Onboard Diagnostics
The American Vintage Ignition module makes diagnostics easier by providing onboard diagnostics. No special equipment is required, diagnoses is performed by viewing two colored LED function lights. Additionally, there are three self resetting fuses that assist in troubleshooting while protecting your ignition module from damage.
Green Power Indicator Light
The green LED indicates the status of the controller inside your ignition module. When the LED flashes ½ second off and ½ second on, the controller is signaling that all is normal. No green light indicates that the controller is not powered up. A steady green light indicates that the controller is getting power but is detecting a fault that prevents it from operating.
Red RPM Indicator Light
The red LED light illuminates every time your American Vintage Ignition module discharges energy to the ignition coil presenting a visual representation of engine RPM. It is useful for performing engine diagnostics as it indicates when the ignition module is receiving a trigger signal. During very slow cranking RPM, the light appears to flash because the time between the pulses is long enough that human eye can distinguish each flash. At faster RPM, as when the engine is idling, the light appears to be dimly lit because the human eye cannot distinguish each flash of the LED. When viewing the red LED under normal conditions, the light will appear to be flashing during cranking of the engine, it will appear dimly lit when the engine is running at low RPM and will appear brighter as the RPM increases. Even a momentary interruption of the triggering signal will be very evident as a disruption in the illumination of the LED. When the programmed RPM limit is reached, the discharge pulses will be curtailed by the ignition module controller and so the LED appears to flash. At this point the controller has sensed an over rev situation and so the soft RPM function becomes active to hold the engine at the programmed RPM. If the engine exceeds 3% of the programmed RPM limit, then the controller senses that the rear wheels of the vehicle are over accelerating the engine, as in a missed shift situation. At this point the controller will shut off the discharge pulses completely and so the LED will not illuminate at all. The reverse happens as the engine RPM falls. The default RPM setting for the Model 103 American Vintage Ignition module is 8,000 RPM. Refer to the Bluetooth / USB Smart Wire installation instructions on how to change this setting.
PTC Sensor Self Resetting Fuses
There are three orange components that stick out of the bottom of the ignition module and are labeled Power, Points and Tacho. These are self resetting fuses that protect your ignition module and car from harmful wring shorts. They are called Protective Thermal Components (PTC) sensors that indicate problems by getting hot. Under normal conditions they will be no warmer than their surroundings. We recommend that you use an infrared thermometer to read them as they will become hot to the touch when tripped.
Power Sensor: This is PTC sensor that will cut off power to the ignition system in case of a power overload without effecting the rest of the ignition circuit. There are several conditions that could cause this PTC to trip but the most common on is if reverse DC power has been accidentally applied to the vehicle battery. Refer to our online guide for your particular model American Vintage Ignition module for more information. Once the fault has been corrected, the PTC will automatically reset itself allowing your ignition module to continue functioning without being damaged. You can tell when the PTC has tripped by its temperature. When the PTC has initially tripped it will be very hot to the touch. After it trips it will stay off but remain slightly warmer than ambient temperatures as long as the circuit fault and power are still present. When the power to the circuit is cut or when the wiring fault is corrected, the PTC cools down to ambient temperatures and will automatically resume operation.
Points Sensor: This is a PTC sensor that will cut off the breaker points signal connection between the ignition module and distributor breaker points. This will only happen in the event of excessive current flow between the ignition module and breaker points. If your distributor does not have breaker points and instead uses an electronic breakerless triggering module, the points sensor will trip if the breakerless module becomes defective. When the PTC has initially tripped it will be very hot to the touch. After it trips it will stay off and cool down but be warm to the touch as long as the key power remains on. Whenever the ignition key is cycled, and, if required, the wiring on the car is corrected, the PTC will cool to ambient temperature and will automatically resume operation.
Tacho Sensor: This is a PTC sensor that will cut off the tachometer connection from your ignition module in case the tachometer on your vehicle has shorted out. Refer to the installation and troubleshooting guide for your particular model American Vintage Ignition module for more information. Once the wiring fault on the car has been corrected, the PTC will automatically reset itself allowing your ignition module to continue functioning without being damaged. When the PTC has initially tripped it will be very hot to the touch. After it trips it will stay off and cool down to ambient temperatures. Whenever the ignition key is cycled, and, if required, the wiring on the car is corrected, the PTC will self-reset.
Bluetooth / USB Connector: This is a serial communications port used for changing the setting of the ignition module using the American Vintage Ignition USB Smart Wire or the Bluetooth Smart Wire.