Thread: false triggering msd not working right

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In the msd manual for false triggering it says to disconnect the purple/green connection from the dist and put a jumper in between to tigger.

When I do that it fires every time I disconnect the jumper, but it also triggers the spark if I have one end of the jumper on the purple wire and touch the other end to ground. I don't need to use the green one at all.

The manual doesn't mention this possibility. Does anybody know these ignitions well and know if this is a sign of a problem?

sounds like it's time to send the box back to MSD..... They seem to have some quality control issues the last few years.....

Originally posted by Dave Severson
sounds like it's time to send the box back to MSD..... They seem to have some quality control issues the last few years.....

yeah i went through about 3 of them on my van before it worked right for me... i think its cause the demand is greatly increasing so they're trying to speed up the processes

so could this be why I'm having start up problems?

it runs fine once it's started, but starting it up is hit or miss.

yup, friend of mine toasted a brand new MSD last week while dynoing the engine!!!! Pretty much the same symptoms as yours. He was running an MSD 7, what was yours??? I had a 6AL, sent it back to them 3 times and never did have it work right. Don't know what system I'm going to get next, but it WON'T be an MSD. Way too much money for all the grief. Never seen a good warranty get me to the next round.......

yeah, i just use HEIs in my fords now... they're reliable and work great.... and you can actually get them for dirt cheap, paid $56 for a brand new one on ebay last time

mines a 6AL.

man I hope this is why I'm having such problems.
thanks

Call MSD, betcha they tell you to send it in!!!!!

I just called MSD and they guy said that it is supposed to trigger when touching that to ground like mine is doing.

I got a great spark when triggering the thing. If that spark is firing in those cylinders I don't see how it isn't even sputtering some days.

Don't know, hard to see the box from here which is the part that really sucks trying to diagnose electrical gremlins. Did you use dilectric grease on all the connections?? Is the ground a good ground??? Maybe a bonding wire from where you have the box mounted to the frame, and another from the engine block to the frame??? The MSD's are very voltage and ground sensitive.......Wish I could be more help.....

I'm gonna pull the dist. and manually rotate it and make sure the trigger is working right and firing all plugs.

One other thing that I can think of may be that for a month or so I had an alternator that wasn't working at all. I ran the engine a lot and didn't know that the battery wasn't charging. With a new alt it seems to work fine, cranks well and everything, but maybe I permanently reduced the battery capacity just enough so that when it's cranking it doesn't supply enough voltage.

This problem is solely limited to start up, once it's running it is fantastic.

I also remember when the battery was newer that it would certainly fire up when warm (like at a gas station after filling).
Now it is hard to start even when warm.