RA23 ignition issues

[timbosaurus]

Lemme make sure I understand the symptoms. Drives fine, then all of a sudden the engine dies and the tacho cuts out. Then there is only 3v at the coil +

Does it then crank, and just refuse to fire?

I'm surprised that when u connect the that wire from + battery post to coil + it doesn't fix the problem. Does it give you 12v at the coil +? I would expect so. But the engine still won't fire?

Check ur points as well. Make sure they are gapped right, and take out the condensor coil to make sure it isn't shoorting to ground.

They'd be the first checks I'd do.

[RA23GT]

Mystery solved, it was the tacho shorting out the coil. Take out the tacho wire and it started like a bought one. Many thanks to all who gave advice. Merry Christmas chaps.

[MWP]

So it was the tacho itself causing the issue, or the wire running to it shorting out somewhere?

Just asking as a friend is having issues with the points burning out, and its been suggested that its being caused by a bad tacho too.
Thought the tacho going "bad" and causing such problems would be rather unlikely.

[RA23GT]

It was the tacho feed wire that goes to the -ve on the coil.

Points burning out would either be the ballast resistor or the condenser.

[MWP]

Yeah, thats what we figured too, but hes swapped out both of those for good ones a couple of times.
... unless he is running the coil on 12v all the time.