Pinz SSI stopped working

[Wandering Soul]

My SSI has worked perfectly for several years, but I parked my 710k for a month and now it doesn't get spark to the plugs. I think I have Gen 2 SSI. It has 4 coils and a relay on the metal plate. I have 12v to the relay. I cleaned the wheel at the distributor, but I never see the led light up as I turn the wheel. Is there a schematic available or some way to trouble shoot it. I have a voltmeter. Thanks

[rmel]

Can you take a picture of the coil and "relay" -- what you are describing is not a std. PinzSSI configuration.
For Version 2, what you should see is a 24v to 12v DC-DC converter (Eaton) and a dual coil pack -- each
coil fires cylinders 1/4 and 2/3 -- as a wasted spark system. There should be no relay unless it's a modified
Version 1.0. Theres a significant difference between 1.0 and all other versions, so let's figure out what
you have then go from there.

[Wandering Soul]

I couldn't transfer the picture I took, but here is one from the forum exactly like mine. http://real4x4forums.com/PinzgauerBBS/d ... hp?id=2196

[rmel]

OK, that looks like a 1.0 version. That is a dual coil pack. And, what does
appear to be a relay -- not 100% sure from the PIX, but let's assume it's a
24V relay and see where that takes you.

If it is a relay, then it is likely controlled by switched 24V, either from tapping
the Carb solenoid power or from the power that had supplied the original Pinz
coil (on the passenger side wall). When that relay turns on it then should supply
12V switched power to the SSI controller.

So...if this is indeed the case -and- you are not seeing the LED turn on, get
your meter out and figure out what voltage is on the control terminal of the
relay (yellow wire), if you see 24V present with the ignition switch ON, then that
should turn the relay ON and then apply 12V to the SSI controller, it also looks
like the power to the coil is also switched. If 24V is present but no relay action
check you ground connection.

This is a bit different a setup I have seen on other 1.0 version e.g. no relay used.
For the version W/O a relay, 12V was supplied from switched 24V -- dropping
that voltage down through a fixed resistor, which is not a robust approach. So
this relay may have been a later improvement.

In either case the weakness with 1.0 is relaying on the center tap off the 24V
battery bay. That's why from 2.0 and up a DCDC converter was added.

[pcolette]

Yes, that photo is one of the 3 or 4 SSI's I installed. That one is from 12/2013 and is a modified/updated Version 1 that I had been working on with Rick to improve overall reliability and performance. I had no problems with it other than a couple that I caused (SMH!). It did have the relay. Power was not sourced from the batteries but instead from a 24V>12V Eaton converter that I had installed.
Overall these were the best mods I ever installed on my Pinzees.

[rmel]

Paul, it will be interesting to see if Wondering Soul's setup does not have an Eaton
and is relay control from the bottom battery. Unless the DCDC is in his battery bay?
In any case I suspect it's a simple problem, bad ground or bad connection to switched
24V.

I just did a conversion for a friend from 1.0 to 2.0, all set up for a Eaton converter.
That particular 1.0 version used a resistor in series with switched 24V as the source
for the controllers 12V -- not a great idea. Although the controllers pretty much
look like a constant current source.

[Wandering Soul]

The box beside the coils is a relay. I take 12v off of one of the batteries.

[rmel]

OK...... makes sense, it's a 1.0 with some improvements.
Check the voltages around the relay, control and output
and the ground connection. I never did like the way these
ground was done.

[whitesik]

I will throw in a reply here though those that have already responded are far more knowledgeable about these things. If I recall, the version one was very sensitive to the state of the batteries, especially since it tapped off of one of them. I would first verify the condition of the batteries prior to doing major trouble shooting on the SSI given that it sat for a month. Please know I may be totally wrong.

[rmel]

You are correct Whitesik! The first incarnation of PinzSSI was very sensitive to
the health of the 24V batteries. Without getting into the details, In fact BOTH
batteries have to be in decent shape esp. when cranking the engine over. If
the voltage dropped low enough the SSI controller would stop working. It
needs a minimum of ~9V to operate. I actually bench tested that.

However in Wandering Souls case, he is not getting the LED to turn on,
no engine cranking involved. So I suspect he has pretty basic problem.

[Wandering Soul]

/ Thanks for help. After wiggling ang jiggling everything, it started working. I will get some contact cleaner for the connections. I

[rmel]

Fantastic! Ya, a weak underbelly is Ground but also where the switched 24V is sourced.
When taking off from the Carb Solenoids, the terminal protrudes a bit and can get
whacked by the Doghouse then loosen up.