Do ignition coils get weak?
From : daniel j stern
Q: on wed 2 jun 2004 jack wrote no symptoms out of the ordinary. i just finished an epic marathon diagnostic and maintenance on my 100k 87 dakota v6 with electronic feedback carburetor. it took two months of weekends and evenings. im guessing all but about 45 minutes of that was due to the feedback carburetor! the last things that i did was to replace the plugs wires cap and rotor. i noticed that the wire at the coil did not seat properly due to being too short. it may have made contact with the coil output stud and it may have been arcing inside the boot. i was just curious if perhaps such a thing might not damage the coil. you can check visually -- remove the wire and look at the coil output stud. if it shows any sign of serious burning or other obvious damage replace it. if not dont. -stern .
Replies:
From : jack
i check the coil. the spark was yellow and the secondary was under specs by a couple thousand ohms. i 0put in a new coil and the idle speed went up 250 rpms - brian wrote fwiw i had a coil once where the car would start idle fine for 30 - 45 seconds and die. while we found and fixed several fuel related problems the coil was the culprit. i have never seen that before or since but i always swap out the coil when troubleshooting a basic running problem. .
From : dick c
jack wrote in rec.autos.tech i check the coil. the spark was yellow and the secondary was under specs by a couple thousand ohms. i 0put in a new coil and the idle speed went up 250 rpms - i have very little faith in reading the ohms for a coil. it is too easy for the meter to be off. or to get a reading that is in range but still have a faulty coil. or to have a coil break down under high current but not show up on a meter. the one and only true test is the spark. if it is a fat blue spark under all conditions then the coil is good. brian wrote fwiw i had a coil once where the car would start idle fine for 30 - 45 seconds and die. while we found and fixed several fuel related problems the coil was the culprit. i have never seen that before or since but i always swap out the coil when troubleshooting a basic running problem. -- dick #1349 they that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. benjamin franklin home page dickcr.iwarp.com email dickcr@comcast.net .
From : tcs
on fri 04 jun 2004 102212 -0500 dick c foo.dickcr@comcast.net wrote jack wrote in rec.autos.tech i check the coil. the spark was yellow and the secondary was under specs by a couple thousand ohms. i 0put in a new coil and the idle speed went up 250 rpms - i have very little faith in reading the ohms for a coil. it is too easy for the meter to be off. or to get a reading that is in range but still have a faulty coil. or to have a coil break down under high current but not show up on a meter. the one and only true test is the spark. if it is a fat blue spark under all conditions then the coil is good. agreed. i had an acura integra that wouldnt start -- had no ignition. tested the coil and it tested out perfectly according to the shop manual 90-110 ohms or something like that. replaced the ignitor for $90; didnt help. i was ready to replace the output transister on the engine computer when i thought better and replaced the coil anyway. another $90 but it turned out to the the problem. for the $90 i wasted on the ignitor i could have paid a shop to diagnose and repair the car. .
From : jack
and they could have got it wrong too as so often happens. at least you learned something. for the $90 i wasted on the ignitor i could have paid a shop to diagnose and repair the car. .
