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nkaminar · 06-01-2022, 06:49 PM

About a week ago I put a set of brand new points in my car and the car would not start. I traced it to the points not making contact with each other. I initially sanded the points and cleaned the sandpaper residue with some cardboard. Later I took the time to hone the points with a diamond hone. That solved the problem. The points had apparently oxidized or picked up some contaminates from sitting in the box.

Turn the engine over until the points are closed then measure the resistance between the moving arm and ground. Or turn the ignition on and measure the voltage. The resistance should be very low, a fraction of an ohm, and the voltage should be very close to zero. If you are still getting 6 volts at the moving arm when the points are closed the points are not making contact. Clean the points using 400 grit sandpaper or a point file or a diamond hone then try again. Sometimes just rubbing the points together will do the trick. There usually is enough slop to do a little rubbing.

Do not leave the ignition on for more than a minute or you may overheat the coil.

Another thing to try is to short across the points with a screw driver when they are open and the ignition is on. This should generate a spark at the high tension output of the coil. If not then there is some electrical problem unrelated to the points.

06-01-2022, 06:49 PM	#2
nkaminar Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 3,933	Re: No Start, HELP About a week ago I put a set of brand new points in my car and the car would not start. I traced it to the points not making contact with each other. I initially sanded the points and cleaned the sandpaper residue with some cardboard. Later I took the time to hone the points with a diamond hone. That solved the problem. The points had apparently oxidized or picked up some contaminates from sitting in the box. Turn the engine over until the points are closed then measure the resistance between the moving arm and ground. Or turn the ignition on and measure the voltage. The resistance should be very low, a fraction of an ohm, and the voltage should be very close to zero. If you are still getting 6 volts at the moving arm when the points are closed the points are not making contact. Clean the points using 400 grit sandpaper or a point file or a diamond hone then try again. Sometimes just rubbing the points together will do the trick. There usually is enough slop to do a little rubbing. Do not leave the ignition on for more than a minute or you may overheat the coil. Another thing to try is to short across the points with a screw driver when they are open and the ignition is on. This should generate a spark at the high tension output of the coil. If not then there is some electrical problem unrelated to the points. __________________ A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past. Last edited by nkaminar; 06-01-2022 at 07:04 PM.