ignition issue update

[tops911]

Hi All, I thought I'd share with everyone where I'm at on my ignition problem. For a quick refresher; my car was delivered 3 Jun (I shipped it to Germany where I'm stationed) and it would not start. It ran for a few minutes when I went to pick the car up but it started backfiring and then died; no spark. The following has been done: New battery Replaced coil Replaced the "green" coax cable (the car ran for about 30 seconds, never to run again; it started really easy and surprised me) bought a used Bosch CD box New fuel pump relays (the correct "red" ones) Replaced the 10 fuse panel, it was cracked and needed replaced anyway. new plug wires new plugs, cap and rotor had the distributor rebuilt; it needed it but it was not the problem The thing is still not getting spark; so today I figured I'd get a MSD box. The cost to rebuild the Bosch Cd box is 400 Euro (about $600 with the rate of exchange) that makes the MSD box about half the cost of getting the Bosch rebuilt. I have tested the running of the fuel pumps, the fuel pressures (I have CIS test gauges), tested the relays. I bypassed the over boost relay; unhooked the tach; and probably a dozen other tests. There is power to the CD box (12 volts to the 15 plug) just not any spark to the plugs. Can anyone think of anything I've been missing? I've done countless searches and cant find anything else I'm missing. Thanks Frank

[full quack]

Hey there,
Only 2 things on your above list that you may not have checked or replaced are the pick-up coil in the distributer, unless that was replaced during the rebuild, and confirming that you actually have power to your new coil?
Does your CD box have the audible whine to it with the key turn to the on position, simple first step check for the CD box function.

The electrical gremlin really has his hooks in you....arrrgghhhh!

Mark

[WinRice]

For fun, let's start from the beginning.

Verify you have a good connection on the heavy red and black wires on the MSD. Then verify you have a good 'keyed' 12V source going to the small red wire on the MSD. Verify you have the Orange and Black wires going to the coil with no other wires to the coil, except those.

Now disconnect the magnetic pickup distributor wires from the MSD, pull the coil wire from the cap and lay close to a grounded piece of metal.

Turn the key on, take the small white wire from the MSD and tap it off and on a ground. You should get a healthy spark from the coil wire.

[tops911]

full quack, the rebuild of the distributor has the distributor in new working order, there is an AC pulse coming from the green coax, both when spun by hand as well as when cranking. The Bosch box does whine, both of the boxes I have do; however, no spark. I'm sure I've checked for power at the coil, I think I read where the CDI sends 400 Volts to the coil, so I may not have tested it now that I think about it.
WinRice, I don't have the MSD yet. That is what I'll be replacing the Bosch box with. By next weekend I hope to have it all running.......
Thanks for your help, Frank
I read where the new Bosch coils made in Brazil can be bad new, but at this point I just don't know if that could be the issue. It tested the same as the old coil I took out.

[WinRice]

Originally Posted by tops911

WinRice, I don't have the MSD yet. That is what I'll be replacing the Bosch box with. By next weekend I hope to have it all running........

Whoops, I read your last post too fast, thought you had the MSD box. With the MSD box I would recommend getting the MSD hi-vibration coil (#8222) to go with it.

[tops911]

WinRice, I did order the matching coil, smart minds think alike ;o)

[JFairman]

I don't know the wiring in an '82 but you can also check the thin puple and black ignition trigger wire at the back of the tachometer to see if it's shorted or something.

Also don't know if there is a "speed relay" rev limiter under the driver seat that could interfere with ignition triggering.

And if there is a factory alarm or aftermarket alarm maybe it could be interfering with ignition.

The 450 volts to the coil primary terminal is a quick pulse and the negative terminal eventually goes to ground after dissapearing into the wire harness so it may be hard to check on a voltmeter.

Run the coil primary wires directly from the MSD box when you install it.