I was not sure if I s hould post this here, or in the electrical section. It may appear to be EFI, but it is, in fact not. I have read the MSD 6 A instruction sheet for trouble shooting it, to see if this box is the reason the ECU with MegaSquirt does not provide spark.

As you may know, I accidentally scrambled the code in the new MEgasquirt ECU, and am now running on the old MSI ECU. I proceeded to trouble shoot the basic engine hardware apart from the EFI stuff. So, even though there is EFI, this is a basic slant engine question. Check out my conclusions please.

When things are hooked up with no EFI control, to the old MS I, it runs fine. This is with the VR pickup to the box.

If read these MSD instructions correctly, when I ground the white wire, and break the ground, the spark is supposed to arc from the center coil lead to the block.

I get no spark this way. And yet, it runs fine with the VE pickup run to the MSD box.

My conclusion is that the MSD box provides spark when fed by the VE, and most of it's circuitry is working properly. However, the white wire circuit does not function as it should. Does the fact that I get no spark from the white wire make-and-break to ground make it impossible to use this circuit for control from the ECU? Is this box functionally defective as far as the white wire is concerned? Has anybody else had an experience like this with an MSD box? The white wire is the trigger for standard points. The VE pickup is for an electronic ignition distributor.

Is there another test for this that you know of? Thanks.

Sam

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I'm still running my MSD 6A box from '93.

The later boxes seem to be hit and miss. Unfortunately, I haven't seen my MSD installation instructions for about a year now, and I don't think my 17 year old box had the capabilities of the current box.

Due to the number of reports of faulty MSD boxes I've heard over the last three years, I'll toss a WAG, and it is a Wild A$$ Guess, that you have a faulty box. RMA it, and if you find it is a problem, get it replaced.

One of our local guys running the 6-series had to do that twice to get a working system.

somewhat less than 2¢, but offered none-the-less.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Is the VE totally disconnected when you're trying the white wire?

There's a theft prevention mode in the box. If the control you're NOT using is grounded, the box won't work.

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

NO, I left the VE plugged in. I will un plug and try again. Ed, I knew you would know this.

I don't know if I made it clear, but the white wire is used for the MSD trigger with the ECU timing control.

Thanks.

Sam

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But the white wire you can tap to ground is used as a trigger from a points setup. There are also two other wires used for a new style distributor with reluctor and magnet.

Are you using the magnetic square wave pickup wires for your msd? could it be acting funny b/c you still have the dual pickup wires hooked up, or do you use the one wire pickup to trigger spark?

Sorry if I'm telling you what you already know, but sometimes it can be the simple stuff that stumps ya...

good luck

kevin

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madam im adam

The VE pickup wires are currently hooked up while still in non ECU timing control mode. But when attempting to control timing with the ECU, these are disconnected, and the white wire is used to fire the MSD box by the ECU.



Sam

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When I disconnect the distributor VE feed from the MSD box and ground the white wire, I get a great big, fat, healthy spark. I think this isolates the problems to the ECU or settings in the software. Thanks Ed. That answeres my question nicely.

Sam

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