Ignition troubles

SR2dude

Member
Hey guys,

my Scout wont start. It's a 70 800 with a 304 4x4. There is something wrong with the ignition I believe. It wouldn’t turn over or start, it has a Ford starter relay so I jumped the relay and it turned over but still wouldn’t start. So then I put a jumper wire from the battery directly to the positive side of the coil and it still wouldn’t start and there is no spark from the high tension lead. Any ideas ? Thanks.

D
 
More info is going to be needed to help with this issue, distributor type is a must, start buy checking that you have 12 volts at the trigger wire for your starter relay, then at your power wire for the coil.also check your battery connections[ both hot and ground] And starter connections if you have power at these connections, your problem would either be in the coil or the dizzy, hince the need for more info. First cover the basics of ignition trouble shooting, then feed us some in depth info on which ignition set up you have. I'm sure your issue can be solved quickly.
 
Update. I have an msd ignition that I thought might have gone bad so I took all that wires out and had a traditional set up. I got new points and a new coil. The reason it wouldnt turn over at all is because the ignition switch had a bunch of crap on it so I cleaned it up and it works now.

So the engine is turning over but not starting. It occasionally almost starts but its almost like the spark is not strong/powerful enough. I also put a wire directly from the battery to the positive side of the coil and that didnt make it start/have a stronger spark. So I took off the high tension lead and checked for a spark and there is a very small weak spark going into dist cap. So im assuming I should get a new distributor cap and go from there??

Any other suggestions anyone can think of?

I need some help here guys! Thanks!

D
 
Start at the distributor and work your way all through the entire wiring system looking at each wire and it's connection at each end. Follow the wire, not just "into" and "out of" the harness (es).

Go to the msd wiring for the unit you have installed and download/print in order to follow the effective diagram.

Look at the wiring unit inside the distributor and determine if it's usable or not. If it is dead, then replace it,...if it's alive, then Mark that off the list!

If it worked at one point, then quit, the issue will be easy to detect.
 
It appears it was the msd that was bad. The Scout is now back to starting/running. Of course, now, there is another problem. The p.o., who installed the msd box put the fat red power wire from the msd to the main port on the alternator. So now the alternator has only one thick wire plugged in at the big port on top(the wire is blue if it makes a difference). I took it for a test drive and the amp gauge said it was charging the whole time. When I got home I checked the alternator and it was too hot to touch. So I assume I'm over charging the battery? Is something wrong with the regulator? Or, do I need to re arrange something since I took the msd box out? Thanks guys!

D
 
Again...we're trying to help you solve an issue here. If you are not going to run the msd box, then start all over with wiring the vehicle under the hood!

If...you are certain that the alternator is running only a single wire out of the bat connector on the alternator, then someone has rigged a "one wire" alternator for some reason, none of which are good.

Therefore, you must verify all wiring under the hood. Whether it's all "custom" or a juryrig of stock and botched stuff doesn't matter. The wiring for an msd box is totally different as compared to an oem system.

Any engine running any type of current-producing device (either a generator or an alternator) produces current anytime the engine is running. That means any current above 12.6vdc is considered to be "charging current" that replaces what is being pulled from the battery during normal driving.

The actual current produced by the alternator (and it's regulator) will depend totally upon what is being consumed at any moment, somewhere between a minimum of 13.2vdc and a max of around 14.6vdc, +/- 0.2vdc either direction.
 
hey guys my car is really a problem when I bought it. Not only has it been into the garage on three different occasions in the past 4 months costing a lot of money on repairs. It's had a new engine, a full service and two diagnostic tests which still haven't sorted the problem. The car won't start intermittently every now and again. It revs once and then dies. There is no reason and no one can seem to find any cause. It's had a new spark plugs then the battery is fine and we're at the end of the road.is it the ignition coil set? If anyone could help me out here you'd be a lifesaver as I really to the point after spending a lot just get it scrapped and start again. Thanks

So let me make sure I am understanding this correctly.

It starts most of the time. But sometimes it doesnt start and when it does it revs once and dies?

D
 
Also let us know why type of Scout and what size engine you have. And any info on the engine you have will help.
 
Guys, our buddy lorenzo lamas or wtf his name is, I'm quite convinced is a dang troll. Hey, wait a minute! Rk, aren't you a moderator? Yeah, that's right. I think you are! Hmm. I'm envisioning a resolution to this conundrum in the very near future.:thumbsup:
 
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