From : in the trenches
anywhere in the chart. so i use dodges online email form to ask what gives and to send me the list of factory-installed options on my truck. i gotta hand it to dodge -- they dont slouch on the technical support. ive sent in 2 questions and got a response in 2 hours each time. so the response was the owners manual did not list the towing for the 3.54 axle. maximum trailer weight would be 9500 lbs. okay im confused. not about his response but the whole axle thing. not about the relation of ratio to power but the actual numbers. under my hood is says dmd 3.5 axle ratio. the report on my vin from dodge says dmdp axle ratio - 3.55. the human response was 3.54. are these all equivalent numbers here also theres some oddities with whats under the hood and what dodge sent me. this is what dc sent my from my vin report relavent codes bgjs brakes - pwr disc/drum rr anti-lock dgb transmission - all 4-speed automatic dhap torque converter - lock-up dhg transfer case-shift-on-the-fly241hd djfs axle - front dana m60/248mm dmdp axle ratio - 3.55 drep axle - rear dana m70/267mm heres whats listed under the hood bgt power brakes-frt disc/rr dgb std duty 4spd auto trans dha cc torque converter dhg transfer case 241 - heav djf 4850# front axle dana 6 dmd 3.5 axle ratio dre rear axle-spicer 70 do the different codes signify the vehicle was modified or do the slightly different codes just mean differences in the computer labeling of some kind if the vehicle *was* modified could someone give me a brief rundown on what was changed are there online references to these codes i couldnt locate them on the dodge site. i was curious if the vehicle had the limited slip differential option. the only code to mention a diff is 5rw delete anti-spin differnential dsa would that be it thanks again. p.s. -- what started this entire thing was me trying to determine how much water i could tow to some rural property no well yet. if anyone has some suggestions on how much water i can safely tow for 20 miles on well-groomed dirt road minimal steep hills elevation climb of about 2000 ft with the last 2 miles being pretty crappy dirt road id be grateful. was thinking of an in-bed tank the kind that sits over the wheel wells to prevent slippage though i imagine that a sturdy tandem trailer would be able to haul much more. -----= posted via feeds.com uncensored usenet =----- http//www.feeds.com - the #1 group service in the world! -----== over 100000 groups - 19 different servers! =----- . 222 283572 qn5wc.669877$or5.212108@pd7tw3no jack i have the same carburetor symptoms on my 87 dakota. theres a green and an orange wire each leading to two difference plastic plugs. how do i disconnect the solenoid just pull out one wire thx. and they could have got it wrong too as so often happens. at least you learned something. for the $90 i wasted on the ignitor i could have paid a shop to diagnose and repair the car. .
From : jack
daniel j. stern wrote im guessing all but about 45 minutes of that was due to the feedback carburetor! -stern how right you are! part of the problem was that the throttle plates and rod were worn on the original carb but not to the point where it was serious. but that damn feedback solenoid was at the heart of all the driviblity problems that i was having stalling when slowing down no oomph from a dead stop no acceleration power etc. it turned out that the solenoid would get stuck in the closed position. this closed off the auxiliary main jet so not enough fuel was available for heavy fuel demand. in addition being stuck down also closed off an auxiliary air bleed for the idle circuit so it idled crappy. i managed to get a rebuilt carb on ebay for $155 delivered plus no core return. this was a big improvement for a couple of days. but then i began having some of the same problems. turns out the solenoid on this one was sticking also. the reason for the sticking may have to do with age. possible residual magnetism mechanical wear a voltage leak that keeps a constant charge to the electromagnet a weakened spring. i popped the top of the carb unstuck the solenoid and it has been okay for a day now. if it sticks again ill either stratch out the return spring or find a suitable replacement. gee that description makes it sound like it was a fairly easy and straightforward ordeal. jack .
From : brian
fwiw i had a coil once where the car would start idle fine for 30 - 45 seconds and die. while we found and fixed several fuel related problems the coil was the culprit. i have never seen that before or since but i always swap out the coil when troubleshooting a basic running problem. brian daniel j. stern wrote im guessing all but about 45 minutes of that was due to the feedback carburetor! -stern how right you are! part of the problem was that the throttle plates and rod were worn on the original carb but not to the point where it was serious. but that damn feedback solenoid was at the heart of all the driviblity problems that i was having stalling when slowing down no oomph from a dead stop no acceleration power etc. it turned out that the solenoid would get stuck in the closed position. this closed off the auxiliary main jet so not enough fuel was available for heavy fuel demand. in addition being stuck down also closed off an auxiliary air bleed for the idle circuit so it idled crappy. i managed to get a rebuilt carb on ebay for $155 delivered plus no core return. this was a big improvement for a couple of days. but then i began having some of the same problems. turns out the solenoid on this one was sticking also. the reason for the sticking may have to do with age. possible residual magnetism mechanical wear a voltage leak that keeps a constant charge to the electromagnet a weakened spring. i popped the top of the carb unstuck the solenoid and it has been okay for a day now. if it sticks again ill either stratch out the return spring or find a suitable replacement. gee that description makes it sound like it was a fairly easy and straightforward ordeal. jack .
