So my '83 TA has the cold air intake with the special air cleaner to utilize the bulge in the hood. The contraption that matches up to it and is actually in the bulge has a wire with a connector to it that was disconnected from another connector I found on a wire near the firewall. I plugged it in but can't seem to figure out what it is supposed to do now that it is plugged in.
Does anyone know? Anyone have a schematic of how that thing works so I don't have to take it all apart to find out?
Thanks

 

The wire from the hood connects to a vacuum sensor on the firewall that has a hose connected to it from the rear of the carb. When engine vacuum is low (high acceleration), the vacuum switch completes the circuit and feeds 12V to the solenoid that opens the intake port on the hood.

If the vacuum hose was disconnected or non-existent then the vacuum switch sensed constant low vacuum (atmospheric pressure) and while the ignition is on, feeds 12V to the solenoid constantly which probably burned up the wire inside the solenoid. try manually giving the solenoid 12V. If it moves back and forth properly and opens the flap then it is not burned up. I would leave it disconnected until you are sure that the vacuum hose is properly connected to the carb and the vacuum switch to prevent the solenoid from burning up.

 

the solenoid has 12 volts at it and under full throttle when no vacuum is detected the switch closes and grounds the solenoid. Use a vacuum pump with key on and you can test the switch, many leaked after time and thats why most dont work. You can always remove the solenoid and flapper door and plug the flapper door bushing hole with silicone and have it work all the time. The downside is you always here it sucking air while accelerating at any speed with the flapper door gone.

 

Thanks for the correction. I have not looked at the schematic or my car in a while.

 

I've seen a few and if memory serves me right they have a nipple on top that many connected vacuum to but the original vacuum line went to the bottom of the switch and thats why they didn't work.

 

Good stuff guys. Thanks alot. I'll see about hooking up some voltage to it to test it when I get a chance. Would it hurt anything to leave it open all the time if it doesn't work right?

I see the nipple out the bottom as well. So a vacuum line would connect to that? Or something on the firewall?

Another thing...I noticed when I got the car that the air cleaner cover had some rust on it when I got the car and again after sitting for a while. It seems that some water is making it's way through there and on the cover. I'm quite certain that it's not going inside the cover just on the top. So I have to investigate where the water is getting through exactly. Any thoughts?

 

I have the same water-on-the-air-cleaner problem but havent gotten around to looking at which gasket is leaking.