Points...

[Steveo1969]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie (although i've had 7 minis over my many years). My mini has got a massive amp powering a 1000W sub, 2 6x9's & a couple of satellite tweeters...even when the car's running the headlights dim slightly in time with the music (!) & following a misfire last week, I checked the points to find them covered in more fur than a Ukranian trapper.

What's the limit these poor points can take? I've never bothered with ICE in a mini before & the exhaust note is so loud on this one that you need the sound up loud enough to rattle the fillings out of your teeth.

Should I just not bother & take it out? The old man suggested smearing the points with a little Vaseline to stop the build up.

Or is it something more sinister?

[TONYELF]

Seems to me butter has been used on the points instead of vaseline and it's gone mouldy! Wipe and WD 40 to wash it off and vaseline to complete the deal. Please tell me if I'm wrong!:D

[Steveo1969]

Ha! Well when I said 'fur', I meant the white carbon sort of build up that you get on there. I've cleaned them, put some Rocket40 on there & applied some Vaseline but I wondered if it was too much load on the electrics causing excessive build up?
I know running a sound system when the engine is off can cause the points to wear out more quickly (or so my Dad always reckoned, but that might've been to get me to be quiet while I was on the drive all those years ago!).
The manifold gasket is blowing a bit as well, which I'm going to replace, which I suppose could cause misfiring & perhaps 'burn' the points as well?