how do you change the ignition condenser?H

I want to replace my ignition condenser and I'm stumped as to how to get the old one off.

The ignition condenser is right at the back of the distributor. There may be a bolt holding the ignition condenser to the distributor. How the heck to you access this to remove and replace the condenser? Surely you don't have to take the distributor out?

I have a 1.6l petrol engined Caddy pickup.

I would appreciate your guidance. Thank you.

I always keep a spare condenser in the car, but there's no need to change it as a matter of course as part of a regular service. They can go for years and years before they become defective. If yours is working fine right now, then I would leave it until it starts going open circuit, then change it then (it's like a 5 minute job).

And no, you don't have to take the distributor out, but you will probably have to rotate it to gain access to the condenser, so make sure you scribe a line or make some sort of a mark between the distributor body and the engine block so that you can rotate it back to the correct position afterwards. You might want to double check your timing afterwards with a strobe light, but last time I did it I'd got the timing spot on just by adhering to my little mark.

Mine was easy to get to as the dissy was further around than yours so might be worth to check the timing incase its out so making it hard to get to the bolt/screw.
I have also just got rid of my condensor and points now with a electric ignition kit which fits inside the dissy cap, smoother tick over and a bit more responsive.
You don't need to buy points or condensors and check the gap in the points ever again!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Golf-1-6-1975-85-electronic-Ignition-Bosch-kit16-/170584239183?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27b79cec4f

mark1gls said

Mine was easy to get to as the dissy was further around than yours so might be worth to check the timing incase its out so making it hard to get to the bolt/screw.
I have also just got rid of my condensor and points now with a electric ignition kit which fits inside the dissy cap, smoother tick over and a bit more responsive.
You don't need to buy points or condensors and check the gap in the points ever again!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Golf-1-6-1975-85-electronic-Ignition-Bosch-kit16-/170584239183?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27b79cec4f

Will you let me know how you get on with this? I was considering getting one but was concerned about their reliability. Though now my golf is going to be a weekend/summer car it's not such a concern.

Seems well worth the money, been using it for about 8 months now but on my Mk1 Scirocco so not my daily drive I just keep the old points and condensor in the boot just incase as its only a 5 minute job to change it back, done a about 2000 miles so far with no problems.
The hardest thing was finding a ignition switched 12V live feed which worked during cranking the engine from the back of the fusebox I had to extend the wire from the kit as its only about 30cm long and it needed to reach the back of the fusebox, the other lead I had to change the spade connector on the end of the kit so it would plug straight into the connector on the end of the oringinal green low tension wire which used to plug into the condensor as wanted to keep the connector oringinal just incase I had to change back at the side of the road.
The tick over is alot smoother as is the revs through the rev range and starts just as well as the points but I used to check my points with a dwell meter every 6 months to check they was spot on. Can't comment on fuel saving as don't bother working it out…
There is instrutions in the box on testing which type of coil you have a ballest coil or normal coil so you need to find that out first but I think if you have two wires from the + of the coil you have a ballest coil but info on this site about that.
Pictures etc at the bottom of this thread with lots of help from rubjohnny on the electrics http://vwgolfmk1.org.uk/forum/index.php?page=topicview&id=electrics_2%2Felectronic-ignition_16&kfs78=330