280i Ignition coil

[trippy280i]

Hi, I have a USA spec '84 280i. One day it started, the next it didn't. I do not have a spark from the plugs or coil. I have 12 volts from the + and - terminals and the primary and secondary circuits seem to give the correct resistance readings compared to another cars manual. The next step says to replace the coil. Does anyone have the specs for the coil (Part Nos etc) especially something I can cross reference here in the USA.
Thanks

[P Oxley]

I have heard of a case of a stock coil in a 280I heating then failing, in hot weather.
Many years ago I replaced the coil on my US spec '83 Tasmin with an inexpensive MSD Blaster and it has worked just fine.

[grady]

Couldn't paste the correct page so here is some info from the 280i parts page at www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk/

Ignition coil (hi performance) MSD Blaster 2 coil Kit No. 8203 (40k volts) Remove blue wire & replace with resister

Grady

>> Edited by grady on Monday 23 September 19:15

[trippy280i]

Thank you for the replies. I have fitted a new coil and it still won't start. Any ideas?

[grady]

Still no spark or something else?

I'm still smarting from not driving mine for a month or so over the summer and finding it wouldn't start b/c all the gas had evaporated away leaving the gauge sitting at 1/2 tank. Grady

[trippy280i]

Still no spark and I have fuel. I don't know what to try next.

[grady]

Have you checked the Bible? Mine's at home but there are a couple of trouble shooting-decision tree type charts that convert random guesses into a logical progression. At the risk of speaking before my betters, for general principles, any Hayes type checklist for any fuel injected mid-80's car is a good place to start. Also I would check that you have a good ground between the battery-chassis-engine.

[erik280i]

I have had the same problem after I replaced the sparkplugs. The car did not start anymore.
This was due to a faulty connection between the ignition unit and the ignition coil, the wire was broken in the plastic insulation where it entered the connector at the ignition coil. You could try to cut of a few centimeters of the wire and connect it directly to the ignition coil. You can also take an ohmmeter and check the wire between the ignition unit in front of the car and the coil.
I hope this is of any help.

[masinc13440]

you are testing backwards. Start at the distributor and make sure the pick up coil is producing a current while cranking. This signal is the sent to the control modual in front of the air filter. The modual then tells the coil to fire. Always check for spark by removing the coil wire from the distributor cap never at the spark plugs. If the car has jumped time, the coil will fire between the posts of the cap and will not make it to the spark plugs. Did you remove the distributor cap and make sure the rotor is turning? The timing gears are fibre and can break easily. Did you replace the modual? Thats the number one reason for no spark or die when hot problems. They come in an exprensive and a cheap version. I can supply ether if you can"t find one locally. lou