Igniter keeps going bad!!

[DX Accord1987]

Copied over from my H-T Forum post ID: Accord1987
(I have a 1987 Accord DX with 2.0l carb motor. All stock with the exception of an MSD Blaster coil which I have seen a couple others do here on the forums with there honda's which is where I got the Idea (not sure if they have had any problems after doing this). I have had the coil installed for a few years so I don't think it is the problem. In the last 10 to 11 months I have had 4 igniters go bad (1 factory & 3 aftermarket). I didn't have the money to buy a oem replacement so I purchased the low end Altrom brand from Napa. The time duration verys on when they go, one lasted 5 or 6 months the next 3 and the most recent only about a month. I have just kept a spare in the car and napa replaces the bad one under warranty, But this is getting rediculous and i'm hoping someone here might have a resolution to this problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated.)

So I did some searching here with no luck. Had another one go out today so I am putting the factory coil back in and getting the premium igniter from napa tomorrow for the diff in price from the cheepo. Still lost as to what the problem could be.

[Hauntd ca3]

what are your spark plugs like?
excessive plug gap requires a higher voltage to jump , there fore the coil needs to draw more current through the igniter which eventually says no and packs up

[DX Accord1987]

Brand new plugs put in last week.

[Oldblueaccord]

you want the resistance of the coil to more or less match the stock one or this is what your getting. I would check the resistance of the coil and then the resistance of the whole circuit and then check it to a stock set up. You may have to add in a resistor to the circuit.

Could be a few other things but that's the first thing I thought when I read the title is "aftermarket coil"


wp

[lostforawhile]

it's the cheap igniter, I went through the same thing with the same igniter, Get the high end one from Nappa or an OEM, when I got that cheap one it lasted a week

[DBMaster]

Are you using heat sink compound between the igniter and the distributor body? I figured since they use it in the factory it must be there for a reason. I got a little tube of it at an electronics store when I rebuilt my original distributor.

[lostforawhile]

Are you using heat sink compound between the igniter and the distributor body? I figured since they use it in the factory it must be there for a reason. I got a little tube of it at an electronics store when I rebuilt my original distributor.here lies the issue, Honda uses this same igniter on earlier cars, it sits directly on the flat base of the dizzy, with heat sink grease between the igniter and the base, it also has a warning to use the grease or it can cause early igniter failure, on the 3 g and 2 g lude, the igniter sits on posts off of the dizzy base, yet it's the same igniter. it has no way to conduct heat away from itself.

[DX Accord1987]

here lies the issue, Honda uses this same igniter on earlier cars, it sits directly on the flat base of the dizzy, with heat sink grease between the igniter and the base, it also has a warning to use the grease or it can cause early igniter failure, on the 3 g and 2 g lude, the igniter sits on posts off of the dizzy base, yet it's the same igniter. it has no way to conduct heat away from itself.

Yeah I kept trying to figure out why they give you the compound when there is nowhere to put it that will actually have it do its job. Hopefully the $80 part will work better.

[lostforawhile]

Yeah I kept trying to figure out why they give you the compound when there is nowhere to put it that will actually have it do its job. Hopefully the $80 part will work better.i got that one and it solved the issue, mine would get a little warm and the car shut off, when they cooled off it started right up, paid the difference between the two and I didn't have any more issues, your other option is get an msd box to go with your coil, then the igniter simply becomes a trigger and doesn't run nearly as hot

[lostforawhile]

my project I never got around to, was to make an aluminum block to replace the posts, I may have to look into it again. the main thing is it has to be non magnetic, which aluminum will work fine for, this will become a heat sink

[Dr_Snooz]

You want to put silicone grease (dielectric grease) between the distributor body and the igniter. At least according to the manual.

[lostforawhile]

You want to put silicone grease (dielectric grease) between the distributor body and the igniter. At least according to the manual.right, but in the three g the igniter is spaced above the dizzy with two spacers, therefor the heat sink grease is useless,in the same igniter in earlier years it sat on the bottom of the dizzy on a flat surface, oh to avoid confusion it's heat sink compound, silicone dielectric grease is used to prevent corrosion in electrical contacts and won't conduct heat

[Dr_Snooz]

Sorry. I'm thinking of the FI cars.

[lostforawhile]

Sorry. I'm thinking of the FI cars.
yea the FI igniter sits on the dizzy, it's just a bad design by Honda

[DX Accord1987]

I would think the FI Dizzy igniter would be better as it is out of the heat and can breath. Wonder if I could put one of those on a carb'ed motor without and issues? Also the people I have seen do the blaster coil had FI motors so maybe that is part of the problem that the carb'ed Dizzy can't handle it.

[DBMaster]

There is most likely a way you could adapt a generic aluminum (finned) heat sink - like what you would use on a computer CPU. I'm wondering if it would be effective if mounted ON TOP of the igniter since it's not going to be able to go underneath it.

[2oodoor]

There is most likely a way you could adapt a generic aluminum (finned) heat sink - like what you would use on a computer CPU. I'm wondering if it would be effective if mounted ON TOP of the igniter since it's not going to be able to go underneath it.

Ford did this in the late eighties early nintys, with there TFI modules that commonly went out when mounted on the distributor. You can find those in the JY, aluminum block finned thing over on the right upper engine compt.

What kind of plugs are being used here?

Also would check the reluctor inside dizzy for wire/any damage.

Don't use silicone to "seal" the dizzy where it mounts to the head either.

[lostforawhile]

There is most likely a way you could adapt a generic aluminum (finned) heat sink - like what you would use on a computer CPU. I'm wondering if it would be effective if mounted ON TOP of the igniter since it's not going to be able to go underneath it.
you can't mount it on top of the igniter as the dizzy rotor is there, it mounts around the shaft that holds the rotor. you can mount an aluminum heat sink under it, the main thing is it has to be exactly the same height as the mounting spacers, you replace the two mounting spacers with a block of aluminum, heat sink grease between the top of the block and bottom of the igniter, and between the bottom of the block and the bottom of the dizzy

[DX Accord1987]

But with no actual air flow in the Dizzy i'm not sure whether that would be real effective either.

[lostforawhile]

But with no actual air flow in the Dizzy i'm not sure whether that would be real effective either.

it worked with the igniter using the bottom of the dizzy base as a heat sink, you need something physically being on contact with the igniter to help carry away heat

[DBMaster]

it worked with the igniter using the bottom of the dizzy base as a heat sink, you need something physically being on contact with the igniter to help carry away heat


I have wondered about this for years as well. The distributor body is being used as a heat sink (I have the TEC). It, being on the engine, gets too hot to touch. I guess, it's probably still "cooler" than the back side of the igniter. It obviously works. I lucked into a brand new distributor on eBay three years ago, but the one I rebuilt still works OK and it uses the original igniter that came with the car.

[Oldblueaccord]

I would think the FI Dizzy igniter would be better as it is out of the heat and can breath. Wonder if I could put one of those on a carb'ed motor without and issues? Also the people I have seen do the blaster coil had FI motors so maybe that is part of the problem that the carb'ed Dizzy can't handle it.

Only things that I can add (well positive anyway) is on mine theres a ground wire you need that and do your resistance checks the pick-up coil inside the distributor could be high as well.


wp