Where Is The Ballast Resistor Located?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Note: Ballast resistors are usually located

bolted to the firewall

if your distributor and/or coil is at the rear of the engine.

How do you know if a ballast resistor is bad?

  1. Vehicle starts, then immediately dies. The most obvious symptoms will be the vehicle starts, but then immediately dies as soon as you release the key. …
  2. Not starting at all. …
  3. Don’t jump the resistor. …
  4. Let the vehicle be.

What circuit is a ballast resistor in?

“Ballast” is something that gives stability and hence a resistor used

for over current or over voltage protection in circuit

that in turn gives stability to the circuit is referred to as ballast resistor. These ballast resistors have major applications in areas of automotive and in lamp circuits.

Does my coil need a ballast resistor?

And while ignition coil life may be compromised without a resistor, the additional secondary voltage (at the spark plug) is increased which generally improves power. So does your application require a ballast resistor? Quite simply,

if your distributor has breaker points the answer is yes

; if not, the answer is no.

Can you bypass a ballast resistor?

The duty of the ballast resistor is to limit voltage to the ignition coil. … A quick and easy way to diagnose ballast resistor failure is to bypass it by

running a temporary jumper wire from the battery to the coil

.

What causes a ballast resistor to fail?

The resistance through the ballast resistor varies with current flow which varies with engine rpm. This naturally causes the

resistor to expand and contract from heat

. That’s why they eventually fail.

Is the ballast bad?

Take out your current bulbs and replace them with the new bulbs. If the bulbs fail to light up, then 9 out of 10 times the ballast is culprit. … If the ballast is good, an analog multimeter has a needle that will sweep to the right across the measuring scale. If the ballast is bad, then

the needle won’t move

.

Does my car have a ballast resistor?

How can I tell if I have a standard or ballast coil system? … To find out for sure, use a

multimeter to check the voltage on

the positive wire of the coil with the ignition on. You can test the resistance of the coil using a voltmeter and measure the Ohms (resistance) across the +’ve and –’ve terminals.

Do you need a resistor with a 12 volt coil?

If a 6 volt ignition system is converted to 12 volts and a Delco style 12 volt coil with an internal resistor is installed as part of the conversion,

no external resistors are required

. The 12 volt battery must be connected so the negative (-) battery terminal is connected to ground.

How many ohms should a ballast resistor have?

To test your ballast resistor you need an ohm meter or multimeter set to ohms. Remove the connectors from both sides of the resistor. The ohms should read

between 1.8 and 5 ohms

. You should be getting 9 volts to the positive side of the coil.

What is the difference between a ballast and non ballast coil?

What is the difference between the two types of coils? Basically, a non-ballast coil is

designed to produce full spark output with 12 volts on the input (+ terminal)

. A ballast coil is designed to produce the same spark output, but with only 6 to 9 volts on the input.

How many ohms should a 12 volt coil have?

You should have a resistance reading of at least

3-4.5 ohms

. A bad coil will show a higher reading then 3-4.5. Next, place the red or black lead from the meter to the centre of the coil , and to either one of the terminals positive or negative. You want 9500-10000 Ohms, a little less is ok but no more.

Can you bypass a resistor?

A wire in the left circuit is shorting the 100Ω resistor.

All current will bypass the resistor

and travel through the short. The voltage across the 100Ω resistor is going to be zero.

Will a ballast resistor cause no spark?


Yes, a blown ballast can bugger

up the spark, what kind of distributor are you using. Before replacing the ballast check it with an ohm meter, if you got one, and it should read what ever is stamped on the ballast such as . 9 ohms.

What causes a ballast resistor to get hot?

Re: ballast resistor getting hot

It means

the coil is drawing excessive current

.

David Martineau
Author
David Martineau
David is an interior designer and home improvement expert. With a degree in architecture, David has worked on various renovation projects and has written for several home and garden publications. David's expertise in decorating, renovation, and repair will help you create your dream home.