From : jack
its probably best to pull the red wire out of its plug. the red one connects to a 12 volt source. the green one is grounded by the computer to turn the solenoid on and off. when you disconnect the feedback solenoid you are leaving it in the full open position. this opens the auxiliary air bleed for the idle circuit and leaves the auxiliary main jet full open. you will probably experience more power than you have had for a while. at least i did. the down side is that the air/fuel mix will be rich resulting in even worse gas mileage and the plugs getting coated with black soot and it probably would not pass a smog test if needed. in the process of trying to fix mine i became very familiar with the insides of the carb. i happened to track down a different version of this carb the holley 6280 on ebay. it was a remanufactured unit and the seller had a lot of high praise from his buyers. the price i got it for was 157.50 delivered plus i got to keep the old one. most rebuilders wanted over $300 plus core charge so it seemed like a good deal. the guy did an excellent job. the throttle plates and throttle shaft on mine were pretty worn compared to his rebuilt unit. a few very minor modifications and it fits and works fine. if you have the bucks and havent done it in a while i recommend changing the plugs wires cap rotor and check the coil for bright blue spark. if after doing the other stuff the coil is producing a bright blue/white spark keep the coil. if the spark is yellow put in a new one. the spark on mine was yellow i put in a new one and the curb idle speed went up 250 revs. good luck jack in the trenches wrote jack i have the same carburetor symptoms on my 87 dakota. theres a green and an orange wire each leading to two difference plastic plugs. how do i disconnect the solenoid just pull out one wire thx. and they could have got it wrong too as so often happens. at least you learned something. for the $90 i wasted on the ignitor i could have paid a shop to diagnose and repair the car. .
From : in the trenches
thanks for the advice. ive already tried the cap and rotor maybe ill do the coil and wires next. ill try and post something back here in a couple of days when ive tried your procedure. in my search for this problem i also came upon a post by a guy who rebuilt/machined the solenoid plunger which was deteriorating. i also read some posts maybe they were yours which talked about a magnetic after charge which was affecting the solenoid. i took my truck to a mechanic so see if he could diagnose the problem. his only conclusion after four days and no charge was something in the carburetor... hed even phoned the local chrysler dealer whos chief mechanic and troubleshooter said its your nightmare not mine... a bit tonge and cheek i hope. but apparently this problem is legion with some of these trucks. i had a new carb put on this truck about two years ago when i was doing similar things that might have been the float valve though. a while back another mechanic suggested it might be something failing in the scc/scm after it warmed up bad/hot chip but i dont really know how to check this...anyway good luck to you too. ill check this ng if you have any conclusive proof of the final cause. i think youre close. michael its probably best to pull the red wire out of its plug. the red one connects to a 12 volt source. the green one is grounded by the computer to turn the solenoid on and off. when you disconnect the feedback solenoid you are leaving it in the full open position. this opens the auxiliary air bleed for the idle circuit and leaves the auxiliary main jet full open. you will probably experience more power than you have had for a while. at least i did. the down side is that the air/fuel mix will be rich resulting in even worse gas mileage and the plugs getting coated with black soot and it probably would not pass a smog test if needed. in the process of trying to fix mine i became very familiar with the insides of the carb. i happened to track down a different version of this carb the holley 6280 on ebay. it was a remanufactured unit and the seller had a lot of high praise from his buyers. the price i got it for was 157.50 delivered plus i got to keep the old one. most rebuilders wanted over $300 plus core charge so it seemed like a good deal. the guy did an excellent job. the throttle plates and throttle shaft on mine were pretty worn compared to his rebuilt unit. a few very minor modifications and it fits and works fine. if you have the bucks and havent done it in a while i recommend changing the plugs wires cap rotor and check the coil for bright blue spark. if after doing the other stuff the coil is producing a bright blue/white spark keep the coil. if the spark is yellow put in a new one. the spark on mine was yellow i put in a new one and the curb idle speed went up 250 revs. good luck jack in the trenches wrote jack i have the same carburetor symptoms on my 87 dakota. theres a green and an orange wire each leading to two difference plastic plugs. how do i disconnect the solenoid just pull out one wire thx. and they could have got it wrong too as so often happens. at least you learned something. for the $90 i wasted on the ignitor i could have paid a shop to diagnose and repair the car. .
From : elmer bataitis
from jack zzz@xxx.net snip in the trenches wrote in my search for this problem i also came upon a post by a guy who rebuilt/machined the solenoid plunger which was deteriorating. i also read some posts maybe they were yours which talked about a magnetic after charge which was affecting the solenoid. many solenoid plungers and even relay flappers can have this problem. an old tape demagnetizer works wonders in restoring them. .
