Ballast resistor? Cant find

[Arshloch]

Does an early 68' 02 (first 500 cars) have a ballast resistor? It seems that mine has an ignition relay to work the resistor, but I could not find the resistor itself. And it also has a black coil, cant tell the make (likely Bosh) or how many volts either.

I am working on it, because the car takes 3, 4 cranks to start when cold, but starts just fine when warm and runs great too.

[c.d.iesel]

black coil = no resistor needed

.....Sounds more like you have a carburetor / choke/ high cold idle adjustment problem , and a side order of ignition timing.

[BillWilliams]

Is that true on the early cars or all 2002s? I thought only the blue coils do not need a ballast resistor and black and red coils do need a ballast resistor.

[c.d.iesel]

true - 1968/9 1600 / 2002 = no ballist resistor

orig equip = black coil

look at bottom of coil for stamped i.d. mark

1600 = BOSCH TE 12 V

2002 = BOSCH K 12 V

any other than this and car has been 'altered' sometime in past.

and then there's this tidbit......

...and YOU NEED A VOLT METER TO MEASURE THE SMOKE CONTAINED IN THE WIRES !

[eastsidebimmer]

It did have a black coil when I got it but I've swapped on a used blue. I can't tell any difference. I don't know the part number but it was in a bosch box and someone wrote, "use w/ out resistor" on the outside of the box.

Having an early car can be a real adventure sometimes!

Ben

[eastsidebimmer]

It did have a black coil when I got it but I've swapped on a used blue. I can't tell any difference. I don't know the part number but it was in a bosch box and someone wrote, "use w/ out resistor" on the outside of the box.

Having an early car can be a real adventure sometimes!

Ben

[Mike Self]

ceramic resistor fastened to a bracket next to the coil...been there for me to enjoy since the car was new, and hasn't given me a lick of trouble, either.

Years ago when I installed a Bosch blue coil on my 73, I left its reisitor alone and no problem with that either...

mike

[ingraham]

check to see which coil you have, per CD's numbers.

On the other hand, if you have a coil that needs a ballast resistor and you've been running without it, your points have been burning up and your coil has been overheating. So, prolly not.

[ingraham]

you have a ballast resistor relay? In some early cars there is a relay on the firewall near the coil, but it's the wiper relay.

[Arshloch]

No, I had another look and there is no relay, it's something else there, a wiper relay may be. Cant tell what that coil is, nothing is stamped on it, unless a few markings that faded away. It has a weird sticker on it- I assume it might be aftermarket.

I am gonna replace the points/condenser and see if it helps, but everything is pointing at the spark issue and for the most part the coil. ( The carby is fresh and tuned)