (is should not)
The coil could be bad. Is this electronic ignition?
DD

Turning the key produces nothing. No cranking, no
clicking, nothing, except for the heating of the
ballast resistor... seems there's a short.
:
: From the ballast power goes to the
: "+" side of the coil, be sure
: nothing is touching ground. Test by
: disconnecting the blue wire fron the
: "+" (ign) side of the coil and see
: if the ballast still overheats. (is should
: not)
: The coil could be bad. Is this electronic
: ignition?

This is not electronic ignition, however, someone
in the past put a Carter emissions reduction "kit"
of some sort on it (a small box with about six
wires coming from it that go various places) but
I haven't changed anything there... but maybe that
makes it electronic ignition? I don't know. Also
there's a tiny silver metal box that looks like
a diode or something that's been taped with duct
tape. It looks like the Carter kit thing could
be replacing this, or was added on later, or ???

I will try your suggestion, thanks.

tomglander@netzero.net

Doctor Dodge suggested removing the blue wire from
the "+" side of the coil then seeing if the
ballast resistor still overheats... I have done
what he suggested, and the resistor does not
overheat, and the engine now cranks when the key
is turned! That's progress... what does this
all mean, however? Is the coil bad? I also notice
that when I touch the blue wire to the "+" side
of the coil, it sparks. ????

tomglander@netzero.net

Sounds like a shorted coil or distributor parts.
Check inside the distributor where the wires connect to the points, make sure the connector has not rotated and grounded-out on the distrib. plate as the lock nut was tightened.

The points are a switch and need to turn the coil "on and off" so if there is a problem there, the coil "overloads" and the ballast resistor will also overheat.
DD

Thanks, only one more query here: does the
little condensor coil go to the + or - on the
big main coil? My wiring diagram does not even
include the condensor in the schematic.

Thanks!

Tom

tomglander@netzero.net

The true condensor in the system is screwed down inside the distributor and goes on the - side. (via the distributor wire)

Many cars have a radio noise suppressor "can" which goes on the + side but at this point, I would leave that one disconnected. You need to get it running before you have to worry about AM radio noise.
DD