The Onan in the Royale that we have owned for more than a dozen years always started (sometimes a bit reluctantly) and ran ok so when I decided to install one of Gary Bovee's Pertronix kits I never even thought about starting the Onan first. I just pulled the covers off the front, located the timing mark, filed one cooling fin to accept the magnet, installed the module and got to the part about connecting the red module wire to the + terminal on the coil and the black module wire to the - terminal on the coil. Hmmmm. The coil appeared to be installed backward. The 12 vdc wire, the condenser and the other power wires all connected to the terminal marked -. Only the wire from the points connected to the + terminal. It must have been running this way the whole time we have owned the coach as I have never touched anything to do with the coil.

No matter which module wire went to + and which went to - the Onan would turn over well but not start. I checked and found the 5 amp fuse blown. Hmmmm again, as that had never been replaced either. With a good fuse the Onan would start and run on the points, but not on the module and I then found the fuse blown yet again. In replacing it for the second time I found the upper fuse holder loose. Off came the board and I resoldered that connection plus cleaned the board and all the terminals. Still would not run.

A couple of calls to Gary left him about as confused as I was. He was nice enough to check his Onan coil wiring and sure enough all the right stuff was on the + terminal and only the black wire from the module was on the -. So, I tore the board and board support off to loosen the coil clamp, rotated it 180 degrees and buttoned everything back up. Still would not start even though it turned over really well. I jumpered 5-9 and it would start and run on either the points or the module and the fuse did not blow. My speculation is one of the relays is faulty so I just called JimK to order a new board rather than trying to diagnose further or start trying to find a new relay out here in the boonies. In fairness, that board is 40 years old so I guess it is time for it to fail - if that is the root cause issue!

What really has me curious is why the Onan started and ran for all these years off the points with the coil polarity reversed, but refused to do so from the module with the polarity reversed. Any of the electrically enabled posters able to explain that one? I will let you know the full outcome when the new board is in.

Jerry