Can I use only 2-channels of a 3-channel Audi ignition module?

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jmaddocks
MegaSquirt Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2017 2:11 pm
Location: Denver, CO

Can I use only 2-channels of a 3-channel Audi ignition module?

Post by jmaddocks »

Last weekend in the salvage yard, I was having a heck of a time finding a Bosch 211 ignition module for the 4-cylinder wasted spark setup I'm putting together. I stumbled upon a '97-ish Audi A6, found the ignition module, noted that it was *almost* the same Audi part number (4A0 905 351), and grabbed it. I just realized it has three channels, which makes sense, since the car is a 6 cylinder... Yes, I'm a dummy. :oops:

The module has four inputs (I1, I2, ground, I3) and three outputs (E1, E2, E3). Can I just use the #1 and #2 inputs/outputs (plus ground, obviously) and leave the #3 input/output unused? Or should I combine two of the channels? It will be driving a 4-cylinder wasted spark coil which does not have a built-in ignitor. Thanks in advance!
'91 VW Corrado PG/PL 1.9L 16V frankenstein, T3/T04E, E85, MSnS-e
'79 Rabbit ABA swap (in progress), microsquirt
jmaddocks
MegaSquirt Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2017 2:11 pm
Location: Denver, CO

Re: Can I use only 2-channels of a 3-channel Audi ignition module?

Post by jmaddocks »

Based on some cursory research, I believe the ignition module is just a switch to ground for each channel with an input trigger from the MS ECU...will test tonight to confirm. If that's the case, I'll probably end up using it as proposed (i.e., with the 3rd channel unused) and will report the results back to this thread.
'91 VW Corrado PG/PL 1.9L 16V frankenstein, T3/T04E, E85, MSnS-e
'79 Rabbit ABA swap (in progress), microsquirt
jmaddocks
MegaSquirt Newbie
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2017 2:11 pm
Location: Denver, CO

Re: Can I use only 2-channels of a 3-channel Audi ignition module?

Post by jmaddocks »

Update - I decided to punt... Took a couple of hours off earlier this week, went to the salvage yard, and bought a Bosch 211 4-channel module (plus a spare).

For those who care, I tested the 3-channel Audi module in my original post using a 5V trigger input, and it works exactly as I thought it would...it's basically just a switch to ground for each channel, just like the 211 module. I'm 99.9% sure it would have worked with just two of the three channels (input and output) connected.
'91 VW Corrado PG/PL 1.9L 16V frankenstein, T3/T04E, E85, MSnS-e
'79 Rabbit ABA swap (in progress), microsquirt
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