From : jack
michael the problem is fixed. it was the solenoid sticking in the closed position. i saw the old one do it numerous times when i had it outside the carburetor. i was able to get my hands on a used one and another that was in a rebuilt 6280 carb that i bought for less than i paid for the solenoid alone. all three of them stuck in the closed position at one point or another. i went through a flurry of checking for residual voltage in the leads to the solenoid under various conditions but i was not able to find anything conclusive. the original would sometimes stick and sometimes not when i had it out of the system completely and was checking it on a 12 volt cordless drill battery so i know that was caused by some defect in the that particular solenoid. the one in the nicely rebuilt carb stuck one day after i installed this carb. it had been working great until the truck just died suddenly while driving. i pulled over and tried starting the engine but there was no response. i had no lights just nothing. i popped the hood what else could i do and started looking around for what i dont know. i jiggled the battery cable to the positive post and then noticed that the emergency blinker that i had pulled out when the engine died was now blinking. i can only assume that was the problem but i thought that engine would continue to run if the battery was disconnected. maybe not. i hadnt changed all the igition stuff yet and i went right to the parts store and got everything but the coil. i noticed while driving that the same symptoms were back even though the truck ran great before it died. i went into a frenzy of checking vacuum lines and continuity in wires. it did not occur to me u8ntil i had exhausted all other possibilities to check the feedback solenoid in the rebuilt carb. i popped the lid of off the carb and unscrewed the solenoid and low and behold it was stuck in the closed position and it even had the consideration to confirm that fact by popping open as i watched. i cahnged all the ignition parts and stuck the solenoid back in and the truck ran great again and hasnt given me any problems since. another thing about the solenoid is that the rubber cap on the end of the plunger wears away and can break up and cause problems. you can check your by removing the top of the carb and pull the solenoid and unscrew the jet on the bottom. just remember where the jet is in relation to the end of the solenoid so when you put it back in its the same. use some kind of loctite or maybe teflon tape to keep the jet snug in the threads. while its out you might try stretching the spring out a bit to give it more push. jack in the trenches wrote thanks for the advice. ive already tried the cap and rotor maybe ill do the coil and wires next. ill try and post something back here in a couple of days when ive tried your procedure. in my search for this problem i also came upon a post by a guy who rebuilt/machined the solenoid plunger which was deteriorating. i also read some posts maybe they were yours which talked about a magnetic after charge which was affecting the solenoid. i took my truck to a mechanic so see if he could diagnose the problem. his only conclusion after four days and no charge was something in the carburetor... hed even phoned the local chrysler dealer whos chief mechanic and troubleshooter said its your nightmare not mine... a bit tonge and cheek i hope. but apparently this problem is legion with some of these trucks. i had a new carb put on this truck about two years ago when i was doing similar things that might have been the float valve though. a while back another mechanic suggested it might be something failing in the scc/scm after it warmed up bad/hot chip but i dont really know how to check this...anyway good luck to you too. ill check this ng if you have any conclusive proof of the final cause. i think youre close. its probably best to pull the red wire out of its plug. the red one connects to a 12 volt source. the green one is grounded by the computer to turn the solenoid on and off. when you disconnect the feedback solenoid you are leaving it in the full open position. this opens the auxiliary air bleed for the idle circuit and leaves the auxiliary main jet full open. you will probably experience more power than you have had for a while. at least i did. the down side is that the air/fuel mix will be rich resulting in even worse gas mileage and the plugs getting coated with black soot and it probably would not pass a smog test if needed. in the process of trying to fix mine i became very familiar with the insides of the carb. i happened to track down a different version of this carb the holley 6280 on ebay. it was a remanufactured unit and the seller had a lot of high praise from his buyers. the price i got it for was 157.50 delivered plus i got to keep the old one. most rebuild
From : jack
michael youre right the red wire is connected to the kicker wire at the plug. if you unplugged that wire the gain that you get from a wide open solenoid might be offset by the throttle plates being more closed at idle. try disconnecting only the green wire. if that does not solve the problem take the top off the carb and pull the solenoid and inspect it. if it is not stuck you should be able to see daylight through the two littles holes that are opposite each other on the cylindrical shaft. not the hole at the very bottom. when the shaft is in the open position only a portion of the holes on the shaft are block. when it is stuck down they are completelly blocked. another way to check is to stick a paper clip into the jet and push against the shaft with about a pound of pressure. that should be more that enough to unstick it if the problem is the same as the one i experienced. when chcking for daylight throught the holes check