Posted By: Robbins
Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshooting - 09/03/09 02:39 AM
I seem to have a problem loosing fire while in start position with the key. If I bump it will hit and run once running it'll never loose it again.
What would cause this?
I seem to have two vehicles with this issue. The other on is a little different as in when I shut the key off it will hit once, but while the key is in the start position I don't have any fire.
Any ideas?
Both stock ignitions.
The coil is hot all the time on both. Both have tach's could this be a problem with the tach.......I wouldn't think so. I did have a tach go bad on my 68 gm car back in the day that wouldn't let the car run........unhooked it and the car ran...........I haven't tried that with either of the trucks that I have.
Thanks.
Posted By: RapidRobert
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshooting - 09/03/09 03:02 AM
I'd take off the brown wire from the starter relay to the starter to(temporarily) disable the starter then check for fire at the yellow "sol" wire to the starter relay and at the "point" of the ECU and at the ballast as you play w the ign sw in "start" & see if you can make it go open. You might pull apart the bulkhead & check it as it's a known trouble spot.
Posted By: 451Mopar
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshoo - 09/03/09 05:55 AM
If you are saying it won't fire/start while cranking, but starts once you release the key, then the problem is voltage drop through the battery cables / bad ground connection(s). Or a defective ignition switch.
Consider this scenario: The battery ground wire/connection has 0.1 Ohm of resistance. At 10-amps of current flow, that is a 1 Volt drop, so if you measured from the chassis/engine ground to the battery positive terminal, the voltage would read 1-volt less than the actual battery voltage.
When cranking the starter, you might be pulling 70+ Amps or more, this would reduce the voltage at the ignition module/coil by 7 volts!
This is why when you release the key from the start position, it removes the high current load to the starter, and results in nearly full voltage being avilable at the ignition box/module/ignition coil to fire the ignition.
The fix is to have good battery cables and good clean low resistance connections.
Posted By: menomoniemopars
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshooting - 09/05/09 03:49 PM
I am having the exact problem be interested to see what u find..
Posted By: MoparforLife
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshooting - 09/05/09 04:39 PM
Fire on key release is typical ballast resistor. Try replacing these. Check all grounds.
Posted By: NachoRT74
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshooting - 09/05/09 04:57 PM
you can check if ballast is defective if when cranking the BRAKE light cluster cames off. If dimms when cranking, ballast works. If brake light cames off, then ballast or a related plug or wire is damaged.
Posted By: Robbins
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshooting - 09/07/09 06:06 PM
Ok.........When my RC doesn't fire I can unplug distributer & ground the male prong from the harness side and the coil will fire.....plug it back in and the distributor doesn't do any thing.
Makes me think there is something wrong with the distributer, no?
Where is a good brand to buy when it comes to Mopar's stock electronic components?
Thanks for the help.
Posted By: Robbins
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshooting - 09/07/09 06:33 PM
Anybody ever have good experience with Accel's distributer?
Dizzy
Posted By: 451Mopar
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshooting - 09/07/09 08:35 PM
I have the accel billetproof distrubitor in the coronet R/T and it has worked great.
http://www.northernautoparts.com/ProductModelDetail.cfm?ProductModelId=1449$260 for the billet distrubitor, internal electronics, magnetic triggered, adjustable mechanical and vacuum advance, stock style cap.
This is an older model, I think the 53000 series distrubitor is the newer version, but it is more expensive. The main change is the 53000 series has the mechanical advance up top so changing the advance is easier.
Posted By: 451Mopar
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshoo - 09/08/09 05:02 AM
It is aftermarket 3-wire hookup, one wire to keyed +12 volts, Negative side of coil, and ground. I think it does not use a ballast resistor, so you can bypass the ballast resistor. I just placed a jumper wire between the ballast resistor contacts, and plugged the connectors on to hold the wire, then just connected the distributor +12 to the positive side of the coil. I just grounded the ground wire to the coil bracket hold down bolt, and last wire just goes to the coil negative terminal. It is really simple to wire, and has worked great for me.
The newer version with the advance on top is nice if you change the advance curve often, but it is a more expensive dist. Otherwise it uses the same control module.
Posted By: Robbins
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshoo - 09/08/09 08:09 PM
Ok.........I don't know.............if I'm going to go to the trouble of wiring something else up I might just MSD since I've got one in the 340 already.
Thanks again.
So nobody has a certain brand they think is good when it comes to factory style stuff as in Brain box, ballast heck even a stock dizzy?
Posted By: 72 RR DUDE
Re: Mopar electronic ignition issues........troubleshoo - 10/04/09 11:17 AM
If it still does it after the ground problem here could be your problem. When I restored my 72 RR it did the same thing. It tried to start on the off position and not the start. Checked the wiring print in the book and I had the wires mixed on the ballast resistor. Put them on right and it fired right up. Hope that help's
Thanks Moparts