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why a 4 prong balast? #123002 09/19/08 09:39 AM 09/19/08 09:39 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet
Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md	Just oredered my engine harness for my 70 Charger. it has electronic ingniton, guy said something about the harness has been modified and I'll need a 4 prong balast. I have some at home but I've never used one and the MP elect ing distrib kit comes w/ a 2 prong...any reason why?

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: Mr.Yuck] #123003 09/19/08 09:43 AM 09/19/08 09:43 AM
Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 2,826 NY usa 5 540challenger master
540challenger master 5 Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 2,826 NY usa	Quote: Just oredered my engine harness for my 70 Charger. it has electronic ingniton, guy said something about the harness has been modified and I'll need a 4 prong balast. I have some at home but I've never used one and the MP elect ing distrib kit comes w/ a 2 prong...any reason why? Stock mopar electronic ingn came with a 4 prong. The modified harness has the connentors for the 4 prong installed. As it would "IF" the factory would of had made it. If you order a stock engine harness for the points set up then you can just use the 2 prong as just have been to convert over with the kit mopar and others sell.

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: 540challenger] #123004 09/19/08 09:45 AM 09/19/08 09:45 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet
Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md	Yeah I was thinking about that as the distrib kit has a harness in it. I got the modified one because it's ready to go. So I guess I'll need to use one of those bulky 4 prong units.

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: Mr.Yuck] #123005 09/19/08 09:56 AM 09/19/08 09:56 AM
Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 2,826 NY usa 5 540challenger master
540challenger master 5 Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 2,826 NY usa	Quote: Yeah I was thinking about that as the distrib kit has a harness in it. I got the modified one because it's ready to go. So I guess I'll need to use one of those bulky 4 prong units. Yup get the 4 rpong and you are set.

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: Mr.Yuck] #123006 09/19/08 10:02 AM 09/19/08 10:02 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 25,200 Upper Midwest M MoparforLife Too Many Posts
MoparforLife Too Many Posts M Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 25,200 Upper Midwest	Not modified just designed after the first years of the Mopar electronic ignition where one side is the start circuit and the other side of the ballast is the run circuit. The later 2 prone ballast has only the run circuit. Clean it, if it's Dirty. Oil it, if it Squeaks. But: Don't fix it, if it Works!

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: MoparforLife] #123007 09/19/08 05:33 PM 09/19/08 05:33 PM
Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 2,126 Hunt Valley, Maryland 1fastrunner top fuel
1fastrunner top fuel Joined: Jul 2003 Posts: 2,126 Hunt Valley, Maryland	I have the 4 prong hookup on my harness, but I use a 2 prong ballast and only plug in 2 of the prongs. Jim

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: MoparforLife] #123008 09/19/08 05:39 PM 09/19/08 05:39 PM
Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 14,889 up yours Supercuda About to go away
Supercuda About to go away Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 14,889 up yours	Quote: Not modified just designed after the first years of the Mopar electronic ignition where one side is the start circuit and the other side of the ballast is the run circuit. The later 2 prone ballast has only the run circuit. Ah, no. The four prong setup used one side for the coil just like the two prong setup. The other side was used with the 5 prong ECU and was the biasing resistor for the power transistor. The four prong ECU's didn't require an external biasing resistor. So if you have a 4 prong ECU you do NOT have to use the 4 prong ballast resistor. They say there are no such thing as a stupid question. They say there is always the exception that proves the rule. Don't be the exception.

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: Supercuda] #123009 09/19/08 06:07 PM 09/19/08 06:07 PM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska R RapidRobert Circle Track
RapidRobert Circle Track R Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska	Quote: The other side was used with the 5 prong ECU and was the biasing resistor for the power transistor. The four prong ECU's didn't require an external biasing resistor. So if you have a 4 prong ECU you do NOT have to use the 4 prong ballast resistor. To clarify for me (1)the 5 pin ECU's got reduced voltage thru this resistor during start and run? and (2) which resistor was to the ECU,the .5ohm or the 5 ohm? thank you for your time. live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: RapidRobert] #123010 09/19/08 08:25 PM 09/19/08 08:25 PM
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,379 MD Kevins493 top fuel
Kevins493 top fuel Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,379 MD	Jeff, We have a few of the 4 prong ballast resisitors if you need them. We put an orange box on the challenger and use a 2 prong resisitor (just leave the other two connectors hanging).

