no spark

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terry

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hi folks need your input
car ran fine a week ago and now it will not start. found out that there was no spark to the plugs, and no spark coming out of the coil. i have an msd 6al which i tested and it is throwing a good strong spark. i have a mopar performance distributor in it. could it be the coil or distributor? how do you check a coil? can you check the distributor if i'm sending a strong spark from the msd unit? i have checked all grounds and the coil wire.
thanks
terry
 
check the gap on the reluctor...should be .008
 
thanks aarcuda, i will check that. but how would the gap change when its been fine for about 5 years now?
 
terry said:
hi folks need your input
car ran fine a week ago and now it will not start. found out that there was no spark to the plugs, and no spark coming out of the coil. i have an msd 6al which i tested and it is throwing a good strong spark. i have a mopar performance distributor in it. could it be the coil or distributor? how do you check a coil? can you check the distributor if i'm sending a strong spark from the msd unit? i have checked all grounds and the coil wire.
thanks
terry
Click to expand...

If the coil is being told to fire and isn't then the coil is at fault and the quickest test, for me anyway, is a new one.

Terry
 
ok folks update
i bought a new coil from autozone and i thought i was getting a spark but it seems the longer i work on this i lose spark. did i go wrong with just getting a stock coil when i am running a moar performance distributor and a msd 6al ?
now it seems that when i unplug the coil wire and ground it then turn the key on and trip the starter relay i only get 1 strong spark . hit the relay again and 1 strong spark, every time just one strong spark then nothing. i actually started the car by just turning the engine over for a split second for the quick spark but that isn't right.
help
terry
 
The 6AL can work with stock type coils, and the ignition coil doesn't care about what sort of distributor you have. But it could be the distributor's pick up. One test is to pull the distributor out and spin it by hand with an AC volt meter (NOT DC) across the two terminals. You should get a small voltage, maybe around 0.5 volts, on the voltmeter.
 
thanks mad
i can try that, but if i am not getting a spark to go into the distributor cap from the coil shouldn't my problem lie before the distributor?
thanks
terry
 
Check the power feed switching line to the MSD. You should get power in both start and run.

Make sure the bulkhead connectors are in good shape. These are a problem area on mopars.
 
i do have voltage running to the msd 6al. when i run the test in there trouble shooting instruction i do get a strong spark out of the coil. hense they say its hooked up correctly and should work
i do have voltage at the ballest resister and coming out of the bulkhead. could a faulty voltage regulator be a problem?
terry
 
terry said:
i do have voltage running to the msd 6al. when i run the test in there trouble shooting instruction i do get a strong spark out of the coil. hense they say its hooked up correctly and should work
i do have voltage at the ballest resister and coming out of the bulkhead. could a faulty voltage regulator be a problem?
terry
Click to expand...

Terry, I believe the voltage regulator only comes into play when the vehicle is running. Doubt that is the problem........

Do you have a buddy with an MSD box to borrow and test with?

Thanks for helping me....bump 4 u ............
 
hi 6pak
no i don't know anyone who has a msd6al.but i will now look.
if i am not getting any spark out of the coil could this mean that my distributor could be bad or no my problem is before the distributor ?
i do have a complete new msd distributor cap and wires, i can either go with that set up or disconnect the msd box and go back to the mopar orange module set up. your thoughts ?
terry
 
Terry, If you have the Mopar stuff there already, I would try that. Coil has to have spark coming out first is my understanding, but I think you posted that you had already changed that?
 
6pak
yes i have tried 3 different coils with no luck.maybe an intermitent spark with one of them. i will just disconnnect the 6al and hook up the orange module and see what happens.
terry
 
I meant you need to check the pick-up in the distributor, the part connected to the green and purple wires. If the pick-up isn't giving a signal, the box won't fire.
 
The pickup in the dist is what tells the "box" to fire so u are manualy telling the box to fire and it works but when u plug the dist back in it don't? It's most likely the pickup coil in the dist.
 
70bbdart, yes i am using a ballest resister and i am getting current to it.
mod5v, i do agree its probly my pick up in the distributor.its not sending a signal to the msd box.when i test the msd box i do get spark then connect it to the distributor and no spark. i'll put in a new msd distributor i have today in it and give you an update..
thanks for all your help. new year new results!

terry
 
I Now Have Car Running Excellent. Turns Out The Pick Up In Distributor Was Bad. I Put In A New Msd Distributor And Wires That I Have Had And Bingo! Strong Spark!
Thanks Everyone For Your Input It Did Help
Terry
 
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