Ignition Coil

Bugz · « **on:** April 29, 2004, 08:24:35 AM »

I thought I could remember which posts the wire went to when I changed out my coil the other night but alas, I'm stupid and I should have written it down instead of relying on my feeble memory. I have three wires in addition to the plug wire from the center to the distributor. One wire is power from the ignition switch. The next wire is to the condenser. The third wire is the one that jumps to the carburetor. None of the books tell how to hook the coil up. I guess they assume that people working on VW's are not going to be idiots like me. :p
I know the coil has the two posts (each with a double male prong), one positive and one negative - to which posts do my three wires go?

Zen · « **Reply #1 on:** April 29, 2004, 04:58:58 PM »

Look at the post on the coil and you'll see one is marked + and the other -

The power from the ignition switch hooks to the + post. So does the wire going to the idle cut-off solinoid and choke heater element on your carb. **On 68 and up bugs originally there was ("maybe" still is) another wire hooked to this post, ran across the front of the fan shroud and had an in-line fuse holder in it. On the right side of the engine, the wire went across the fan shroud and dissapeared somewhere behind the engine . . . That is the power for your backup lights. There is a mechanical switch in the nose of the tranny that makes contact when you shift to reverse and sends the power back out to your backup lights. A REAL COMMON problem when you have your coil unwired is to hook this wire to the - post. If it kills the engine every time you shift to reverse, that's your problem.**

The only wire you want hooked to the - post is the one going to your distributor.

:cool:

Zen · « **Reply #2 on:** April 29, 2004, 05:10:16 PM »

Oh, by the way, if you hook the coil up backwards (all the + post wires on the - and the distributor wire to the +) the spark will jump backwards on you spark plug. Contrary to popular belief, this won't make your engine run backwards . . . but I might make your back-up lights come on in every gear but reverse . . . :

:

Just in case you're wondering, that was a joke

. . . the only problem it will cause is the spark jumping backwards at the plug. That may or may not be a "problem" . . . it might cause the plug to run hotter or cooler than normal, or it might not have any real affect on anything. Just hook it up right and you don't have to worry about it.

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Bugz

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