I just hooked up my battery and have been testing all the electrical components. Verified lights, horn, fans, and the tach output at the MSD box. However I can't verify I have power at the coil. I turned the key to the "ON" position and checked the terminals at the coil....0.0v
Am I doing something wrong? I should get a reading there with the ignition in the "ON" position correct?
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Until the engine is turned over and the MSD box is "Hot" there won't be a voltage reading at the coil. Just turning the switch on won't show voltage at the coil.
I have all MSD ignition and encountered the same--called the tech-line and they confirmed it--as long as you wired everything per direction you should be able to turn over the engine and it will fire up--you'll then have voltage at the coil.
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Can someone verify that my MSD setup with the ERA Harness is correct....
1) Connected #43 wires together
2) MSD Heavy red to "BAT" terminal on circuit breaker
3) MSD Heavy Black to chasis ground
4) MSD small red to #40 white
5) MSD small white to #40 orange
6) MSD orange to coil +
7) MSD black to coil -
8) MSG white (kill wire) left unconnected at the moment
I am running the MSD Capacitor between the Heavy Red and Black connections (I see 12.5V at RED)
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"There are 10 types of people out there....the ones that understand binary and the zeros that don't."
My MSD box Died on me sitting in the garage 2 months ago. My neighbor's did the same thing 3 weeks before. Sent it back to MSD 3 weeks and $38.00 dollars later it came back and the car runs! I only had about 1000 miles on the Box itself. Ran fine when I parked the car. just did not want to start a week later.
It is looking like I have a bad MSD unit (brand new). I've been over and over the wiring. I am only seeing .009v at the tach wire and MSD tech support says this is OK (Bob's docs sat you ned 1-1.5 v) . Either way I have no spark and no voltage at the small red wire from the MSD. MSD tech said to try a different coil (mine is a brand new Pertronix Flame Thrower II) otherwise the box is probably bad. I'll try a different coil but I'm 99% sure that is not the problem since I see no voltage at the small red wire (should see battery voltage here when the ignition is "ON"). I'll try to send the unit back to Summitt...using MSG Warranty services will take too long.
I probably should test resistance on the fuse...need to find which one it is.
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"There are 10 types of people out there....the ones that understand binary and the zeros that don't."
It is really starting to sound as if your MSD box could be bad. You can definately elimate the coil by just taking any coil that you may be using in another car and hooking it in there for a test. And you have checked the wiring so many times that I doubt if there is a problem there. Is there anyone else close by that uses the MSD ignition like yours that you could go take a look at to compare?
I don't understand you not having 12V on the little red wire when the ignition is on. That should come directly off of the ignition (or maybe through a fuse if you wired it that way). Is the unit turning on (humming)? If not, I wonder if you have it coming off the right place on your ignition switch. Have you pulled the little red wire off and verified that you have 12V at the switch where you are hooking it up? If you don't, you won't have 12V to a new MSD box, either!
Just realized that you are using your car's wiring going to the little red wire...either way, I'd trace that back and see if it is ever getting 12V to it. If you don't get that, you're never turning the unit on. Possibly just bypass the car wiring and go directly to the ignition switch and see (should be long enough, unless you cut it).
I just have a feeling the unit is never getting switched on through your ignition, and therefore you would have basically zero volts everywhere except the big red wire (which is what it sounds like you have).
Joe
Last edited by HotRodJoe; 07-26-2004 at 10:54 AM..
Hot Rod Joe has a good point. My Jacob's uses basically the same wiring patttern and my small red wire I have wired to a switched 12V point. When I turn on the switch, it has 12V on it. Plus the Jacobs has leds that light for input and output. At least my older one does. The new one doesn't have them.
The small red wire from the MSD connects to the power wire that went from the ignition to the coil in a points-distributor system. If there isn't 12V at that red wire connection, there is a problem in the harness or the ignition switch. Don't throw away the MSD yet.
Electrical Test + MSD = No Power at coil
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