Rookie mechanic: trouble shooting advice requested
OK so we have Mopar.
FIRST .........a "chrome box" does not mean you have what is "known as" chrome box. There are lots of aftermarket boxes that are not a "chrome" box.
Testing.........
The box MUST BE grounded. Start there. Dismount the box, clean and scrape the bolt holes, and remount using star lock washers.
Remove all the connectors.........box, ballast, and MOST especially the distributor, and inspect with a light for corrosion, and "work" them in/ out several times to 'scrub' the terminals and to feel for tightness. Again, the distributor is a particular problem
Once you get it running measure coil + voltage and report back
For now, check coil + and - voltage with key on/ engine stopped.
Coil + should be "around" 5-9V or so. Coil - should be very low, around 1 or 2V
Next, clip your meter to the coil + and crank the engine. With the starter in operation read the meter. Then run the starter and see what battery + reads. The two should be nearly identical, and above 10.5V
Another way is as said above.........to run a TEMPORARY clip lead from coil + to battery and see if it runs. Do NOT leave this connected any longer than to test.
Check the interior of the distributor around the cap and roter, and around the pickup / reluctor. Look for strike damage, rust, and debri. Get a BRASS feeler (were available from O'Reallys) and set the reluctor gap at .008" (inches).
Another test you can make is key in "run." Remove the distributor connector, and take up the engine bay side of the connector. "Tap" the bare terminal on ground, it should make a single "snap" spark each time.
I wrote this up some time ago, as a way of detail explanation You have to click at the bottom to expand
OK so we have Mopar.
FIRST .........a "chrome box" does not mean you have what is "known as" chrome box. There are lots of aftermarket boxes that are not a "chrome" box.
Testing.........
The box MUST BE grounded. Start there. Dismount the box, clean and scrape the bolt holes, and remount using star lock washers.
Remove all the connectors.........box, ballast, and MOST especially the distributor, and inspect with a light for corrosion, and "work" them in/ out several times to 'scrub' the terminals and to feel for tightness. Again, the distributor is a particular problem
Once you get it running measure coil + voltage and report back
For now, check coil + and - voltage with key on/ engine stopped.
Coil + should be "around" 5-9V or so. Coil - should be very low, around 1 or 2V
Next, clip your meter to the coil + and crank the engine. With the starter in operation read the meter. Then run the starter and see what battery + reads. The two should be nearly identical, and above 10.5V
Another way is as said above.........to run a TEMPORARY clip lead from coil + to battery and see if it runs. Do NOT leave this connected any longer than to test.
Check the interior of the distributor around the cap and roter, and around the pickup / reluctor. Look for strike damage, rust, and debri. Get a BRASS feeler (were available from O'Reallys) and set the reluctor gap at .008" (inches).
Another test you can make is key in "run." Remove the distributor connector, and take up the engine bay side of the connector. "Tap" the bare terminal on ground, it should make a single "snap" spark each time.
I wrote this up some time ago, as a way of detail explanation You have to click at the bottom to expand
Maybe this helps, and maybe not
Here's a post I made about the simplest way I know to get across testing the ECU/ ignition parts
74 duster electrical problems
You need a coil, the ECU and the distributor
Lay it out on the bench. Follow the diagram. Find the two distributor pickup terminals on the ECU. Hook them to the distributor
Hook the ECU case to battery NEG
Coil does NOT need grounded
Distributor does NOT need grounded.
Hook coil + to the power lead terminal on the ECU. Get a clip lead hooked there and let dangle. This is your battery "hot" when you are ready
Hook something from coil "case" to a probe for testing spark.
Hook up your power clip lead. Twist the distributor shaft while holding the test probe near the coil tower. The thing should make sparks
If not, unhook distributor. Take first one, then the other pickup clip leads, and "tap tap" ground them at the battery connection. Coil should make 1 spark each time you do so.
If not, try another coil. If that does not fix it replace the ECU
IF you hook it all up and it WORKS, then there is something AFU in the car harness. SUSPECT a bad ECU connector OR a bad DISTRIBUTOR connector
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This is all you need to test the basics of the ignition. You can easily test the ballast separate. A battery, the ECU, distributor and a coil, and of course some test leads
Below, the basic diagram for a 4 pin ECU
Below, the wire for testing spark. I use my 12V test light. No, LOL the spark won't blow up the bulb
Below, the ground connection. ALL you need is one wire from batt NEG to the ECU case
Below, the two distributor connections. In the car these are polarity sensitive, but for testing does not matter
Below, the coil NEG connection
Below, battery PLUS connection, one wire to this terminal of ECU and jumpered over to + side of coil
Below, all hooked up and ready to test (except for battery ground). Should produce sparks at least 3/8" and typically 1/2" long
Below, distributor "one wire" test. I have removed the other distributor wire for simplicity. Take the bare connector end or this clip lead (the yellow) and with everything hooked up, ground it repeatedly. Each grounding should result in a spark (In this photo you need to hook up the ECU ground wire, I left it off for the photo)
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