Here's the deal, about ten days ago I started my car to do some carb work, and it started without incident as always. I warmed it up and just as I was about to start working on it, my wife came home and needed a hand. I shut off the car but left the keys in the ignition (turned off).

Never got back to the car and forgot I had left the keys in the ignition. Yesterday, I went out to work on the carbs and it starts, but as soon as I let the key go it dies.

It's a 70 914-6 2.0T with E P&C, Bosch distributor 7100 RPM redline (no vacuum advance), Permatune ignition (installed back in 1987), Webers. Timing around 5 degrees BTDC and 35 degrees full advance.

What I have tried:
replaced the points and set the dwell
swapped the coil
changed the plugs
Replaced the filters
I've got fuel
I've got spark
Checked fuses
I pulled the wire cap off the back of the ignition switch and hooked it up to a spare switch - and still same results?

Could I have damaged the Permatune by just leaving the keys in it?? What am I missing here??

Thanks,
Justin

Hey Justin,

Try searching on permatune, IIRC leaving the key in (even off) is a problem...
Others (with real knowledge about this) will chime in soon

cheers,

Jeroen

Thanks Jeroen,

I knew leaving the key in was bad for point replacement systems like ignitor, but I didn't think it would kill the permatune unit. Anyone else have any ideas/experience with this happening? I know permatune has a poor reputation, but this unit has been running strong for years.

I guess this is a good time to change to the crane xr700 unit.

-Justin