If you have a coil that is failing ............. it fails under near max
load of 3000+ rpms.
If the coil is hot after a short run at these rpms then chances are it is
bad.
It is very difficult to make a coil fail for testing purposes, it just
seems it won't cooperate when you want it to fail.
I'm sure that there is some type of resistance test that can be run to
load the coil but I don't have that equipment.

Stan Wilder

On Mon, 16 Dec 2002 15:52:39 -0800 gary hradek <hradek@YAHOO.COM> writes:
> Jeff,
>      If you have a spare coil you might want to try
> that before polking around the wiring.   Rising and
> falling voltages can have intersting affects on a bad
> coil.   regards gary
> Date:    Mon, 16 Dec 2002 13:33:21 -0800
> From:    van man <vannman99@YAHOO.COM>
> Subject: alternator to ignition coil???
>
> Hi,
>
> Ive been having intermittent starting problems on my
> 87 digifant.  today it died again at work and i didnt
> have my voltmeter with me so i decided to bridge a
> wire from the alternator to the ignition coil.  the
> coil suddenly got power...  so at least ive narrowed
> it down to the power supply to the coil.
>
> my question:  am i risking any kind of coil or ecu
> damage by driving home with the wire attached from the
> alt to the coil?
>
> thanks,
>
> jeff
>
>
> Date:    Mon, 16 Dec 2002 13:55:05 -0800
> From:    Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Re: alternator to ignition coil???
>
> Jeff Wrote:
>
> <<my question:  am i risking any kind of coil or ecu
> damage by driving home with the wire attached from the
> alt to the coil?>>
>
> Answer:
>
> No, because the current output is regulated, and you
> are switching the
> ECU
> relay on just the same, but providing it from a
> different source. Your
> ignition switch could be the culprit, but look first
> at the connection
> to
> the 86 pin of the ECU relay, coil.
>
> Robert
>
> 1982 Westfalia
>
>
>
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