No spark and I'm ready to kill the 73 ASAP!

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JR

JR

Pissed off senior member.
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East Renton,WA (Seattle)
We were supposed to be at a 4th of July party about 3 hrs ago but I'm already past caring about that and thinking about how I'm getting to work Monday.

I drove around this morning, washed the dart, we loaded it up and were getting ready to leave and there is no spark out of the coil.

The ignition system is stock 73 electrical. I had a used orange box but I have tried 2 other known good boxes (one was new), 3 ballast resistors (one was new), new starter relay just because and it was new. The coil that was on the car was a MSD 2, I swapped it for a new MSD 2 that was on the 48, I tried 2 stock 73 coils, cleaned all the grounds, swapped 3 coil wires, I even did a quick HEI ignition on it and there is still no spark from the coil!


Ignition systems are a cake walk for me but I am beyond pissed off right now!
I need some ideas from some guys that aren't so pissed off that they want to hit their car with a hammer!
 
Craftsmen meter is telling me...


With the key in run position the coil + is 4.67v and with the starter relay jumped with a starter trigger 4.30v while cranking. I have tried 3 different ballast resistors and the only other one I have is off a 66 dart with points.
 
have you tryed running a hot lead from the bat to the Postive post on the coil sound like ing switch or could the netutral safty switch be it .good luck When you figure it out please post the problim.
 
not enough during cranking. hmmm. try and jump from the batt. straight to the ballast cranking wire only while cranking it over and as soon as it fires take the lead off if it fires up. that would point me to either the ign. switch or wiring (could be the hot cranking side or the ground maybe.)
 
Gauge is unhooked. I did the mad electrical bypass about 8 months ago.

I have tried a jumper from the battery to the + coil and there was still no spark out of the coil wire when held up to something that should cause it to throw a spark.
 
Changed distributor pick-up, yet?
Voltage at the coil should be at least stable with the cranking voltage, meaning whatever it reads at the battery while cranking, it should also read at the coil while cranking.
Check the fusible links while you're at it.

Mark.
 
Oh, also check body/battery grounding, run a ground straight from the battery to the ECU, just to be sure.
Been there very recently.

Mark.
 
the only thing I can think that is left is either the dist. aint spinning or something like a bunk ground. with the hot straight to it you have full + voltage.
 
Distributer was replace not to long ago and I have now tried another known good dist, jumper from the battery to the coil, jumper from the battery to the ballast, I have tried a ground from the battery to the body and for ***** giggles I have tried to start it in neutral. Still nadda!
 
Oh yeah and also I tried the new battery that is in the 48. It is something BEFORE the coil.

I will go attack all the grounds for the 4th time and see what happens.
 
Looks like it might be time to go oldschool and check the connectors on the ECU plug manually for continuity between the wires and the connector inserts.
Very possibly a wire has broken internally.

Check the negative coil wire back to the ECU contacts for continuity/resistance, too.

Mark.
 
New ground cable from the battery to the block and the battery to the body. To the ballast I'm getting 10.85 in the on position and while cranking I'm getting 9.58.


So......Power to the retarded mopar ballast, no juice out of the coil...but....duel feed system so I have another dist that I can try then I get drunk and bust out the sawzall!
 
Mark Nixon said:
Looks like it might be time to go oldschool and check the connectors on the ECU plug manually for continuity between the wires and the connector inserts.
Very possibly a wire has broken internally.

Check the negative coil wire back to the ECU contacts for continuity/resistance, too.

Mark.
Click to expand...

Did that as well, and the fusable links are good as well.
 
Does your '73 have the 2-piece alternator/ignition wiring set-up?
By that I mean the firewall engine wiring harness actually separates from the main engine harness.
Not hard to miss, it's usually laying on the valve cover or intake near the back.
If it has that, it is also a trouble point.

Mark.
 
I swapped out another dist. and it fired up....:angry7:..looks like I have 2 crap distributes. The last 2 were know working ones. The fist one I tried must have died during the 10 foot walk from where it was sitting to the car.

I'm going to set the timing then go get so S-face I puke! Stupid cars!


Thanks guys!
 
damn I was hoping you would start hitting it with a hammer and make some work for me!
 
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