No spark after snow?
02-18-2017, 07:54 PM
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No spark after snow?
Hello everyone i have an 89 rs swapped to a 350 carbed.
I drove my car to the store after it snowed and it was running a bit sketchy like it wanted to die unless i was hitting the gas right as i was pulling up to home.
I didn't think anything of it i figured it was just because it was sliding out and i kept giving it gas to get in.
After a day or two it snowed again and i tried to start my car and it wouldn't start, it was cranking but not starting. I opened the hood and checked for spark and fuel it had fuel but not spark.
I have a cowl hood and i forgot my dust cover off of my hei distributor as i was checking the coil recently for a different issue. So i'm assuming a lot of snow and water got onto the coil and that it maybe some how ruined the coil causing no spark?
The only way of spark is my msd box hooked up to the distributor(idk why but that's how the P/O did it) I waited a couple days for the coil to dry thinking maybe something is just wet but it still had no spark. I checked the MSD box and all the connections and the ground seemed good. My msd box again idk why but it's split into the wires to the alternator. I checked the alternator wires and they have power so i would assume that the box is not blown?
So my question is, is it possible that my coil went from being snowed on and the snow melting and water going onto it? Again my cowl hood has a grate on the part of the hood twords the windshield so snow commonly sits right on it and it snowed pretty heavy again without the cover on it.
If my alternator wires still have power that means the box should too, right? i'd assume since the box is further down it didn't really get wet.
I just don't want to buy a box and a coil and one of them isn't the problem, plus some people might know if this common or not too. Thank you
Edit: i just realized a second question. There's a pink wire that is unplugged(has been since i've got the car) by the distributor. When i first got the car the old coil blew we hooked it up to the distributor thinking it was supposed to be(before we knew the coil was blown) and it started burning the coil. My question is, is that because the msd was hooked up too? Or is something wrong with the pink wire? I'd rather plug the pink wire in as the source of spark instead of the msd box(it's a nightmare) but worried that if this coil is bad it will fry this one too. If i was too be able to hook it up would i just unhook the msd box and plug the pink wire in? Thank you
I drove my car to the store after it snowed and it was running a bit sketchy like it wanted to die unless i was hitting the gas right as i was pulling up to home.
I didn't think anything of it i figured it was just because it was sliding out and i kept giving it gas to get in.
After a day or two it snowed again and i tried to start my car and it wouldn't start, it was cranking but not starting. I opened the hood and checked for spark and fuel it had fuel but not spark.
I have a cowl hood and i forgot my dust cover off of my hei distributor as i was checking the coil recently for a different issue. So i'm assuming a lot of snow and water got onto the coil and that it maybe some how ruined the coil causing no spark?
The only way of spark is my msd box hooked up to the distributor(idk why but that's how the P/O did it) I waited a couple days for the coil to dry thinking maybe something is just wet but it still had no spark. I checked the MSD box and all the connections and the ground seemed good. My msd box again idk why but it's split into the wires to the alternator. I checked the alternator wires and they have power so i would assume that the box is not blown?
So my question is, is it possible that my coil went from being snowed on and the snow melting and water going onto it? Again my cowl hood has a grate on the part of the hood twords the windshield so snow commonly sits right on it and it snowed pretty heavy again without the cover on it.
If my alternator wires still have power that means the box should too, right? i'd assume since the box is further down it didn't really get wet.
I just don't want to buy a box and a coil and one of them isn't the problem, plus some people might know if this common or not too. Thank you
Edit: i just realized a second question. There's a pink wire that is unplugged(has been since i've got the car) by the distributor. When i first got the car the old coil blew we hooked it up to the distributor thinking it was supposed to be(before we knew the coil was blown) and it started burning the coil. My question is, is that because the msd was hooked up too? Or is something wrong with the pink wire? I'd rather plug the pink wire in as the source of spark instead of the msd box(it's a nightmare) but worried that if this coil is bad it will fry this one too. If i was too be able to hook it up would i just unhook the msd box and plug the pink wire in? Thank you
Last edited by Dracula; 02-18-2017 at 08:00 PM.
02-18-2017, 09:31 PM
#2
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Re: No spark after snow?
there are some troubleshooting links in here;
https://static.summitracing.com/glob...1_frm29772.pdf
https://static.summitracing.com/glob...1_frm29772.pdf
02-21-2017, 01:38 PM
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Re: No spark after snow?
[QUOTE=redneckjoe;6112850]there are some troubleshooting links in here;
https://static.summitracing.com/glob...1_frm29772.pdf[/QUOTE
I did the suggested troubleshooting for the box, unhooked the magnetic pick up put a wire shorting the two out put the ignition on and pulled the wire out there was no spark jump tried it a couple times putting it in and pulling it out didn't spark, checked connections all look good. I guess the box is shot, here's my question i'm guessing since they pretty much deleted the ecu it's impossible to just hook the factory ignition up?
https://static.summitracing.com/glob...1_frm29772.pdf[/QUOTE
I did the suggested troubleshooting for the box, unhooked the magnetic pick up put a wire shorting the two out put the ignition on and pulled the wire out there was no spark jump tried it a couple times putting it in and pulling it out didn't spark, checked connections all look good. I guess the box is shot, here's my question i'm guessing since they pretty much deleted the ecu it's impossible to just hook the factory ignition up?
02-21-2017, 03:27 PM
#4
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Re: No spark after snow?
couldnt you put a module in it and do away with the box? or heck, you can buy a new HEI distributor these days pretty cheap for around $100 or less.
02-23-2017, 04:24 PM
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Re: No spark after snow?
i could put a module in but he spliced the 12v ign wire of the box to the pink wire so i'm not sure if the pink wire could be used as the primary source of ignition anymore. i hooked the pink to batt(without a module just to see if it has power, as a coil is A LOT less than an MSD box lmfao) and nothing happened, so i'm not sure if no power is going to the coil cause there's no module in and it only did before because the box was giving the pink wire extra voltage back then. I would LOVE to hook a module up put the pink wire back in and be done with this crap MSD stuff but i just don't think it's possible as i believe the ECU is completely bypassed
02-23-2017, 05:24 PM
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Re: No spark after snow?
i just checked the wiring of the msd box(previous owner did it not me) it appears that the c- of the coil is connected to ground the msd box black to c- is connected to the ground on the coil and the red msd wire is spliced into the pink 12v ignition wire and the b+ of the coil. what? how was my car running if the c- of the coil is grounded the ground of the coil is connected to the c- of the msd box and the red of the box is spliced into the b+ AND 12v pink? could my msd box not be triggering because it's just starting to be effected by being wired wrong or did this guy wiring it wrong destroy the box?
02-23-2017, 07:00 PM
#7
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Re: No spark after snow?
there shouldnt be any wires going to the alternator.
from MSD,
Heavy red wire;
This wire connects directly to the battery positive (+) terminal or a
positive battery junction such as the starter solenoid. Note: Do not
connect to the alternator.
being hooked up to the alternator might have fried it?
double check all the wiring, if still no spark and you dont want another box, find the heavy red/pink wire connecting to the cap. key on, you should have 12 volts. key off, no power. thats the only wire you need to hook up to a distributer like this to run.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850001r
from MSD,
Heavy red wire;
This wire connects directly to the battery positive (+) terminal or a
positive battery junction such as the starter solenoid. Note: Do not
connect to the alternator.
being hooked up to the alternator might have fried it?
double check all the wiring, if still no spark and you dont want another box, find the heavy red/pink wire connecting to the cap. key on, you should have 12 volts. key off, no power. thats the only wire you need to hook up to a distributer like this to run.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-850001r