We get several enquiries from guys who have blown their X4 or X6 igniter box. These igniter boxes DO NOT blow up for no reason and each and every box is tested before they go out the door.
If you have blown an igniter box the most common reasons for it to happen are……..
- Bad wiring or bad earths (the 2 black earth wires are very important & must be well grounded)
- Dwell Settings too high (with the Microtech Bosch coils 3.5 m/s is a good starting point. With factory coil on plug coild such as Nissan or Toyota 2.5m/s is a good starting point)
- Voltage too high ( the higher the voltage the lower the dwell settings must be. With a 16 volt system the dwell setting should be lowered to around 2.75 m/s)
- Cranking the engine over with the battery charger connected (this will cause the car voltage to go as high as 21 volts and will damage the igniter immediately)
- Blown ignition coil (the ignition coil will short out internally and blow the igniter)
- Cranking the engine with the plug leads off (checking for spark with the plugs sitting on top of the valve cover without being grounded or doing a compression test with the plug leads swinging in the breeze. If the spark cannot go to ground through the spark plug it will take the easiest path which is usually back through the igniter box or coil)
- Shorted wiring during installation
It is very important to make sure if you have blown an igniter that the problem has been found and eliminated before you plug another igniter in its place. The igniter has blown for a reason and will only happen again if the problem that caused it isn’t fixed.
