INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
9
AUTOTRONIC CONTROLS CORPORATION • 1490 HENRY BRENNAN DR., EL PASO, TEXAS 79936 • (915) 857-5200 • FAX (915) 857-3344
MISSES AND INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS
Experience at the races has shown that if your engine is experiencing a miss or hesitation at
higher rpm, it is usually not directly ignition. Most probable causes include faulty wiring, a coil or
plug wire failure, arcing from the cap or boot plug to ground or spark ionization inside the cap.
Several items to inspect are:
• Always inspect the plug wires at the cap and at the plug for a tight connection and visually
inspect for cuts, abrasions or burns.
• Inspect the Primary Coil Wire connections. Because the MSD is a Capacitive Discharge ignition
and it receives a direct 12 volt source from the battery, there will not be any voltage at the Coil
Positive (+) terminal even with the key turned On. During cranking or while the engine is running,
very high voltage will be present and no test equipment should be connected.
WARNING: Do not touch the coil terminals during cranking or while the engine is running.
• Make sure that the battery is fully charged and the connections are clean and tight. If you are
not running an alternator this is an imperative check. If the battery voltage falls below 9 volts
during a race, the MSD output voltage will drop and the current draw will increase.
• Is the engine running lean? Inspect the spark plugs and complete fuel system.
• Inspect all wiring connections for corrosion or damage Remember to always use proper
connections followed by soldering and seal the connections completely.
If everything checks positive, use the following procedure to test the ignition for spark. MSD
also offers an Ignition Tester, PN 8998 or PN 8996. This tool allows you to check your complete
ignition system while it is in the car as well as the operation of rpm limits, activated switches
and shift lights.
Figure 11 Checking for Spark
with
WHITE WIRE TRIGGER
Figure 12 Checking for Spark with
the Mag Pickup.
MAGNETIC PICKUP TRIGGER
CHECKING FOR SPARK
If triggering the ignition with the White wire:
1. Make sure the ignition switch is in the “Off” position.
2. Remove the coil wire from the distributor cap and set the
terminal approximately 1/2" from ground.
3. Disconnect the MSD White wire from the distributor’s
points or ignition amplifier.
4. Turn the ignition to the On position. Do not crank the
engine.
5. Tap the White wire to ground several times. Each time
you pull the wire from ground, a spark should jump from
the coil wire to ground. If spark is present, the ignition
is working properly. If there is no spark skip to step 6
below:
If triggering with the Magnetic Pickup:
1. Make sure the ignition switch is in the “Off” position.
2. Remove the coil wire from the distributor cap and set the
terminal approximately 1/2" from ground.
3. Disconnect the MSD magnetic pickup wires from the
distributor.
4. Turn the ignition to the On position. Do not crank the
engine.
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