MSD Problem

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72dustyer

72dustyer

All go, no show
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OK I just the Duster fired up today! It onlt runs/starts when I groung the ignition hot wire. I don't have a ballst resistor hooked up. do I need one? It won't run when I unhooked the jumper wire I rigged up. Any thoughts?
 
72dustyer said:
OK I just the Duster fired up today! It onlt runs/starts when I groung the ignition hot wire. I don't have a ballst resistor hooked up. do I need one? It won't run when I unhooked the jumper wire I rigged up. Any thoughts?
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No, you dont need a ballast resitor with a MSD box. Only runs when you GROUND the ignition hot wire? That seems fishy. I'd do a couple things first off to just check.

Make sure you have 12volts to the big red wire all the time...aka hooked directly to the battery.

Make sure that the 'switched' 12v wire has power in both the Run and Start position. If you have it hooked to the stereo, blower motor, etc..it will not fire until you let go of the start position.

I'd pretty much trace all the wires and make sure everything is properly connected.

http://msdignition.com/pdf/6 series/pdf20.pdf

good luck
-Mike
 
Use the old coil + wire for the switched hot (small red wire)
 
Yeah I'll check to see it's hot in the run& start position. I know it's hot in run. The wiring diagram is exactly how I have it hooked up. It's to the blue wire with a white tracer on the firewall connection. It runs when I put a test light in the terminal, but not when I take it out.
 
I was going to say "hook it up to the old coil + wire " Then I scrolled down to Adamr' s reply! Beat me to it. I just installed mine 2 nights ago and did axactly that. Worked great.
 
The red wire coming out of my dash harness goes to the head lites. It was the brown wire that went to the ballast res, and then to the coil. On the other side of the res. was the afore mentioned blue\white tracer wire that i hooked into the MSD (small)red wire. The only thing I come to is that I need a ballast resistor.
 
OK,
I think I got it figured out!!! The original wire that went to the ballast res, then to the coil is the brown one. When I hook that up it pops, but does not run. When I bug the brown wire to the blue wire (which is the wire that came off the other side of the ballast resistor into the coil it runs... my question is: do I leave it hooked up like that and go with it or should it just run alone by the original (coil to ballast resistor) wire and find the gremlin elsewhere?
 
It's been a few years since I installed a MSD but if memory serves me correct you unhook the wires from the coil and hook them to the input wires of the MSD and hook the output wires of the MSD to the coil that way it amplifies the spark. (It works exactly like a stereo amplifier if you've ever hooked one of them up). You will also have to hook the BIG red wire of the MSD straight up to the battery like Goody said. Since I don't have a schematic in front of me I can't tell you what colors the input and output wires are on your MSD but it sounds like you have the paperwork. Just look at it closely. I don't think you really need to use the original ballast resistor but you can leave it in the circuit.

I might be mistaken but it kinda sounds like your trusting the wiring diagram that came with the MSD to corrolate the colors of the wires coming out of your bulkhead connector with their colors. You can't do this because every manufacturer does their wiring different. The only wires you need to concern yourself are the 2 small wires leading to the coil and a B+ supply for the MSD.
 
I am running the Msd and according to there tech and wiring diagram you must jumper the ballast wires together. I have been running like this for two years no problems.
 
Yeah, that's what I ended up doing... now for my next question as I just got my Duster out on the street today!!! I just went out around the block a coupla times, but when I got back the MSD box was hot. Is it supposed to be?
 
Is it any hotter than your coil. They do tend to get warm if in the engine compartment. I once had an issue with mine because I had a severe over charging problem. But now works Ok.
 
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