[RBYoung]

My car has a pushbutton start crudely installed. Start process has been to turn the key to "run", listen for the fuel pump to hum and depress start button. Car always starts but sometimes take a couple of trys. Suddenly car will not start, and in frustration or just monkey business I held the ignition key at "start" and depressed the starter button at the same time, and, varoom! only to relax the ignition key to run and then the car falters, twist the key back to start (which does not actuate the starter motor.) and car runs fine. To clarify, the car will only run when I hold my ignition switch in the start position, Holding the ignition switch on start does not engage the starter, that has been bypassed by previous owner.

I have replaced the electrical part of the ignition switch. Disconnected the horn, reverse light, and winshield wiper feeds from the fuse block. I belive my wiper circuit is responsible for blowing fuse #1.

Spent a fair amount of time looking at wiring diagrams, and with my head in the footwell today. My next guess would be the "resistor cable transparent" from fuseblock to ignition coil.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

By the way, The Fuse block is hanging by zip ties. Almost all underdash wiring looks stock, right to original radio. The wiring is rotten to the core. The good news is the wiring is the worst problem the car has.

Cheers.

 

[First opel 1981]

Your resistor wire broke.

 

[RBYoung]

Ok, two questions. 1) what exactly is a resistor wire? Is it itself a resistor or does it supply a resistor? 2) What do I use to replace that particular wire?

My gameplan is to replace all the wiring, but somewhat of a noob. So I am cautiously exploring the problems rather than ripping everthing out willy nilly. I appreciate the feedback as I get my head wrapped around this.

 

[First opel 1981]

Connected to your coil is a wire that looks like (clear insulation) speaker wire. That wire goes all the way to the fuse block. It's pretty easy to tell from the rest of the wires.
If your resistor wire has been eliminated, you probably have a ballast resistor somewhere.
It's also possibly you have a bad connection somewhere. Or a blown fuse.

The answer to the question about is the wire an actual resistor? Yes, it is. You can buy it at the auto parts store sometimes. Otherwise you'd need to buy it online.

 

[The Scifi Guy]

You'll see the resistor wire attached to the coil in this pic. You can also use this pic to rectify your wiring rig jobs.

 

[Paul M]

AND it id not that difficult. Take your time and do it right the first time.

 

[RBYoung]

I appreciate the feedback. I am at the stage of learning rewiring where I have to make some real decisions about the car. How important is it to retain the '71 loom configuration for this particular car? Am I better off rewiring with modern fuseblocks, relays and connectors or should I try to emulate the factory loom? Some of this comes down to future value, and a whole pile comes down to reliability. So far I have noticed that there is a fair amount of flexibility in the Opel community about how and why modifications are made. I think this particular car is in pretty fair physical shape, but will never be concourse. For starters it had a weird ford carburettor which i replaced with a new Weber. Also: candy apple red with orange undertones. My intent initally is to do no harm. I may drill out larger cable openings in bulkheads and resolve safety issues, as required, but I will not be cutting, bending or distorting this car.

I will admit to already wanting a "beater" i can abuse with a Ecotec LSJ.

Am I going to inflame the Gt community if I put an Eaton Bussman fuseblock under the parcel shelf and run all and sundry looms and connections back there? it just seems sensible to do what Nik and Richard did on their Austin Mini "Binkey" Youtube projecrt Binkey episode 19 Go to minute 27.OK nothing they do is sensible. I should have said "well thought out".

Right at the outset I get that this can inflame passion, but I am actually looking for opinion.

Am I covering an old discussion already had? I apologise, but how does one search for that?

Chime in or direct me to those that know.

Cheers, Bruce.

 

[terrylewisac]

Well Bruce,
At the end of the day it is your car your build and there for your choice.
Obviously, any mods to make our cars more reliable and safer is and will be encouraged so these little gt's are around for our grandchildren and not be on the side of the road on fire.
Now if your idea was to restore to a concourse original state, well then your in another direction.
We are all a relatively like minded easy going bunch here.
I wouldn't worry to much about inflaming or offending anyone here with your thoughts or direction your journey takes you to clean up and make your car more reliable.
BUT you must post pics of your progress LOL

 

[kwschumm]

IMO, only a real purist would worry about it as long as it was well done in design and implementation. The original wiring was serviceable but hardly perfect, as evidenced by all the hacks done to the wiring. I really don’t much like the fuse box in the footwell location.

 

[hrcollinsjr]

I'm certain the wiring can be done better than the original. Remember though, it's an aggravation for someone who is familiar with them to sort them out if there is a problem.

Harold

 

[terrylewisac]

A good legend or documented road map of the rewire would be of great importance in that case for sure

 

[RBYoung]

Symptom solved! Problem not solved. It is convoluted, but my resistor wire was not the culprit. I hired a mechanic to do the first attack at the car, and he did a steller job. He found a "key on" hot lead to power the electronic ignition. As stated previously this car has a friable electrical loom. With some driving, that particular lead is now only hot with key at "start". So no juice to the ignition.

It took a fair amount of prodding around. I wired in a NAPA coil resistor and took the power in the engine bay off the electric fuel pump wire a previous owner had fed throgh the firewall and connected to the same terminal as the OEM resistor wire. Because of the clatter of the fuel pump I knew that that line was hot with key at "run" , but could not get a voltage from the resistor to the coil. Anyway, after much prodding and head scratching the problem was no power to the electronic ignition.

The mystery is what was shorting out that is not now?

Mind you the fuse block is hanging by old zip ties. Which in turn are fastened to parts of the wiring loom itself. LOL
I do carry a 15 lb ABC extinguisher everywhere. And by everywhere I mean around the neighborhood..

Still pondering how to wire the car. leaning towards a modern loom with fuse block under the package tray. So Youtube here I come.

 

[terrylewisac]

well positive progress is a positive step forward
Glad your figuring this stuff out
I'd say if it's no longer shorting out try not to dwell on it maybe the mechanic unknowingly found it while he was fixing it.
But I would still keep that extinguisher on board.
Thanks for reminding me to get mine in my gt as well I keep running around the neighborhood and forget to put it in there