VC V8 SLE Commodore Electronic Ignition Module problems

[Hatz]

Hi. I am new to the forum so I'm hoping I'm doing this correctly and someone can help out with some advice. I bought a VC V8 SLE Commodore a year ago. The car wasn't running when I bought it and after towing it home I worked out it had no spark and had blown the module in the factory HEI dizzy. I had another dizzy at home so swapped modules and the car started straight away and ran perfectly. A few months later, the same thing happened to it and I had to replace the module again. In the last 12 months I have had to replace 5 electronic ignition modules in it as they keep on blowing. They have lasted anything between 2 weeks and a few months. It happened to me again last night and have had enough with the car. The car will be running perfectly and when I park it and go to start it again after a period of time, it will not start and have no spark. Change the module and it fires immediately. I'm hoping someone out there may have experienced the same problem and might be able to assist me in working out why it continuously blows the modules. Please help.

[ari666]

hi mate: welcome.

i wrote this a while back: why i keep pestering people to change their HEI units maybe it can shed some light on the subject.

the only reason i can guess that they are popping is because you are not applying the thermal grease on the base properley, or the thermal grease you are using isnt up to the job. head down to a computer shop and get yourself some "antech silver" thermal grease. you wont ever have a problem with overheating with that stuff.

make sure you apply it cleanly (no hairs or dirt or bits of junk) and evenly. i use a credit card. the better you apply it, the better the heat will transfer and the longer itll last.

hope that helps.

[Hatz]

Thanks. I have definitely placed the thermal grease on the back and ensured it was clean. I've used all of the grease the module came with in it's little package. I will take your advice and try again.
If there is also any other ideas as to the reason, please let me know.

Thanks again,
George

[the_boozer]

its defiantly a vc,not a vb the only thing i can think of provided its getting a full 12 volt is the coil has some fault and its drawing too much current, have you changed the coil at all?

[Hatz]

Hi. Yes, the Commodore is definitely a VC with a 253 in it.
I haven't changed the coil but happy to do that too if it means that it might stop the module blowing. Does anyone know where I can buy one from as I've been told that they are not easy to find these days?
Thanks,
George.

[the_boozer]

i dont want to give you a bum steer ol mate < i m guessing coil because its the only thing attached to the modual.
do you have any other strange electrical problems . My only other guess is reg in alternator voltage too high. have you put a multi meter across the batt terminls while its running?
once on a hz i had it could pop the head light globes it only took me 3 months to work out why? A few of my friends auto-sparkys wouldnt belive me till i showed them the globes

[Hatz]

Hi. I have put a multimeter across the battery when the car is running. It reads 13.6 volts but when you turn the headlights on, the voltage drops to 12.0 volts. When you rev it with the lights on, it it goes up to about 12.5 volts. I've assumed that is normal but don't really know.
Cheers,
George

[ari666]

yeah thats fine. it can go anywhere from 8 to 14.5 volts and still be ok.

i think the coil may have somethingto do with it. didnt the VC's have a points dizzy and ballast resistor? there is a big warning on all HEI dizzys "use of a resistor may cause serious damage" or some blah like that, can you tell us what part number the coil is? is it a round cylinder type? does it have a small cylinder on the side of the coil with a single black wire running to the + side?

[the_boozer]

vc would have been a blue motor with a he-1 standed. the reason i asked if it was a vb, from the times ive played with he-1 where there was once a ballast resistor or resistance wire present and the he-1 wasnt getting a full 12volt they have all given trouble with in a few months if its not getting a full 12volt.

you dont have a kill switch that grounds your coil when, on do you? If yes thats the cause when you forget to turn it off and crank the engine?
otherwise back to coil guess

[DerekP]

Yes the VC originally had a points dizzy.

[the_boozer]

didnt blue motors start at vc?
he-1 first appeared on blue motors?
Id go a box of piss on that 1.
no points on a vc

[Hatz]

Hi ari666.
My Commodore is a VC, has a standard blue 253 in it and it has a factory Bosch electronic ignition with the large cap and the cylinder type coil with a spark plug end on it. The car is all standard and the ignition appears to have never been changed in it. There is no resistor attached to the ignition system that I can see unless it is built into the standard factory wiring.
It doesn't have any small cylinder next to the coil. Are you talking about a noise suppressor?
Please let me know.
Thanks,
George

[the_boozer]

pretty shaw he-1 dont have a condesor ,Ill go have a look

[DerekP]

Did all blue motors have electronic dizzies? I thought the eelectronic dizzy was introduced on the VH? I guess you learn sumthin' every day!