Hiya I found this on a site firebird generations might be of use to other's in the future ...... The resistance wire replaces the ballast resistor we used to see in older cars. It is actually used when the car is running not starting. The yellow wire that comes up from the starter supplies full battery voltage, via the thick purple start wire from the switch to the starter solenoid, to the coil for starting. Once the engine starts the resistance wire supplies a lower voltage for running. Only eight to nine volts is supplied to the coil to keep it from failing due to over heating. When the starter motor is engaged it draws a lot of power from the battery resulting in a lower voltage available to the coil. Full battery (reduced due to starter motor) voltage is supplied to the coil during starting as the voltage from the resistance wire would be reduced even more during starting, perhaps low enough to not fire the plugs enough to start. A higher voltage at the coil for the brief time it takes to start the engine isn't much of a threat to overheat the coil, but running the coil full time at alternator voltage of 14.8 volts is. Some coils have an internal resistance eliminating the need for a ballast resistor. Sounds like a short to ground, perhaps it's insulation is worn and the wire is touching a part of the body and grounding. Or it could be as Doug suggests, the circuit grounding at the coil. I am also not familiar with the Mallory E start, but it sounds like an electronic ignition which would require 12 plus volts. If so and your ignition wire is already burn out you can replace it with a non insulated wire that will supply battery voltage to the coil. If it is a modification that converts points to a module type ignition you still may need the resistance wire. If so you will have to find a resistance wire to replace the burned out one, or use a regular wire and install a ballast resistor. The ignition system you have may require a specialized coil used for that system only, the blaster 2 may be the problem. Did you install the E ignition yourself or did you buy the car with that already installed? Did the car run well before and this is just a problem that has recently come up? Do you have the ignition wire attached to the pos + terminal of the coil? Do you have any other wires attached to the same pos + terminal that could be grounding?
Hi there, great detailed explanation and totally agree with everything you stated. So after doing some research myself after the car let me down, I did in fact find the resistor wire insulation shorting to ground. I have since removed that cable from the loom. I have installed a new ignition sourced 12v fused supply to the coil. The Petronix igniter module had been fitted by a previous owner but the car was still running the original coil. I have replaced that with the accompanying Flamethrower coil which as you rightly point out has an internal resistance so requires the full 12v. I have also kept the starter yellow cable connected, not that it probably needs it now with the new 12v supply and I’ve gapped the plugs slightly larger than recommended for points type ignition. It has been running really well for the last 3 months and 400 or so miles, apart from an off idle flat spot that I’ve been trying to resolve, which I’ve finally sorted. Again with some research on line and buying a really good Rochester Quadrajet book and just getting to know my car. It has had a race cam installed previously, which I only discovered recently when reading through the history file, so that changed my whole approach to setting the timing and carb up. I have also bought an HEI distributor as back up, now that it has the 12v supply it wouldn’t take much to swap it over, but I prefer the stock and correct look of the smaller distributor and separate coil. It’s been a good learning curve and getting to know the car, and appreciate your comments. All the best
@@TransamObsession your very welcome my friend maybe one day I might get a chance to see your beautiful Pontiac firebird trans am.... Sure is a thing of beauty.....infact when Pontiac launched your very same Pontiac firebird trans am they never looked as nice as your's does now ..... Here's a interesting note on the Pontiac 455 super duty the trans am was the fastest coupe in America of it's year only one car that could beat the trans am was the Ferrari Daytona true fact indeed
@@TransamObsession hiya I was doing a bit of searching on the early deals on wheels with Mike brewer and his co partner and found this video on cars in the video there's a 1970s Pontiac firebird trans am 455 SD go have a look it's a while back but the tran am in this video sure is a beauty let me know your thoughts I've included a link .....ua-cam.com/video/chXtoUzFJ88/v-deo.htmlsi=VM12o0qEUtQjTt_l
Can you remember a show on used cars with Mike brewer called deals on Wheels....a 1973 Pontiac firebird trans am 455 SD was featured on the show it's still going strong today go have a look I've sent a link the firebird is still taxed today .... I've checked with gov ,UK details as follows Vehicle makePONTIAC Date of first registrationFebruary 1973 Year of manufacture1970 Cylinder capacity6556 cc CO₂ emissionsNot available Fuel typePETROL Euro statusNot available Real Driving Emissions (RDE)Not available Export markerNo Vehicle statusTaxed Vehicle colourBLUE Vehicle type approvalNot available Wheelplan2 AXLE RIGID BODY Revenue weightNot available Date of last V5C (logbook) issued9 August 2012
@@Tiffany.1970 Wow, yes I remember that show but don’t remember that episode. And wish you could still get them for those prices, 6-8k for a nice one, around 10 times that now😀
Your 1970s Pontiac firebird sure is a fine looking automobile of it's time a very beautiful looking trans am there's not many of these left now ....... A friend of my partners brother's friend had a Pontiac firebird formula 400 with the ram air scoops sadly met a horrible end with a lamp post lol on the driver's side door one could say that was the end of the iconic firebird ..... It belonged to a guy called Adrian whitcombe then he sold it to a guy called Robert Reed who had the accident ..... In the firebird
What was the initial fault with the trans am ...a very beautiful looking 1970s Pontiac firebird trans am.....the colour scheme sure compliments the shape of the firebird 👍😁
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Hiya I found this on a site firebird generations might be of use to other's in the future ...... The resistance wire replaces the ballast resistor we used to see in older cars. It is actually used when the car is running not starting. The yellow wire that comes up from the starter supplies full battery voltage, via the thick purple start wire from the switch to the starter solenoid, to the coil for starting. Once the engine starts the resistance wire supplies a lower voltage for running. Only eight to nine volts is supplied to the coil to keep it from failing due to over heating. When the starter motor is engaged it draws a lot of power from the battery resulting in a lower voltage available to the coil. Full battery (reduced due to starter motor) voltage is supplied to the coil during starting as the voltage from the resistance wire would be reduced even more during starting, perhaps low enough to not fire the plugs enough to start. A higher voltage at the coil for the brief time it takes to start the engine isn't much of a threat to overheat the coil, but running the coil full time at alternator voltage of 14.8 volts is. Some coils have an internal resistance eliminating the need for a ballast resistor.
