 using a dwell meter, will it give a useful reading with electronic ignition? |
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| 914 RZ-1 |
 Apr 2 2017, 06:26 PM
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#1
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Porsche Padawan  Group: Members Posts: 683 Joined: 17-December 14 From: Santa Clarita, CA Member No.: 18,230 Region Association: Southern California  |
I borrowed an old dwell meter (Craftsman 80's vintage, but looks new!) and put it on my car to measure dwell. BUT, I have a Pertronix electronic ignition. I'm wondering if it's even necessary or gives a proper reading?
Car has been hard to start and doesn't run 100% smoothly, so I'm exploring various causes. And having fun learning about all this. The dwell reading was 59 degrees (at idle and at about 2,500, engine was not hot), by the way. |
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Replies(1 - 5)
| TheCabinetmaker |
Apr 2 2017, 07:19 PM
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#2
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I drive my car everyday Group: Members Posts: 8,301 Joined: 8-May 03 From: Tulsa, Ok. Member No.: 666 |
Dwell means nothing with electronic ignition.
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| Amphicar770 |
Apr 2 2017, 08:57 PM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,195 Joined: 20-April 10 From: PA, USA Member No.: 11,639 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region 
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Dwell angle is essentially used to compensate for wear of points. Does not apply to electronic ignition.
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| einic |
Apr 2 2017, 10:06 PM
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#4
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 49 Joined: 28-May 10 From: Norway Member No.: 11,773 Region Association: Scandinavia |
Dwell angle: is'nt that the angle/time the points are closed? Meaning the amount of energy the coil stores before it discharges through the spark?
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| TheWeatherMan |
Jul 5 2017, 10:12 AM
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#5
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Newbie Group: Members Posts: 18 Joined: 2-July 17 From: Vienna, VA Member No.: 21,222 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region |
I purchased one of the dwell meters from Harbor Freight the other day with the intention of checking the dwell angle before I adjusted timing
well long story short I hooked it up and the reading went from 90 to 0 when I touched the red wire to the positive side of the distributor but when I touched the red wire to the black wire on the distributor it read somewhere around 70 with the car at idle...not sure what all this means but the car is running fine. Maybe im getting different readings from what Pelican parts guide reports because I have a perma-tune system on mine http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/9.../914_timing.htm |
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| Bartlett 914 |
Jul 5 2017, 10:47 AM
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#6
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Advanced Member Group: Members Posts: 2,216 Joined: 30-August 05 From: South Elgin IL Member No.: 4,707 Region Association: Upper MidWest |
QUOTE(einic @ Apr 2 2017, 11:06 PM)  Dwell angle: is'nt that the angle/time the points are closed? Meaning the amount of energy the coil stores before it discharges through the spark? Yes that is correct. With Electronic ignition the electronics work in a way that increase the dwell time giving the coil a longer time to saturate. It is able to do this an a way that points cannot. |
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