Car not starting after MSD install!

[gavinc69]

Getting to the end of the install today and finally connected the MSD unit up......and the car now won't start!

Symptom's :

Key turned to first position:
Car stereo and AFR meter come on & alarm system beeps (as normal)

Key turned to second position:
MSD LED comes on and stays solid RED (as it should do per the manual)
Tach flies round and hits maximum

Key turned to third position (starting position)
Tach drops down to nothing and car doesn't do a thing

I have tripple checked all the wiring and all seems as it should be.

I DO NOT have an MSD TACH adaptor, I was going to try without one first becasue some people find they don't need one.
Is this the problem judging by the symptoms? I thought that car would at least run without an adaptor but the tach wouldnt work correctly!

Just ordered an MSD 8920 Tach Adaptor ( for magnetic trigger), so I'll see if that helps when it arrives.

It says in the MSD info that without the adaptor the fuel pump and tach may not work....but how come the car isn't even turning over?
Most people just seem to have issues with the tach reading if they need a tach adaptor, seems strange that my car won't even try to turn over.
Hope someone can point me in the right direction.

Cheers




MSD large RED And BLACK are connected directly to the battery.

[James Brown]

Did you check the troubleshooting tips in the MSD install guide? there is a way to fire off the system to check that it is working. do that to eliminate the MSd unit.

[fred cook]

Try the black wire from the left end of the MSD unit for the tach. The others look ok. Also, check to make sure that you are getting 12V (switched) on the red wire postion. Hope this helps.

[fred cook]

Also, check the main power lead to the MSD to make certain that you are getting juice there. When I installed the MSD in my SC, I ran the ground wire to the chassis and to the engine, just to be sure that I had a good ground.

[fastfredracing]

I always run the coil +. and - straight out of the MSD box, directly to the MSD coil. I don't like to route them through the factory harness CDI connector. I guess you ccould do it this way, actually, I never even thought about doing it this way. The only wires I tap into in the factory CDI harness, are for the switched +, and the tach. I usually get my constant positive right off the Starter , and go to body ground at the transmission grounding strap. There is a way to check for spark out of the msd box, I believe it requires you momentarily touching either the two mag trigger wires together, or grounding the points wire ( white wire if my memory serves me right) . It will most surely run without the tach adapter.

[James Brown]

Grounding the whit (unused) wire with the ignition on will fire the coil. Put a old plug on the coil wire and ground to the case. Scratch the white wire on metal and it should spark (a very large spark, be carful).

[sc_rufctr]

What year/model is the car?

If it's an SC check the polarity of the magnetic trigger wires from the distributor to the MSD ignition.

[dipso]

You probably don't need the tach adaptor. There is a spade connector in the end of the MSD unit that the magnetic distributor wire just plugs directly into. At least that is what worked with mine.

Back to the original topic.
I have a kill switch hooked up that grounds the MSD unit. When the switch is flicked the unit grounds and the car turns over but doesn't start. So, I would guess that your unit isn't grounded improperly.
If your engine isn't turning over at all, that is strange. This may sound stupid, but is there any chance your battery is dead or you forgot to hook it back up after the install.
Also, maybe you forgot to put the starter wire back on when hooking the MSD directly to the starter.

Maybe the problem lies within your alarm system. Perhaps it needs to be reset or something after disconnection of the battery.
Hope this helps.

[gavinc69]

Thanks for all your input guys. I have tracked down and sovled the problem.
It was something to do with the cars imobiliser, after reseting it the car started and works ok, even the tach

Cheers