Sounds like a short to ground, perhaps it's insulation is worn and the wire is touching a part of the body and grounding. Or it could be as Doug suggests, the circuit grounding at the coil. I am also not familiar with the Mallory E start, but it sounds like an electronic ignition which would require 12 plus volts. If so and your ignition wire is already burn out you can replace it with a non insulated wire that will supply battery voltage to the coil. If it is a modification that converts points to a module type ignition you still may need the resistance wire. If so you will have to find a resistance wire to replace the burned out one, or use a regular wire and install a ballast resistor. The ignition system you have may require a specialized coil used for that system only, the blaster 2 may be the problem.
Did you install the E ignition yourself or did you buy the car with that already installed? Did the car run well before and this is just a problem that has recently come up?
Do you have the ignition wire attached to the pos + terminal of the coil? Do you have any other wires attached to the same pos + terminal that could be grounding?
Hi there, great detailed explanation and totally agree with everything you stated.
So after doing some research myself after the car let me down, I did in fact find the resistor wire insulation shorting to ground. I have since removed that cable from the loom. I have installed a new ignition sourced 12v fused supply to the coil.
The Petronix igniter module had been fitted by a previous owner but the car was still running the original coil. I have replaced that with the accompanying Flamethrower coil which as you rightly point out has an internal resistance so requires the full 12v. I have also kept the starter yellow cable connected, not that it probably needs it now with the new 12v supply and I’ve gapped the plugs slightly larger than recommended for points type ignition.
It has been running really well for the last 3 months and 400 or so miles, apart from an off idle flat spot that I’ve been trying to resolve, which I’ve finally sorted. Again with some research on line and buying a really good Rochester Quadrajet book and just getting to know my car. It has had a race cam installed previously, which I only discovered recently when reading through the history file, so that changed my whole approach to setting the timing and carb up.
I have also bought an HEI distributor as back up, now that it has the 12v supply it wouldn’t take much to swap it over, but I prefer the stock and correct look of the smaller distributor and separate coil.
It’s been a good learning curve and getting to know the car, and appreciate your comments.
All the best
@@TransamObsession your very welcome my friend maybe one day I might get a chance to see your beautiful Pontiac firebird trans am.... Sure is a thing of beauty.....infact when Pontiac launched your very same Pontiac firebird trans am they never looked as nice as your's does now ..... Here's a interesting note on the Pontiac 455 super duty the trans am was the fastest coupe in America of it's year only one car that could beat the trans am was the Ferrari Daytona true fact indeed
@@TransamObsession hiya I was doing a bit of searching on the early deals on wheels with Mike brewer and his co partner and found this video on cars in the video there's a 1970s Pontiac firebird trans am 455 SD go have a look it's a while back but the tran am in this video sure is a beauty let me know your thoughts I've included a link .....ua-cam.com/video/chXtoUzFJ88/v-deo.htmlsi=VM12o0qEUtQjTt_l
Can you remember a show on used cars with Mike brewer called deals on Wheels....a 1973 Pontiac firebird trans am 455 SD was featured on the show it's still going strong today go have a look I've sent a link the firebird is still taxed today .... I've checked with gov ,UK details as follows Vehicle makePONTIAC
Date of first registrationFebruary 1973
Year of manufacture1970
Cylinder capacity6556 cc
CO₂ emissionsNot available
Fuel typePETROL
Euro statusNot available
Real Driving Emissions (RDE)Not available
Export markerNo
Vehicle statusTaxed
Vehicle colourBLUE
Vehicle type approvalNot available
Wheelplan2 AXLE RIGID BODY
Revenue weightNot available
Date of last V5C (logbook) issued9 August 2012
@@Tiffany.1970 Wow, yes I remember that show but don’t remember that episode. And wish you could still get them for those prices, 6-8k for a nice one, around 10 times that now😀
Your 1970s Pontiac firebird sure is a fine looking automobile of it's time a very beautiful looking trans am there's not many of these left now ....... A friend of my partners brother's friend had a Pontiac firebird formula 400 with the ram air scoops sadly met a horrible end with a lamp post lol on the driver's side door one could say that was the end of the iconic firebird ..... It belonged to a guy called Adrian whitcombe then he sold it to a guy called Robert Reed who had the accident ..... In the firebird
What was the initial fault with the trans am ...a very beautiful looking 1970s Pontiac firebird trans am.....the colour scheme sure compliments the shape of the firebird 👍😁
Thanks, the original resistor wire to the core was shorting, re-wired now with a new 12v ignition source👍