HELP ..Runs dies No start .. then start

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44070dart

How the hell did I get this old..
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Thought the pick up was bad ..I put a new pick up in and took the car out, drove fine.. for about 40 minutes and quit which was what it was doing and why I changed the pick up.. Started right back up and drove a couple miles home.. :wtf: .. changed the ignition model with new one I had, > won't start ..put in original module ..it starts.. thought the new module I had was bad as it has laid in my garage for years, so I go this morning and buy a new module.. no start. put old one in, it starts... .again :wtf:

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Thought the pick up was bad ..I put a new pick up in and took the car out, drove fine.. for about 40 minutes and quit which was what it was doing and why I changed the pick up.. Started right back up and drove a couple miles home.. :wtf: .. changed the ignition model with new one I had, > won't start ..put in original module ..it starts.. thought the new module I had was bad as it has laid in my garage for years, so I go this morning and buy a new module.. no start. put old one in, it starts... .again :wtf:

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Check the coil
 
check back of module for bare metal, in the aircraft industry its called bonding, (to ground)
 
Is old module 4 or 5 pin

Check the coil
The deal with stock coils is that there filled with oil to keep them cool. From time too time the oil seeps out. When this happens the coil heats up and creates a short. start with the cheapest thing first. I learned my lesson. I change all of the components except the coil. Come to find out it was the coil..
 
Make sure you have clean contacts between firewall, screws and ignition module, mod. must be grounded. Not a big fan of having the coil upside down, especially if its "oil cooled", most of the coil inside is epoxied at the bottom of the canister, coil must have a good contact with the oil. If the coil is epoxy or filled with epoxy it makes no difference.
Oil vs Epoxy coils..... <<<< excellent post on coils.
 
Both 4 pin.. new module and new coil I had no start .. new coil and old module =start .. module is grounded to firewall, and ruffed up module at contact bolts points.. I scraped paint off firewall to make sure then checked with light.. wtf ..
 
Check the coil
My '78 Dodge Van did that once, it was the module. In the late sixties when I was a young punk at a dodge dealership, stock coils would fail when hot. Try new coil?
 
Looking at the picture you have included with your post, I notice three wires on the side of your coil, brown wire I get, but the red and blue?
 
red wire goes to the auto choke and second looks like it goes to ballast resister, I think........ kind of hard to tell without opening harness.
 
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What voltage do you get at the ballast resistor?
Engine off key in run
Engine on key in run

Is the wiring harness oe?
 
Mount the coil upright first.
Measure voltage at the coil with engine off, and once with engine running.
Then get rid of the choke-wire, as a test. Use a different powersource for that if you really need the choke.
 
Thanks for the input.. but I think were losing track of WHY it will run with old module and not the new.. to measure voltage running I need to install the old module and I'm sure it will be within limits because the car runs well with the old module, until it doesn't ...I have the new coil upright..removed the choke wire, nothing changed ..I know the thing is firmly grounded.. ground all the paint off both surfaces checked with light it's grounded as well as old one ... thanks, keep them coming because I'm at a loss
 
QUOTE="44070dart, post: 1972519211, member: 250"]but I think were losing track of WHY it will run with old module and not the new[/QUOTE]

Not at all...
My thinking is maybe the voltage to the old unit is borderline ok but the newer unit needs a higher voltage to opperate.
Are you powering the control module with full 12v or ballast resistor voltage?
 
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QUOTE="44070dart, post: 1972519211, member: 250"]but I think were losing track of WHY it will run with old module and not the new

Not at all...
My thinking is maybe the voltage to the old unit is borderline ok but the newer unit needs a higher voltage to opperate.
Are you powering the control module with full 12v or ballast resistor voltage?[/QUOTE]

OK .I'll check tomorrow I'm burned out today and might put a hammer through the windshield. thanks
 
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KEY ON ..using this diagram, what I have is ECU #1 to left BR 11.2 V..
#2 - coil 10.45 V..

#4 and 5 ECU to dist.
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3 wires - coil one to choke, other two to BR right side ..

only have single ballast resister

..both sides of coil at 10.30 V ..

also 11.2 V and 10.8 V at BR.. ONLY 4 wires at ECU ..
if this makes any sense ..
 
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Im a bit confused by your callouts.

All voltage measurements should be between neg battery terminal to the point of measurement. IE, neg bat terminal to left side of ballast resistor, etc.

Pin 1 on ecu should have 12v when key is in run and start. (This voltage source should not go through the balast resistor)

Pin 2 should go to coil negitive (-)

Pin 3 is not used on 4 pin ecu

Pins 4 & 5 go to dist.

Plus (+) coil should go to the opposite side of ballast resister from the 12v run feed

The single balast resirtor diagram is correct, the pin locations are reversed because you are looking at the oppisite side of the connector

Trace out your wires to be sure they are correct.
 
You think your confused. In first picture striped wire is from negative side of coil
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Second is the large one at the #1 position in diagram goes to the ballast res. left side along with other wire from harness

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third is the two wires to dist.
 
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I think we are on the same page.

Which side of your BR is attached to coil (+) positive?
 
Looks like everything is wired correctly.

Maybe someone else can chime in regarding if the pickup is wired backwards will it have an effect on the ecu? ( not saying yours is, im just looking for a reason a new ecu would fail)
 
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