Got my *** kicked

[65-440]

Working on a customer's car, 67 charger 383 4spd..mopar electronic ignition conversion.. would not start, crank but no spark. Verified ignition voltage at the ballast and positive terminal on coil. Verified reluctor gap...verified resistance through the distributor pickup....verified cranking voltage at the coil..everything seemed like it should, swapped coil and ecu but still no spark. After several hours of poking around and parts swapping it briefly fired up then shut down....again no spark....at this point I'm absolutely stumped....had one buddy holding a test light on the negative terminal of the coil looking for ground pulse, another buddy wiggling the harness while I was cranking....all of a sudden tiny sparks camw from the crimped ring terminal on the negative post of the coil....wiggling that wire at the ring terminal would result in intermittent start and stalls....cut off the terminal and crimped my own ring terminal on and BAM it fires up every time now! A ******* 50+ yr old crimp wooped my butt!....had enough connection to give me a good voltage reading with key on but not enough to pulse ground from the ecu to allow coil discharge...that was tough one for sure!!

 

[khryslerkid]

I was thinking you got your *** kicked by the coil voltage. That can be a wake up sometimes!

I've always said, think simple first. Most of the time it's the smallest thing that causes the problem. Now the new cars of today are loaded with little things that lead you all over the place. Glad I'm not working on them for a living.

 

[dadsbee]

LOL, yah I learned 45 years ago not to have your knee against the bumper when playing with plug wires!

 

[65-440]

I was thinking you got your *** kicked by the coil voltage. That can be a wake up sometimes!

I've always said, think simple first. Most of the time it's the smallest thing that causes the problem. Now the new cars of today are loaded with little things that lead you all over the place. Glad I'm not working on them for a living.

Would have been nice if it was simple! A simple repair yes, not so simple to find....that was a bitch!

 

[hoover]

They don't really pay for the fix, it's for the experience that you have.
And the patience...

 

[Don Frelier]

I've had similar experience testing screw terminals in electrical panels. The pressure from the probe yields a reading and you think everything is correct. But the wire is loose. My uncle used to say "think simple".

 

[Cojohnso1]

I was at the track in 1987 with my '69 GTX for a little fun in the sun. I drove the car to that track about 120 miles away. While in the staging lanes it shut down. Lost all electric power to all components. Battery tested fine. Even replaced to test. Nothing. All wires testing ok. But would not crank. No lights. Nothing. A '69 GTX only has 3 electrical circuits. So what could possibly causing this? Re-body ground engine and batt. Nothing. Other folks some full mechanics with their own volt meters couldn't figure it out. The weekend lost. On Sunday when it was time to go? I gave a last attempt before figuring out a tow. I was under the dash. Checking wires with the ignition on. When I saw the smallest wisp of smoke from the back of the aftermarket Sun tach. I closed my eyes and thought. "That is very likely the only component wired to Batt, ignition and axillary circuits. I reached up and the back of the metal case was certainly hot enough to be more than a suspect. I disconnected and the car ran great all the way home. It still doesn't make sense why the starter circuit just wouldn't out ground the tach even if shorting inside its housing? I'm afraid that GTX is gone and I'm on GTX #2. But it is mystery that I think about time from time?

 

[moparjohnny]

I was at the track in 1987 with my '69 GTX for a little fun in the sun. I drove the car to that track about 120 miles away. While in the staging lanes it shut down. Lost all electric power to all components. Battery tested fine. Even replaced to test. Nothing. All wires testing ok. But would not crank. No lights. Nothing. A '69 GTX only has 3 electrical circuits. So what could possibly causing this? Re-body ground engine and batt. Nothing. Other folks some full mechanics with their own volt meters couldn't figure it out. The weekend lost. On Sunday when it was time to go? I gave a last attempt before figuring out a tow. I was under the dash. Checking wires with the ignition on. When I saw the smallest wisp of smoke from the back of the aftermarket Sun tach. I closed my eyes and thought. "That is very likely the only component wired to Batt, ignition and axillary circuits. I reached up and the back of the metal case was certainly hot enough to be more than a suspect. I disconnected and the car ran great all the way home. It still doesn't make sense why the starter circuit just wouldn't out ground the tach even if shorting inside its housing? I'm afraid that GTX is gone and I'm on GTX #2. But it is mystery that I think about time from time?

