Re: "HT" = "High Tension"

["David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@xxxx>]

The biggest danger when working around the high voltage parts is not
so much the electrical shock itself (which can be very painful, it
makes your hair hurt!) but the more immediate danger is the
invoulontary muscular contractions. It can throw you against a wall,
or make you pull back so violently you tear your skin or break bones!
If on a ladder you WILL fall off. When working on a strange car (one I
am not familiar with) you are very cautious around the secondary
ignition system. If the wires are old it can be very dangerous. An old
trick is to run the motor in a dark place and look for the blue halo
around the wires, cap, ignition coil. I have also used an old portable
AM radio tuned between stations, if I get crackling and sparking I
know the electric is "getting out". On the Delorean it is a little
more insiduous. If the wires break down inside the plug wells you
cannot see it. If the wires are over 10 years old they are probably
due to be replaced. Same for the ignition coil. Over time they seem to
put out less and less until they finally die. On many old cars that I
work on replacing the ignition coil seems to give them more power and
start easier. Although the ignition coil isn't considered a
"throw-away" it is a replaceable part. It does have a finite lifetime
and if you keep it till it fails then toward the end of it's service
life it won't work like it should. Very easy to check with a scope. 
Another thing to look at is the connections on the ballast resistors.
A dirty, corroded connection there will reduce the power to the
ignition coil. In a extreme case it can keep the motor from starting.
The major point is before you go modifying things try to get the motor
running right "stock". Sticking performance parts on a motor that
isn't running right won't get you very much at all. 
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757 


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "content22207" <brobertson@xxxx> wrote:
> May be a southern thing, but we call high voltage coil output "high
> tension".
> 
> About 20 years ago shocked ever living mess out of myself on a cracked
> spark plug wire. Will never forget the thrill.