carefully. only a portion of the hole is unblocked. it helps to hold against a bright background or use a flashlight. once you are sure that the piston is in the up or opened position reinstall everything but leave thegreen wire disconnected. if that does not improve the situation get back to me and i will try to help you diagnose the problem. jack in the trenches wrote update i tried disconnecting the orange wire 12v and noticed very little if any difference. it also carries current to the kicker btw which kicked a bit when disconnect and reconnected. but i didnt really notice any change. my problem is stalling at low idle. itll be sitting there idling fine for a couple of minutes sometimes then suddenly just drop down. worse when im driving and hit a red light. i think its flooding because when i push on the accelerator to save it from stalling a get a decent size puff of blue smoke comes out of the tail pipe. when it does stall i usually have to floor it to get it going again. my mechanic said the fuel pressure and vacuum were all good. im still stumped. its probably best to pull the red wire out of its plug. the red one connects to a 12 volt source. the green one is grounded by the computer to turn the solenoid on and off. when you disconnect the feedback solenoid you are leaving it in the full open position. this opens the auxiliary air bleed for the idle circuit and leaves the auxiliary main jet full open. you will probably experience more power than you have had for a while. at least i did. the down side is that the air/fuel mix will be rich resulting in even worse gas mileage and the plugs getting coated with black soot and it probably would not pass a smog test if needed. in the process of trying to fix mine i became very familiar with the insides of the carb. i happened to track down a different version of this carb the holley 6280 on ebay. it was a remanufactured unit and the seller had a lot of high praise from his buyers. the price i got it for was 157.50 delivered plus i got to keep the old one. most rebuilders wanted over $300 plus core charge so it seemed like a good deal. the guy did an excellent job. the throttle plates and throttle shaft on mine were pretty worn compared to his rebuilt unit. a few very minor modifications and it fits and works fine. if you have the bucks and havent done it in a while i recommend changing the plugs wires cap rotor and check the coil for bright blue spark. if after doing the other stuff the coil is producing a bright blue/white spark keep the coil. if the spark is yellow put in a new one. the spark on mine was yellow i put in a new one and the curb idle speed went up 250 revs. good luck jack in the trenches wrote jack i have the same carburetor symptoms on my 87 dakota. theres a green and an orange wire each leading to two difference plastic plugs. how do i disconnect the solenoid just pull out one wire thx. and they could have got it wrong too as so often happens. at least you learned something. for the $90 i wasted on the ignitor i could have paid a shop to diagnose and repair the car. .
From : in the trenches
update i tried disconnecting the orange wire 12v and noticed very little if any difference. it also carries current to the kicker btw which kicked a bit when disconnect and reconnected. but i didnt really notice any change. my problem is stalling at low idle. itll be sitting there idling fine for a couple of minutes sometimes then suddenly just drop down. worse when im driving and hit a red light. i think its flooding because when i push on the accelerator to save it from stalling a get a decent size puff of blue smoke comes out of the tail pipe. when it does stall i usually have to floor it to get it going again. my mechanic said the fuel pressure and vacuum were all good. im still stumped. its probably best to pull the red wire out of its plug. the red one connects to a 12 volt source. the green one is grounded by the computer to turn the solenoid on and off. when you disconnect the feedback solenoid you are leaving it in the full open position. this opens the auxiliary air bleed for the idle circuit and leaves the auxiliary main jet full open. you will probably experience more power than you have had for a while. at least i did. the down side is that the air/fuel mix will be rich resulting in even worse gas mileage and the plugs getting coated with black soot and it probably would not pass a smog test if needed. in the process of trying to fix mine i became very familiar with the insides of the carb. i happened to track down a different version of this carb the holley 6280 on ebay. it was a remanufactured unit and the seller had a lot of high praise from his buyers. the price i got it for was 157.50 delivered plus i got to keep the old one. most rebuilders wanted over $300 plus core charge so it seemed like a good deal. the guy did an excellent job. the throttle plates and throttle shaft on mine were pretty worn compared to his rebuilt unit. a few very minor modifications and it fits and works fine. if you have the bucks and havent done it in a while i recommend changing the plugs wires cap rotor and check the coil for bright blue spark. if after doing the other stuff the coil is producing a bright blue/white spark keep the coil. if the spark is yellow put in a new one. the spark on mine was yellow i put in a new one and the curb idle speed went up 250 revs. good luck jack in the trenches wrote jack i have the same carburetor symptoms on my 87 dakota. theres a green and an orange wire each leading to two difference plastic plugs. how do i disconnect the solenoid just pull out one wire thx. and they could have got it wrong too as so often happens. at least you learned something. for the $90 i wasted on the ignitor i could have paid a shop to diagnose and repair the car. .
