Engine dies, but turn the key off and back on it fires right back up

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stumblinhorse

stumblinhorse

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Stock’ish 69 318. Converted to mopar style electronic ignition couple years back. Summit racing brand. Ballast resistor still in place. Engine been running fine for a couple thousand miles on the electronic setup. It just started in the last day, to die driving down the road. I turn the key off then hit start it starts right back up and runs for remainder of the drive. Done it a couple times now.

Figured the ecu is going out? But not seen one “reset” and work fine.

Second question is it worth the extra couple hundred bucks to go to a MSD box or just buy a summit brand orange ecu? in a stock’ish 318?

thanks for any help!
 
My first thought was ECU overheating.
Had a pinto that did that.

Stock ECUs aren't all that expensive, get one and try it for a while if everything is good buy the expensive orange one and keep the stock as a spare.
 
Expensive orange ECU? Nah, get a Mallory or Crane Hi-6 used. Bullet proof and does away with the ballast resistor. I'm not an MSD fan as you may know. Make sure the ECU is grounded with star washers digging into paint onto the inner fender. May recheck .008 reluctor gap.
 
My pickup was doing this the other day would be driving along and then it just died. Sometimes it would start right back up and other times you have to wait for a few minutes and then it would start back up. Come to find out it was corrosion between the battery cable and the clamp.
 
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above are three good starting points. I have come across all three of those at different times in the past.

I have had bad/loose battery terminals cause what you're describing.
Also had a bad main ground cable at the battery that had corroded inside. merely moving it around would connect/disconnect ground current.
and yes...also chased a bad pickup coil in the distributor...but...that was never a "fired right back up" thing. it would die for hours...then you'd hit the key and vroom.
 
No such thing as a "good orange box" for a few years now. if it s a "stockish" 318 just run the standard factory electronic setup. they are some of the most reliable systems to come out. About 50 years now. If you ever have a part failure. Parts are as close as the local parts house no matter where in the country you might be. As suggested the first thing to do with any type of electrical issue is to make sure that you have excellent connections. Unplug, clean and grease ( dielectric ) all electrical connections and not just the ignition ones. You need a good ground on all circuits. This maintenance item will cure 90% of your electrical related issues. From lights to gauges.
 
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back in the day, I bought that same electronic ignition conversion in the summit brand, with the blue box. Box was junk when it arrived. So i wouldn't count on it being good.
 
stumblinhorse said:
Stock’ish 69 318. Converted to mopar style electronic ignition couple years back. Summit racing brand. Ballast resistor still in place. Engine been running fine for a couple thousand miles on the electronic setup. It just started in the last day, to die driving down the road. I turn the key off then hit start it starts right back up and runs for remainder of the drive. Done it a couple times now.

Figured the ecu is going out? But not seen one “reset” and work fine.

Second question is it worth the extra couple hundred bucks to go to a MSD box or just buy a summit brand orange ecu? in a stock’ish 318?

thanks for any help!
Click to expand...

It could also be a crappy contact in the ignition switch loosing the connection and turning the key re makes the contact.
Seen this before on other switches too.




Johnny Mac said:
above are three good starting points. I have come across all three of those at different times in the past.

I have had bad/loose battery terminals cause what you're describing.
Also had a bad main ground cable at the battery that had corroded inside. merely moving it around would connect/disconnect ground current.
and yes...also chased a bad pickup coil in the distributor...but...that was never a "fired right back up" thing. it would die for hours...then you'd hit the key and vroom.
Click to expand...

I chased a problem where the car would start in the morning but sometimes not when already warmed up. (crank fine but no spark)
Ended up being the distributor pigtail loosing contact when it got warm.
Have seen do the opposite also.
Won't start in the morning, but would later in the day after it got warmer out.
 
stumblinhorse said:
It just started in the last day, to die driving down the road.
Click to expand...
Intermittent like that is always trickier to solve.
I agree check for loose or oxidized connection is good idea.
Glance at the ammeter next time this happens. If it shows a slight discharge then the ignition is still drawing some current. If not, then the ECU or distributor pickup or connections are suspect. Its a small draw so will not move the needle much. You'll have to be the judge on that.

Coils will sometimes die intermittantly, but I;m leaning against that since you can restart immediately. Do check the connections though.

