Need help with Mazda EFI.

[tom cloud]

>At 07:06 PM 11/7/96 -0800, you wrote:
>>Fouled/flooded plugs may not fire a timing light.
>>Either change them or try setting a plug(still connected) on the engine and 
>>watch for spark.
>> 
>>
>>>Yeah, I strapped the timing light onto each of the three coils to check for
>>>spark and didn't get any on any of the coils.  All of the switching
>>>transistors for firing the injectors are run by T304 on the board (that
>>>Toshiba Japan IC I asked about), and I checked the transistors last night
>>>(sort of) and it appears that they are ok.  That pretty much only leaves the
>>>IC that drives them.
>
>I had a similar problem on my 88 Mustang GT.  I have Accel 8.8 Spiral Race
>Wires (junk very high resistance and will be replaced in the spring) 
>My timing light did not work and i borrowed a wire off a buddy's Chev 305,
>and voila, timing light worked perfectly.  I thought it was the light, so i
>bought another one...same prob, now i have 2 good lights, and still bad wires.

Be aware that noise reducing plug wires usually are high resistance
when measured with an ohmmeter.  The resistance will have no effect
on firing your plugs (after all E = I * R, so there'll be no voltage
drop until current starts to flow).  It will reduce the current spike
and therefore the noise.  There is no doubt in my mind that old
fashioned WIRE with high voltage insulation will work better, and
if I were a racer, that's what I'd use (I don't think listening to
the AM radio or CD is important in that environment).  But, if you
don't want everyone near you to be irritated 'cause there stereo starts
popping when you're around, use noise suppression wires.

(I'm not saying your wires aren't bad -- only that all noise suppression
wires have higher R than straight wire.)


Tom Cloud <cloud at peaches.ph.utexas.edu>