Home 
Home Search search Menu menu Not logged in - Login | Register

 Moderated by: Greg Fletcher
New Topic Reply Printer Friendly
'IGNITION' light stays on  Rating:  Rating
AuthorPost
 Posted: 05-23-2006 02:57 pm
  PM Quote Reply
1st Post
colinw59
Member


Joined: 02-14-2006
Location: Bloomfield/Hebron, Connecticut USA
Posts: 147
Status: 
Offline
Well this is odd. #15851 is now 99.99% (more pics will be posted later today). I've driven her maybe 100 miles with no electrical problem at all. We took her for a drive last night. It was dusk and cold out so the blower was on as was radio & headlamps. After a while I noticed the 'IGNITION' light was on. This light gets dimmer as I turned things off, gets brighter and I revved the engine but never goes out completely. Do any of you electricians out there know what's going on here?

http://jhppg.com/gallery/74-Jensen-Healey-15851

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: 05-23-2006 11:51 pm
  PM Quote Reply
2nd Post
Mark Rosenbaum
Member


Joined: 03-12-2005
Location: Kingman, Arizona USA
Posts: 532
Status: 
Offline
First, check the wires to the alternator, the main battery junction on the heavy battery positive cable, and the battery connections themselves.  Also check the engine ground strap to make sure it's still there and still tight.  Sometimes you get poor contact or broken wires due to age and vibration.

From the symptoms you describe, it doesn't sound much like a problem with the battery itself, but if you have a hydrometer, you can check the specific gravity of the acid in each battery cell and determine if there's a battery fault of some sort.

Third, check the alternator.  The easiest way to troubleshoot one is to take it to an auto parts store in your area that tests alternators for free.  Also, make sure the fan belt actually spins the alternator pulley without slippage.

Last edited on 05-23-2006 11:52 pm by Mark Rosenbaum

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

 Posted: 06-14-2006 07:39 pm
  PM Quote Reply
3rd Post
colinw59
Member


Joined: 02-14-2006
Location: Bloomfield/Hebron, Connecticut USA
Posts: 147
Status: 
Offline
It looks like it's the Lucus alternator, that's only has 200 miles on it since new! It's output is zero and I've eliminated everything else (I hope). The thing that's still confusing me though is the fact that the IGNITION light is not comming on at any time (the bulb is good). Perhaps a wire is bad. The system was overcharging at first, 15V, then this light would get brighter as I revved the engine and dimmer as I loaded the system, and then the bulb blew! The reverse of what it's supposed to do. I have a replacement on the way from Delta and I'll see if this changes the IGNITION light situation at all.

Back To Top PM Quote Reply  

 Posted: 06-15-2006 02:26 pm
  PM Quote Reply
4th Post
Judson Manning
Member


Joined: 03-14-2005
Location: Atlanta, Georgia USA
Posts: 406
Status: 
Offline
Do check everything Mark suggests, it's amazing how complex problems tend to have very simple solutions.  I had similar over-charging problems on an old Delco unit of mine, it turned out to be a bad rebuild.

The 'ignition' light is wired directly to the alternator.  If you ground it with the ignition switch 'on' it should illuminate.

Lucas has (2) 3/8" Positive terminals and (1) 1/4" terminal for the 'ignition' light.  Delco has the same number of terminals, but one 3/8" terminal is wired to ground.

On an originally equipped Delco car, it is very easy to incorrectly attach the groud wire (used w/ Delco, NOT with Lucas) and blow the Lucas diodes sky high.

 

Back To Top PM Quote Reply

Current time is 04:57 pm  
> Jensen Healey & Jensen GT Tech > Electrical & Instruments > 'IGNITION' light stays on Top




UltraBB 1.172 Copyright © 2007-2011 Data 1 Systems