REFLECTOR: ENGINE OUT MYSTERY SOLVED

[davedent at comcast.net]

In all the cases where I had dual electronic ignition I installed an extra 
battery that could maintain the ignition for a good 1/2 hr.  Just through a 
single swt.  The blocking diode kept it from getting to the main buss. I had 
to use it twice when I lost the alternator.  Saw the big draw and turned on 
the standby and turned off the main till close to home and then used the 
main battery to talk to the tower to land and had plenty left to run the 
engine.  Once on the ground shut one system down. I could have done it in 
flight but didn't think of it either time.  I kept the small 7Ahr battery 
charged with a blocking diode off the main buss.
I now use this method for my standby power to the EFIS. This difference is 
that I leave the standby power on all the time and the EFIS take care of the 
management of it.  I wouldn't know that it even come on unless the EFIS told 
me I lost my No.1 power source.  KISS.
Dave
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Martino" <tmartino at troubleshooter.com>
To: "Velocity List" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 4:02 PM
Subject: REFLECTOR: ENGINE OUT MYSTERY SOLVED


> After close inspection ... I found the problem.
>
> First the good news ... the engine on my Velocity is perfect!  It cranks 
> and
> fires up with fuel and oil pressures where they should be.
>
> The prop governor did not fail.
>
> And the is minimal airframe damage.
>
> So what went wrong?
>
> The power source for the electronic ignition went bad.
>
> I had a primary battery and secondary battery and used Wayne Lanza's 
> "Power
> Guard" ... To quote his website ... "The Fail safe secondary power 
> control".
>
> Well, this fail safe module failed and caused power interruptions to my
> ignition modules.
>
> As it turns out ... I would've been better off NOT to use a secondary 
> power
> source and not to use Lanza's controller.  The chances of the alternator 
> and
> battery going out at the same time are remote.  Even if the alternator
> failed ... The battery could keep the engine running for quite some time.
> And if you wanted a backup battery for extended power ... Simply put one 
> in
> with a mechanical switch.
>
> The thing that puzzles me is that the electronic ignition is critical ...
> And the very unit that was supposed to preserve my spark, ended up
> interrupting it.
>
> I am in the process of having it diagnosed to find out where the unit
> failed.  But FAILED it did.
>
> Gee ... I lost almost $200,000 on this ... Think I can get my $100 back on
> it?
>
> Tom Martino
>
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