Whats wrong? =(

[Yellwstang21]

Okay, I need some advice and suggestions as to whats wrong with my car. When I try to start my car it takes absolutely FOREVER to fire. So I decided to mess around with the carb and wires. Well it turns out the when I pull the main coil wire off of the distributor about an inch so that the spark has to jump the gap, the car starts right away every time. Why in the world is this? I replaced the main coil wire and it still does the same thing.

I am going to replace the cap and rotor on the distributor next to see if that takes care of the problem. I have an accel coil and an accel 7100 series electronic distributor. If it is the cap on the distributor that went bad, do you guys know why that is, and if you think its something else could you please fill me in... Im lost I have asked around and people have never seem to have heard of my problem so i dont know where else to turn, any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


P.S. while driving around the car with stall out and die out of nowhere also. I thought I ran out of gas the first time but this is not the case, i am almost completely convinced its electrical.

 

[bnickel]

do you have an external resistor in line to the coil? if so remove it, fords are already have a resistor wire in line from the ignition switch. i used to have the same problem when i had a resistor in line, when i took it out i figured out the problem, i had too much resistance. also if the carwill crank and crank and them start when you let off the key that's another good sign.

 

[blue66tang]

Kinda sounds like your not getting a hot enough spark. When you force a spark to jump like that, for some reason it makes the spark plugs have a hotter spark and thats why it starts wehn you do that. Also try starting it whith the throttle to teh floor, it could be flooding itslelf out when it is off.

 

[HistoricMustang]

Check you engine ground!

For the people that have been around I know this sounds like a broken record but most starting problems are the result of a bad gound. Double check the ground wire or wires on the engine. I use two on my power plant.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

 

[HyYoSilver]

Yellowstang, by any chance are you running solid core plug wires? If so, change the wire between the coil and distributor cap to a resistor type. (You can keep the solid core wires that go to the plugs.) This should solve your starting problem.

 

[Yellwstang21]

No, I dont have an extra resistor inline to the coil. I heard that with the electronic ignition that I did not need to have it ( ballist? resistor) hooked up, is this right?

Historic, where do you have your engine grounded? I didnt know if the ground would effect the "hotness" of the spark or not. I am definitely not an electrical genious haha. I replaced the cap and rotor today and still had no luck so Im going to try the grounds next like you suggested.

This is really frustrating haha, all it does is sit the and crank over and over then when I let the key off it ALMOST fires and starts.

 

[krash kendall]

Electronic ignition requires a 12 volt source. If you are getting your power from the old lead to the + side of the coil then you will be short at least 2.5 to 4 volts due to the resistor line (pink .8 ohms.) between the ignition and the firewall

 

[WORTH]

YELLOW, if you tell me what year your car is I'll tell you where to get the ignition wire from to bypass the resistor wire.

 

[HyYoSilver]

all it does is sit the and crank over and over then when I let the key off it ALMOST fires and starts.

Yellowstang, this is a classic symptom of a faulty ignition switch........

Run a jumper wire from the battery side of the starter solenoid to the positive terminal on the coil. Then try to start it. If it starts OK, replace the ignition switch.

Don't run it for an extended time with the jumper wire attached, this is only for testing.