swindon_alan

That's a very good call Mike, the alternator dragging the volts down. I think I will add this to my hot start problem thread, perhaps a warm alternator is susceptible to this type of failure as well?

The Esprit Cross Reference Section is your friend @modifiedv8engines Paul.

It was quite restricted on the early V8s but the post Sport 350s ('00 on) inherited the higher torque in the lower gears (2nd to 4th) chip which Alastair's should have. http://www.freudhoefer.de/lotus/esprit/products/chips/v8.htm

It's not the same test. Do the above but disconnect the negative side and then repeatedly make and break the negative side to earth with a spare wire or a long screwdriver etc. Sparks will rule out the coil, +ve feed and distributor HT lead problems. Thanks Andy for the more detailed diagnostics, agree that it could be any of those. Methodical Peter, methodical!

Try the above to prove the spark first but if you have no voltage on the -ve at any time that sounds as though it is permanently earthed...

Barry had a V8 for a while, he found it too easy to drive!

That's one less thing then, good. I'm not that familiar with NAs, but does it have distributor points or is it electronic? If you've got volts on the +ve coil terminal then that would suggest that the -ve side is not switching to produce a spark. Try taking the -ve lead off, pull the central distributor lead out and put the bare end near an earthing point (engine block will do) with a few mm gap, turn the ignition on then earth the -ve side of the coil a few times. You should get a big fat blue spark at the end of the lead. If you don't then that means the points or ignition pick up are not working correctly.

Great post Alastair and thank you. That's an ace combination to own! @Barrykearley I would like your objective take on this too please (avoiding your V8 supposed fragility and upkeep cost bad mouthing of course!). From what you have posted in the past I think that you probably agree with most of this, particularly your preference for an Esprit (S4/S4s) that you have to work at rather than the easy power of a V8?

Hello Peter, in lieu of a Barry reply it looks like your ignition coil might have gone open circuit? Try this first.

Hello Phil, try these (nod to the Cytherean spreadsheet):

S4, S4s and V8 are from: Vauxhall Astra 1992 - 1998 Vauxhall Calibra Vauxhall Cavalier 1989 - 1995 Vauxhall Corsa 1993 - 2001 Vauxhall Tigra 1993 - 2001 Still available new at the time of writing. Drivers side (RHD) Passenger side (RHD)

S4, S4s and V8

Hello @Beinmymirror, not sure how available they are in the States but it is a pretty standard GM Europe part and was used on: Vauxhall Astra 1992 - 1998 Vauxhall Calibra Vauxhall Cavalier 1989 - 1995 Vauxhall Corsa 1993 - 2001 Vauxhall Tigra 1993 - 2001 And the Opel equivalents over the Channel of course. eBay is probably your best bet. Applies to S4, S4s and V8 btw.

That looks like one of my erm "hostess houses" on a Saturday night...

Thanks for your efforts @calvan. Perhaps it will @Escape (see what I did there?) from Quebec at some point. The best we can do over here at the moment is Ilkley Lotus IPA I think. No V8 on the can though...

Fair play if that actually works but all I can think of is the sound of fibreglass cracking...

I've just had my IT consultant contract extended from the end of September for another year (done three months + ten of the first twelve so far). There's no such thing as job security any more, even as an employee so this is great news today and has made me very happy!

Awesome! I don't think so Filip, it is from a microbrewery in Canada? Farnham Ale & Lager Farnham, QC Canada

Renault 5 Gordini/Turbo yours as well? <edit - sorry, noticed afterwards the sentence below the pic!>

Ha ha perhaps they should have christened it the Ebunny..?

Of course the other elephant in the room is the charging infrastructure. A handful of EVs fine but we would (probably) need to double the capacity of the National Grid and power sources if the stupid things became widespread. I get the point about hydrogen being "dangerous" but the energy packed in a cc of petrol is pretty astonishing as well. We manage to not blow ourselves up with that and have done successfully for many years. Hydrogen liquid would have to be at very high pressures or cryogenic temperatures for transport and fuelling to be liquid - with associated extra costs perhaps - but once it is in the car in a ruggedised tank then it must surely be comparable. Hmmm. Fuel injection conversion to hydrogen. I might do my V8...

Musing. Will there also be a place for hydrogen ICE then? Also greenie friendly and I still get to have suck bang blow and an exhaust note. I find hydrogen fuel cells rather old school and slightly concerning. After all, Apollo 13's plumbing went pop big time...

I seem to remember that Barry mentioned once that he thought that S4 might be haunted?

Congratulations Robin and welcome! I see that Barry managed to get the front number plate on straight for you. Or did you do that? Enjoy!

Hello @Erikl From the above post, this should do the trick? Hope that helps, let me know. Alan