I was at the track in 1987 with my '69 GTX for a little fun in the sun. I drove the car to that track about 120 miles away. While in the staging lanes it shut down. Lost all electric power to all components. Battery tested fine. Even replaced to test. Nothing. All wires testing ok. But would not crank. No lights. Nothing. A '69 GTX only has 3 electrical circuits. So what could possibly causing this? Re-body ground engine and batt. Nothing. Other folks some full mechanics with their own volt meters couldn't figure it out. The weekend lost. On Sunday when it was time to go? I gave a last attempt before figuring out a tow. I was under the dash. Checking wires with the ignition on. When I saw the smallest wisp of smoke from the back of the aftermarket Sun tach. I closed my eyes and thought. "That is very likely the only component wired to Batt, ignition and axillary circuits. I reached up and the back of the metal case was certainly hot enough to be more than a suspect. I disconnected and the car ran great all the way home. It still doesn't make sense why the starter circuit just wouldn't out ground the tach even if shorting inside its housing? I'm afraid that GTX is gone and I'm on GTX #2. But it is mystery that I think about time from time?

it happens to us all 65-440 you are not the lone stranger on that one, glad you figured it out.

 

[Bee1971]

This was the positive side of the coil on a ten year old reproduction wiring harness

 

[65-440]

This was the positive side of the coil on a ten year old reproduction wiring harness

View attachment 1061928

Looks crispy!

 

[Cojohnso1]

it happens to us all 65-440 you are not the lone stranger on that one, glad you figured it out.

Yeah, but while its happening you do feel alone. The alone idiot of the universe? Lol. I guess its why drag racing is somewhat unique in the sporting world. Every session is do or die. There is no "We'll make it up next lap." Or next inning. Or 2nd half.

 

[Moms68]

I had a 1967 Chrysler Newport 4 door many moons ago with a great running 383, if I remember correctly. I picked a friend up from work and went to restart the car. Nothing, no starter no lights, zippo. Turns out the power ran through the alernator gage which had decided to short out. Bypassed the gage and bingo, all was well again.

 

[HawkRod]

Working on a customer's car, 67 charger 383 4spd..mopar electronic ignition conversion.. would not start, crank but no spark. Verified ignition voltage at the ballast and positive terminal on coil. Verified reluctor gap...verified resistance through the distributor pickup....verified cranking voltage at the coil..everything seemed like it should, swapped coil and ecu but still no spark. After several hours of poking around and parts swapping it briefly fired up then shut down....again no spark....at this point I'm absolutely stumped....had one buddy holding a test light on the negative terminal of the coil looking for ground pulse, another buddy wiggling the harness while I was cranking....all of a sudden tiny sparks camw from the crimped ring terminal on the negative post of the coil....wiggling that wire at the ring terminal would result in intermittent start and stalls....cut off the terminal and crimped my own ring terminal on and BAM it fires up every time now! A ******* 50+ yr old crimp wooped my butt!....had enough connection to give me a good voltage reading with key on but not enough to pulse ground from the ecu to allow coil discharge...that was tough one for sure!!

The real insult comes when the customer complains that all you did was change a ring terminal! How long can that take? And a 50 cent part! Why are you charging me ***?

Fixes can be easy. FINDING what to fix is sometimes very hard! But no one values that...

 

[65-440]

The real insult comes when the customer complains that all you did was change a ring terminal! How long can that take? And a 50 cent part! Why are you charging me ***?

Fixes can be easy. FINDING what to fix is sometimes very hard! But no one values that...

Bingo! I took that one on the chin, was a funky situation. I drove the car into the shop to do a steering column swap and fix the sloppy inland shifter. I went to back the car out and it wouldn't start, then then fun began!

 

[HawkRod]

Bingo! I took that one on the chin, was a funky situation. I drove the car into the shop to do a steering column swap and fix the sloppy inland shifter. I went to back the car out and it wouldn't start, then then fun began!

So now, of course, it was YOUR fault!

 

[65-440]

So now, of course, it was YOUR fault!

Unfortunately to most customers yes, fortunately this guy understands how old car "**** happens". I ate the time and fixed the problem for him, he gives me a lot of business!

 

[Should be playing golf]

Now if you could only fix those gas gauge issues! You'd have your own private island in the Bahamas.

 

[65-440]

Now if you could only fix those gas gauge issues! You'd have your own private island in the Bahamas.

Haha...now that takes finesse! Working sending units are easy, accurately working is another story!