From : in the trenches
good tip. thx. when i get the thing apart ill post back here. from jack zzz@xxx.net snip in the trenches wrote in my search for this problem i also came upon a post by a guy who rebuilt/machined the solenoid plunger which was deteriorating. i also read some posts maybe they were yours which talked about a magnetic after charge which was affecting the solenoid. many solenoid plungers and even relay flappers can have this problem. an old tape demagnetizer works wonders in restoring them. .
From : in the trenches
ill try taking the carb apart in the next day or two. im guessing im going to see what you saw. ill post back here once i see whats what. thx. michael youre right the red wire is connected to the kicker wire at the plug. if you unplugged that wire the gain that you get from a wide open solenoid might be offset by the throttle plates being more closed at idle. try disconnecting only the green wire. if that does not solve the problem take the top off the carb and pull the solenoid and inspect it. if it is not stuck you should be able to see daylight through the two littles holes that are opposite each other on the cylindrical shaft. not the hole at the very bottom. when the shaft is in the open position only a portion of the holes on the shaft are block. when it is stuck down they are completelly blocked. another way to check is to stick a paper clip into the jet and push against the shaft with about a pound of pressure. that should be more that enough to unstick it if the problem is the same as the one i experienced. when chcking for daylight throught the holes check carefully. only a portion of the hole is unblocked. it helps to hold against a bright background or use a flashlight. once you are sure that the piston is in the up or opened position reinstall everything but leave thegreen wire disconnected. if that does not improve the situation get back to me and i will try to help you diagnose the problem. jack in the trenches wrote update i tried disconnecting the orange wire 12v and noticed very little if any difference. it also carries current to the kicker btw which kicked a bit when disconnect and reconnected. but i didnt really notice any change. my problem is stalling at low idle. itll be sitting there idling fine for a couple of minutes sometimes then suddenly just drop down. worse when im driving and hit a red light. i think its flooding because when i push on the accelerator to save it from stalling a get a decent size puff of blue smoke comes out of the tail pipe. when it does stall i usually have to floor it to get it going again. my mechanic said the fuel pressure and vacuum were all good. im still stumped. its probably best to pull the red wire out of its plug. the red one connects to a 12 volt source. the green one is grounded by the computer to turn the solenoid on and off. when you disconnect the feedback solenoid you are leaving it in the full open position. this opens the auxiliary air bleed for the idle circuit and leaves the auxiliary main jet full open. you will probably experience more power than you have had for a while. at least i did. the down side is that the air/fuel mix will be rich resulting in even worse gas mileage and the plugs getting coated with black soot and it probably would not pass a smog test if needed. in the process of trying to fix mine i became very familiar with the insides of the carb. i happened to track down a different version of this carb the holley 6280 on ebay. it was a remanufactured unit and the seller had a lot of high praise from his buyers. the price i got it for was 157.50 delivered plus i got to keep the old one. most rebuilders wanted over $300 plus core charge so it seemed like a good deal. the guy did an excellent job. the throttle plates and throttle shaft on mine were pretty worn compared to his rebuilt unit. a few very minor modifications and it fits and works fine. if you have the bucks and havent done it in a while i recommend changing the plugs wires cap rotor and check the coil for bright blue spark. if after doing the other stuff the coil is producing a bright blue/white spark keep the coil. if the spark is yellow put in a new one. the spark on mine was yellow i put in a new one and the curb idle speed went up 250 revs. good luck jack in the trenches wrote jack i have the same carburetor symptoms on my 87 dakota. theres a green and an orange wire each leading to two difference plastic plugs. how do i disconnect the solenoid just pull out one wire thx. and they could have got it wrong too as so often happens. at least you learned something. for the $90 i wasted on the ignitor i could have paid a shop to diagnose and repair the car. .