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: Kevins493] #123011 09/19/08 09:11 PM 09/19/08 09:11 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet
Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md	Thanks Kev and the rest of you..so do I use all 4 w/ the Mopar Perf elect dist kit?

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: Mr.Yuck] #123012 09/19/08 09:19 PM 09/19/08 09:19 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md 3 383man Too Many Posts
383man Too Many Posts 3 Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md	First if you use a 4 pin ECU box then you can use a 2 prong ballast. The .5 ohm ballast is to the coil and the 5 ohm was for the auxilary run circuit to the ECU that was ign run voltage thru the 5 ohm side to the ECU. This 5 ohm auxilary ign run (its not a start circuit as many think) is the circuit that is eliminated on the 4 pin ECU and you can just leave that side unhooked and use a 2 prong ballast with the 4 pin ECU. Ron

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: 383man] #123013 09/19/08 11:16 PM 09/19/08 11:16 PM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska R RapidRobert Circle Track
RapidRobert Circle Track R Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska	Thanks Ron. Got it. live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: RapidRobert] #123014 09/20/08 09:14 AM 09/20/08 09:14 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet
Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md	So ron should I run the 2 or 4??? or does it really matter?

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: Mr.Yuck] #123015 09/20/08 10:44 AM 09/20/08 10:44 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md 3 383man Too Many Posts
383man Too Many Posts 3 Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md	If you have the 4 pin ECU then you only need to run the 2 prong ballast. Ron

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: Mr.Yuck] #123016 09/20/08 10:44 AM 09/20/08 10:44 AM
Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,537 God's Country Maryland GODSCOUNTRY340 master
GODSCOUNTRY340 master Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,537 God's Country Maryland	It depends on your ECU. If you have the 4 peg ECU you only need the 2 prong ballast. If you have the 5 peg ECU you need the 4 prong ballast. I love the smell of Deer guts in the morning, it smells like... VICTORY!

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #123017 09/20/08 11:16 AM 09/20/08 11:16 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet
Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md	thanks guys, I'll check in a few.

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: GODSCOUNTRY340] #123018 09/21/08 04:38 PM 09/21/08 04:38 PM
Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 14,889 up yours Supercuda About to go away
Supercuda About to go away Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 14,889 up yours	Quote: It depends on your ECU. If you have the 4 peg ECU you only need the 2 prong ballast. If you have the 5 peg ECU you need the 4 prong ballast. Not necessarily. The 4 prong ECu superceded the 5 prong setup and it a plug-n-play replacement. However, the average DIY'er would grump that his new ECU only had 4 pins and not 5 like his original and therefore must be wrong. So there was a dummy fifth pin put in alot of them to satisfy customer demand. I doubt you can buy a non-NOS 5 pin ECU that actually needs the four prong ballast anymore. You might find a 5 pin unit, but I'll bet, if I was a betting man, that it has four pin guts and a dummy fifth pin. They say there are no such thing as a stupid question. They say there is always the exception that proves the rule. Don't be the exception.

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: Supercuda] #123019 09/21/08 09:48 PM 09/21/08 09:48 PM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska R RapidRobert Circle Track
RapidRobert Circle Track R Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 36,041 Lincoln Nebraska	Quote: Not necessarily. The 4 prong ECu superceded the 5 prong setup and it a plug-n-play replacement. However, the average DIY'er would grump that his new ECU only had 4 pins and not 5 like his original and therefore must be wrong. So there was a dummy fifth pin put in alot of them to satisfy customer demand. I doubt you can buy a non-NOS 5 pin ECU that actually needs the four prong ballast anymore. You might find a 5 pin unit, but I'll bet, if I was a betting man, that it has four pin guts and a dummy fifth pin. I thought I had it straight in my head until I read this. live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: RapidRobert] #123020 09/22/08 12:31 AM 09/22/08 12:31 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md 3 383man Too Many Posts
383man Too Many Posts 3 Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md	I have never seen a dummy 5th pin in my life as all the ECU's I have seen in the last 20 years are all 4 pins. Ron

Re: why a 4 prong balast? [Re: 383man] #123021 09/22/08 10:32 AM 09/22/08 10:32 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet
Mr.Yuck OP Not enough dumb comments...yet Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 24,562 Brookeville, Md	yeah they are all 4 pin but there is a space for a 5th isn't there? Is'nt that the green/red wire you cut?

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