Question

[mrcuoco1988]

My car was sold to me with wires on the floor you twist together to start is I put a original key in it but it has no ECU or ballast hooked up and no ignition two just 1 how is the car starting and working why did they bye pass the ballast and why is there no ECU is this gunna overheat my coil and fry my points I gathered wiring diagrams from u guys but I Wana know what this may have done for damage and maybe a full diagram of the system including the key switch not just the coil ECU and distributor so I can put it back original anyone have advice it runs and drives but it's not right and that concerns me

 

[RemCharger]

 

[mrcuoco1988]

Do u think this has done damage having not ballast and you drawing shows no ECU is that not needed I was looking at this diagram but yours is different

 

[mrcuoco1988]

This another I saw but if I don't need the ECU I'll wire it up the way u show I have a original distributor and original 318

 

[RemCharger]

What is your car, and does it have points. We'll go from there.

 

[CBODY67]

The ECU is only with the electronic ignition system. The ECU is the switching mechanism that takes the place of points in the system.

 

[volksworld]

if its a points system , no ECU...the ballast resistor is there to reduce the voltage to the coil to prevent it from overheating...it is bypassed during cranking (full 12v to coil) for a temporary hotter spark while trying to get the car to initally fire up...this may have been done in whatever troubleshooting attempt that resulted in you touching wires together to make it run....on the other hand, there are coils made to run off a full 12v all the time, and someone may have installed one of these and bypassed the resistor in their attempts to get the car running...part #'s off coil to see if its factory or not should help identify it...most aftermarket coils usually have "use with external resistor " or something similar printed on them if they need one