can someone do me a favor??

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TXcharger07

I'm awesome
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I've had an issue with my duster for quite sometime.. I have to run a wire from my battery to my coil to get it started and turn the switch off once it's going. Anyways, I checked the voltage on the coil today and it's only getting 3volts Key on,ignition off... that isn't normal is it?

74 duster.. 318, new distributor, new coil, new ballast resistor, new rotor and everything else seems fine..

can someone check on their similar vehicle and let me know what it should be?
 
TXcharger07 said:
I've had an issue with my duster for quite sometime.. I have to run a wire from my battery to my coil to get it started and turn the switch off once it's going. Anyways, I checked the voltage on the coil today and it's only getting 3volts Key on,ignition off... that isn't normal is it?

74 duster.. 318, new distributor, new coil, new ballast resistor, new rotor and everything else seems fine..

can someone check on their similar vehicle and let me know what it should be?
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I don't have one to check however, you say: 3 volts with the key on, ignition off. By chance do you mean key on engine not running? The voltage seems low for a key on condition, the ballast resistor will drop voltage as it was dresigned to do but I believe it should be somewhere upwards of 7 volts. Is the new resistor a factory replacement?

For the no starting unless you use your special switch: When you put the ignition switch to the "start" position, it's designed to give a full 12 volts (or available battery voltage) to the + side of the coil (bypassing the ballast resistor) so you get a very hot spark to start the engine, then when you let off the key and it goes to the "Run" position the ballast resistor takes over and drops the voltage to the coil.

Does it run OK once it is running?
 
Ya once it's running it is fine, it's just somewhere in there it's losing that power.. the resistor is one from Napa. I was thinking it should be alot higher.. I found a wire disconnected in the passenger compartment that goes through the firewall connector, it's brown... and If I'm reading the wire diagram properly that could be an ignition wire.. so I've gotta rig that to hook up properly and that MIGHT solve my problem..

And yes I meant key on, engine off, sorry! lol
 
It sounds like you found your problem. Hook up your wire and you'll get full voltage to the coil for starting. The resistor should drop about 3 volts after you start.
 
Could you check voltage on both sides of the ballast resistor when the engine is running and the + side of the coil and post the readings please!
 
Man I have not had a chance to get out there and do this.. finally got it running right again, hopefully this weekend i will get a chance.. I gotta drive the car 500 miles from oklahoma city to san antonio tomorrow! haha that'll be fun...
 
TXcharger07 said:
Man I have not had a chance to get out there and do this.. finally got it running right again, hopefully this weekend i will get a chance.. I gotta drive the car 500 miles from oklahoma city to san antonio tomorrow! haha that'll be fun...
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No problem, it was just to see what it was reading when you had it running for your own concern. Have a great trip.
 
Dang it I wish I would have seen this post earlier. Being I live here in San Antonio we could have tinkered on it here in "Da Shop". How did you ride go?
 
nothingbutdarts said:
No problem, it was just to see what it was reading when you had it running for your own concern. Have a great trip.
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mtandrews said:
Dang it I wish I would have seen this post earlier. Being I live here in San Antonio we could have tinkered on it here in "Da Shop". How did you ride go?
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well the trip... went awful, I didn't realize till i made it here... but, the car was running on 7 cylinders! spark plug wire came off the #7.. so it ran like crap, but I made it with a fully loaded down car. Did a bunch of tweaking and it's finally running pretty decent.

mtandrews, I live in san antonio, now again! so ya we can sometime, that'd be great! I'm still learning about this car everyday.. so any help at all is greatly appreciated! I'm working at the ford dealer in boerne, but I live on the NW side of SA.
 
nothingbutdarts said:
Sorry it didn't go quite as well as you would like, but on the bright side you made it!!!!
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that's true! thanks! hopefully this weekend it won't be raining and I'll be able to get out there and work on it.. But I got the vacuum secondaries properly hooked up, the car retimed and now it's running awesome, needs a little more tuning, but that seems like constant on this thing since it's my DD..
 
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