Possible dead Pertronix?? no start.

[my5thmopar]

I had a no start yesterday. I drive the car 2-3 times a week and never had failure.

No spark. Checked coil, wire, cap, rotor, air gap.
I have 12 volts to coil even hot wired it to battery just in case.
Put 12 volts direct to coil and I did the spark plug in coil wire trick and have ****NO****spark.

The issue looks like (one year old) Ignitor II.

Now I'm rethinking my ignition setup. I already have modified the mechanical advance and hate to start over. I have another worn/sloppy points distributor for a spare. Stock engine, maybe a stock MOPAR electronic distributor is in order.

Did I mess anything?

Can I use the Flame Thrower II .6 ohm with the points and with or without ballast?

Anybody else had Pertronix fail?

Craig

 

[67Dart273]

Well..........heh...........if you put 12V to coil, cranked engine, and have spark, then it "ain't the Pertronix----it's a problem with supply voltage to the igntion system

"Coil +" and the Pertronix is the same electrical point/ junction

Put a test light / meter on your coil + and see if you have and how much voltage you have with key in run

Then crank engine USING THE KEY and see how much.

 

[abody]

take the pertronix out...reinstall points and condenser and try to start....My friend bought pertronix for 2 different cars, both went bad, one lasted 3 years, other was bad out of the box....

 

[66plyValiant]

Well..........heh...........if you put 12V to coil, cranked engine, and have spark, then it "ain't the Pertronix----it's a problem with supply voltage to the igntion system

"Coil +" and the Pertronix is the same electrical point/ junction

Put a test light / meter on your coil + and see if you have and how much voltage you have with key in run

Then crank engine USING THE KEY and see how much.

\

I think he just put power and ground to the coil to test it, but like you said have to do a cranking test

 

[67cudafb]

I had put one in my wifes 66 mustang it lasted about three years. She cranked it up and moved it out of the shop and when done it would not start. Pulled the pertronix out and put points and condenser back in and cranked right up. If you go back to points you need ballast to keep from cooking the points.

 

[my5thmopar]

\

I think he just put power and ground to the coil to test it, but like you said have to do a cranking test

Correct just checking coil. Cranking test showed no spark.
Battery down some from cranking. 12.2
At coil 11.7, cranking varied a lot 10.7-11.1

I'm going to see what Pertronix says but, now I'm a little worried I may have future issues with this setup.

Thanks.

 

[BillGrissom]

Put 12 volts direct to coil and I did the spark plug in coil wire trick and have spark.
Craig

If you said this correctly, then both I and 67Dart273 are confused. Doesn't this prove that the Pertronix II works and that the problem is that your key is not supplying +12 V ignition power to Coil+ (and Pertronix II). With Pertronix II, you should bypass the ballast resistor. The other possibility is that the spark doesn't pass thru the distributor correctly (phasing problem?) so it only works if you come straight off the coil.

There was a post a few weeks ago about a Pertronix I no start. However, I would treat any of these conclusions that "Pertronix was bad" as "hear-say" or "chatter" since reverting back to points could have done other things like wiggled bad wires, fixed an erratic ground, etc. Until you find root cause using a multi-meter and spark tester, there is no conclusion. One guy's metric was simply "engine doesn't run" = "spark is bad", or maybe not.

At this point, I would pull the distributor out and spin it by hand while you resolve the problem, rather than waste your battery and overheat your starter cranking the engine.

 

[67Dart273]

If whatever Pertronix uses for the trigger is not broke

If the distributor rotor turns when cranked

If the system and coil are getting power when cranking

And you are sure the coil is good

Then the Pertronix is bad.

 

[my5thmopar]

Sorry :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

Put 12 volts direct to coil and I did the spark plug in coil wire trick and have NO NO NO spark.

Now I see why the confusion.rayer: for my inability to type a little but, quite important 2 letter word.

Craig