This box comes with the V8 mode standard.


""A disconnected + cable has no power, = no reading.""
Correct. It appears that there are no leaks when the "+" cable is removed from the battery.

""Did you disconnect the ballast resistor and make a jumper wire for the charging circuit there?"
The ballast was already removed (previous 12v setup, no ballast). BUT, you may have found my voltage problem. Before, I had the two brown wires connected to the blue (run) and the brown (crank). I removed the two brown wires (at ballast hookup) and they are not hooked up to anything right now. I just have the blue (run) and the brown (crank) hooked up to the red 12v switched wire for the MSD unit (with my voltage gauge spliced into the red wire too. I REALLY want to use my volt gauge inside of my car to watch the 12v feed to the MSD unit.)
Note: the LED on the side of the MSD unit showed solid red during the idle rpms when I was having the voltage issue. So it is getting 9+ volts.
Are the two brown wires my issue? I was not sure what to do with them so I left them disconnected.

I have MANY grounds all over the engine compartment.
I may need to pickup a standard timing light and timing tape.

Thanks for the replies