this is really a tough issue. i have a hard time believing that the problem is not specific to my setup, but the symptoms are just too weird.

if you look at the beginning of this post, i have done everything i (and everyone around me) can think of, except two things: 1) i haven't disconnected the tach, and 2) i haven't tried different plug wires. that doesn't mean i haven't missed something, but so far it is all i can think of.

in the end, the real issue i have is this. that box is not rocket science. when you look at what that box does compared to a smartphone, we are talking many orders of magnitude more complexity. in today's world of micro electronics and circuitry, that box is pretty damn simple. doesn't mean they haven't put a lot of research and testing into it to make it what it is, but again, comparatively, this is simple stuff.

that it should be so sensitive to all this stuff is really a travesty.

i have a friend who put a digital 6al on a new build, runs fine. more or less the same setup as mine: stockish 69 car, wired the same way, etc… so what is so different about my setup?

could be the wires or the tach, but who knows. again, the question is why is something so seemingly simple this difficult to diagnose and fix?

ok, off the soap box.

now just on to doing what i have to do to make this thing work.