Since the ECU wiring is add on, check the new and old connections.

If it tends to die at higher speeds or under slight load, and worse in warm temperatures, could be winter fuel causing vapor lock. It will die similar to running out of fuel (which it is) but letting off the gas pedal is often enough for it to stay running.

stumblinhorse said:
Second question is it worth the extra couple hundred bucks to go to a MSD box
Click to expand...
No. Capacitive discharge system has some advantages with higher compression and higher rpm applications. Otherwise, on pump fuel, a kettering system is just as good and arguably better.

stumblinhorse said:
just buy a summit brand orange ecu
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I'd prob just try to get one that's been tested good, a standard LX101, or 'High rev 7500' in that order.
 
One thing you could do is "haywire" an indicator lamp to the coil+ and when it quits see if it still shows power. That would at least eliminate wiring harness/ bulkhead connector/ ignition switch problems
 
So I spent a couple hours under the hood and used a 1/4 tank of gas trying to find the issue. Found nothing loose or shorting out. Searched the key, resistor, coil, distributor, battery, grounds, ecu. Nothing, not even a miss or sputter. I am going to buy a lx101 to replace the blue summit box. And see what happens...

Thanks for everyone’s help.
 
67Dart273 said:
One thing you could do is "haywire" an indicator lamp to the coil+ and when it quits see if it still shows power. That would at least eliminate wiring harness/ bulkhead connector/ ignition switch problems
Click to expand...

Good idea Del.
Just a little 12v led would work great for that without drawing any power off the coil.
Well, not much anyway.:D
 
Follow up to close out this thread. About 10 days ago I received the new ecu. Since replacing the blue box from summit with the lx101, I haven’t had any problems! Driven about 100 miles. So all good!
 
If you want to update later on, look at the white box that Fbo sells.
You can scrap your ballast resistor and it has a rev limiter.
I ran a wire for the ground to avoid any future conductivity problems, like the one's voltage regulators like to give you, and haven't had any problems at all going on 7 years.
Don did a good job on this product. Glad I bought it! I don't like MSD either.

He also set up my Mopar Dist., but I screwed it up. At the time, Vapor lock wasn't helping and ignition systems were new to me. But I finally figured out what to do.
Don's Initial setting and switching to manifold vacuum for the vacuum advance was my answer for my motor.
Motor runs cooler, more added initial, and I have more control .
Thank you Don!
FBO Ignition Systems MOPAR Micro-Processor IGNITION SYSTEMS Digital Micro Processor Circuitry|EPROM Processor with|Built in DEAD STOP Algorithm REV Limiter|Eliminates Ballast Resistor|44KV Output on demand|Plug and Play|one simple wiring modification
The End ! LOL
 
70 DUSTER CRATE said:
Don's Initial setting and switching to manifold vacuum for the vacuum advance was my answer for my motor.
Click to expand...
Almost the end lol Glad you got it fiqured out.
Iv'e been eyeing that FBO box for the rev limiter . I have a 4-speed. I may try running manifold vacuum to see if I can get my car running better. I sill haven't got it running as good as it should. Is your car a standard or auto ?
 
Kendog 170 said:
Almost the end lol Glad you got it fiqured out.
Iv'e been eyeing that FBO box for the rev limiter . I have a 4-speed. I may try running manifold vacuum to see if I can get my car running better. I sill haven't got it running as good as it should. Is your car a standard or auto ?
Click to expand...

I am a rep for FBO products and services just FYI.:D
 
automatic
Just thinking, TrailBeast would be able to walk you through problems. He knows a lot more than I ever will. Which is way more than I had, at the time.
 
TrailBeast said:
I am a rep for FBO products and services just FYI.:D
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Then convince them to make a plate with the slots reduced on the inside. This what a large percentage of the distributors need.
It would resolve a lot of the problems people have with vacuum advance when using their plates or otherwise limiting the mechanical advance.
 
Mattax said:
Then convince them to make a plate with the slots reduced on the inside. This what a large percentage of the distributors need.
It would resolve a lot of the problems people have with vacuum advance when using their plates or otherwise limiting the mechanical advance.
Click to expand...

I don't think I have ever seen or heard that before.
Why would the slots need to be closer in?
Rotor position?
 
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