Series III STILL Won't Start

When wiggling the wires on my coolant temp sensor (water rail w/fuel injector type plug) the rubber boot was all cracked and had turned to a hard plastic feeling material. I started breaking off the pieces and exposed the wires underneath. They had been exposed to so much heat from the nearby valve cover for so long that the plastic unsulation around the wires also turned to hard crumbly stuff. So much that both wires were bare for about a half an inch! They had been touching and I would guess "burnt out" my sensor. The Haynes manual shows that the ohms resistance should be 2500 ohms between the terminals (with battery disconnected) when the coolant is around 60 degrees. I could only get 50 ohms. I would take that to mean it is fried.
My new sensor should be here with the Fed ex man today.

My Question (finally):
I need a new plug. Can I get a standard fuel enjector type connector with wires at Napa or someplace like that? Are they universal? Is it even a fuel injector terminal (sure looks like it)?

Thanks again guys!

Doug

The "ignition amplifier" (or "thingy", in engineering-speak) is the squarish device attached to the front end of the inlet manifold, aluminum, sheathed wires coming out on side, a plug connector on the other. Open it up and you find a capacitor and a garden variety GM igntion module and not much (if anything) else.

If you have spark, I doubt that this is the culprit as the common failure mode of this thingy would be "no spark". Speaking of spark, is it a nice white-blue spark, or a pathetic orange-red spark?

Cheers
Doug Dwyer

Also,

Thanks guys. You have given me a couple things to try tomorrow. I have more oil and grime from the engine down by the distibutor than I would care to admit. Maybe I am having a similar problem as you mentioned Stew. Any idea what that thing would be called (I personally like terms like amplifier thingy) so that I can find reference to it in my Haynes manual? You aren't refering to the injector balast pack that is on the right inside fender across from the air conditioning unit are you? Is it actually on the engine by the distributor? My lighting and eyes aren't so great so I will have to wait til tomorrow.

Doug

I had problems like your describing with my 1985 Series III. I checked everything. I was convinced it was on the fuel side one day, electrical the next. Turned out it was the amplifier thingy down by the distributor. A 4 x 4 x 1" black box with, you'll never guess - GM components. An expensive thing at the time. It was so intermittent it nearly drove me to drink, then one day it just wouldn't start at all. I never did diagnose it - had to take it to a pro who said it was picking up leaking oil from the engine and shorting out. Same guy that rebuilt the engine one year before. My wife was so mad, I had to get rid of it soon after getting it fixed.

Stew Cleave
JOCO Chief Judge
'69 E-Type 2+2
and other LBC's

Hi Doug,
This is a mystery but we'll get to the bottom of it. EFI computers almost never fail on these cars. I'm thinking more towards the coolant temp sensor. If it's gone bad, it could be telling the engine to schedule too much or too little fuel. You can check it with the proceedure in the repair manual or Haynes or just swap it out with a new one. You should also check the wiring to it. Try moving the wiring around while someone else attempts to start the engine. I had that problem last year on my 84. I changed the CTS out with a new one but still had a short in the wiring. It had me stuck for a few days until, quite by accident, I was moving the wiring around and she started up and purred like a kitten. I moved the wiring back ever so slightly and she quit cold.
John Testrake
President, Jaguar Association of Greater St. Louis

Cat converters are less than a year old. I could smell gas fumes at the tailpipe after trying to start for a while. I am assuming it is not an exhaust related issue.

Doug