Engine Intermittently shuts off

[MikeM]

Hi All,

Have a 1968 dodge W200 with a 318 and 4 speed manual. I have the mopar electronic ignition as well. Lately when I have been driving my truck for about 10 minutes the engine will suddenly cut out like the key has been turned off. The truck will always start right back up and then I'll drive a little while and it will repeat the same thing, but not always. Today when I drove it, it cut out on me about 3 times in a 20min drive. Also, the truck will start to experience missing (ignition) just before it turns off. I did replace the ignition module (with a new orange module) a while back and a new ignition switch too, but didn't cure the problem. I also have a ground strap running from the module to firewall. The ignition pickup coil is about 20 years old and haven't looked at that. Could that be part of the problem. I've owned the truck since 82 (got it for 16th bday) and did the electronic conversion in the 80s as well. Up until a few years ago, never had this issue and the electronic ignition has been a solid unit.

Appreciate any advice/suggestions

Thanks

Mike M

[earlymopar]

Sounds like the coil although checking existing grounds (and all other connections) is a good idea.

- EM

[Jims68]

I can't really help, but do you have a ground strap from the engine to the firewall? Although, that probably isn't your problem due to the fact that it had been OK for all those years. Anyway, something to check.

[swptln]

I'm with EM, I'd be looking at the coil and I'd check the ballast resistor too........to make sure it's not over-heating the coil.

[Hobcobble]

Hi All,

Have a 1968 dodge W200 with a 318 and 4 speed manual. I have the mopar electronic ignition as well. Lately when I have been driving my truck for about 10 minutes the engine will suddenly cut out like the key has been turned off. The truck will always start right back up and then I'll drive a little while and it will repeat the same thing, but not always. Today when I drove it, it cut out on me about 3 times in a 20min drive. Also, the truck will start to experience missing (ignition) just before it turns off. I did replace the ignition module (with a new orange module) a while back and a new ignition switch too, but didn't cure the problem. I also have a ground strap running from the module to firewall. The ignition pickup coil is about 20 years old and haven't looked at that. Could that be part of the problem. I've owned the truck since 82 (got it for 16th bday) and did the electronic conversion in the 80s as well. Up until a few years ago, never had this issue and the electronic ignition has been a solid unit.

Appreciate any advice/suggestions

Thanks

Mike M

Here's some reading on the distributor pick up coil:

"One of the first symptoms of a bad ignition pickup is an engine that stalls. An old or failing ignition pickup may cut out signal intermittently, which may cause the engine to stall. The engine may suddenly just shut off, almost as if the key had been turned off. Depending on the nature of the issue, sometimes the vehicle can be restarted and driven again after a brief period of time. However, this problem will persist and worsen until it is taken care of."

I had the same thing happen to a '79 W200. I put a new distributor
in it and that did the trick.

John

[MikeM]

Thanks for the suggestions. I do have ground strap running from engine block to fire wall. I was always under the assumption that if the coil or ballast resistor was going bad you would have to wait for a little while for the components to cool down. This isn't the scenario in my case. It starts right up having shutting down. I did find the same info. on the symptoms of the pick up coil just wasn't sure that is applied to the mopar unit. I believe I have spares of coil, ballast resister and pickup coil and not too hard to try them out and see if it takes care of the issue.

Thanks for the help. Will post follow up once I have it fixed.

Mike M

[marklein]

Check the pickup coil to reluctor clearance as well. Shaft bushings might be worn. Change the coil to a constant 12 volt unit and eliminate the ballast. Much hotter spark that way, and a better running engine.

[Wildergarten]

Check the pickup coil to reluctor clearance as well. Shaft bushings might be worn. Change the coil to a constant 12 volt unit and eliminate the ballast. Much hotter spark that way, and a better running engine.

Interesting. Does that mean that all the wires that go to the ballast resistor are tied together? Do you have a recommended part numberor brand for said coil?

[marklein]

Msd blaster 2 is what I have on mine. Yes, tie the two wires that go to the ballast together. Or make a solid wire on the back of the ballast, then it looks stock, and no one will be the wiser. The ballast cuts the voltage to the coil back to 7-8 volts while running, the ignition gives the coil 12 volts while starting. Stock coils will get too hot if run at a constant 12 volts. You can also wire in a brand x ignition module, they can be had anywhere and take up very little space. Just make a heat sink for it, i use this setup and it works very well.s

[Dale]

I too have a problem. For me, my '71 W 100 would be hard to start. Like, all of the sudden I would loose spark. I still have not found the problem, and the truck still don't start. I did notice when the 318 was running, that there was a humming or buzzing sound coming from the distributor. Contacts under the distributor cab have black marks on the plastic body of the cap. I just got a new single pick coil distributor, and rest of the electronic ignition system, and have yet to get it all installed. I'll to make sure there is a ground strap from the engine to the fire wall. But when the engine does fire, it fires right now!

Hope you get your problem figured out, and let us know, lol!

[velvet]

Sometimes a bad coil will quit when warm/hot, then fire up again. I succest you get a cheap multi meter- under 20 bucks- and you will better be able to diagnose the fault, using the shop manual drill. Multi meters are our friends!!!!

[dodgeboykim]

Conduct a no cost test by hot wiring to ignition run side of ballast resistor. If it still cuts out that will eliminate ignition switch and wiring up to ballast.

[MikeM]

Wanted to follow with this issue. I replaced my 4 prong ballast and to my surprised, for now, that seemed to take care of the issue. Not sure why the ballast took care of it, but perhaps someone can explain. I'm still skeptical, but ever since I replaced it, I have had no issues so far. Thanks for all the responses.
Mike M

[jdavis]

had that problem with my 66 Powerwagon. It would just drop dead on me. It had an Orange Box ECU and the Insulation on the back was cracking, so I replaced it with an ECU from Summit Racing which is blue and stamped on the side Made in USA. Also changed the coil designed for Electronic Ignition. Some of those Orange Boxes made back in the 80's would cut out and your engine would drop dead on you. No issues since I replaced the coil and ECU. Also did the same with my 65 Formula S Barracuda.

[martincom]

I had the same issue with my Charger years ago. I had also converted this to the Mopar electronic ignition. It would die and most of the time it would start up again immediately or I'd barely get started troubleshooting and it would clear. I finally found it. It was an intermittent reluctor pickup coil. When it would die and refuse to start again, flexing the reluctor pickup coil leads where they exited the distributor would result in it starting again. I was able to duplicate this on several occasions. After replacing the reluctor coil assembly, I had no further issues.

[PwrWgnDrvr]

Have never had this kind of electrical BS problem with points ignition

[MikeM]

In my case my issue was the ballast resistor. I replaced it back in March and have not experience any issues since. In fact my truck seems to be running better than before.

Thanks

Mike M

[64D100Poly]

I had similar issues with mine, turned out my alternator was bad (burned up diodes) and doing something weird, burning up the ecu computer thing. Never had an issue since

[jeffc57]

Any of the ecu box type mopar, or aftermarket, must have a good ground. I always run ground wire from the battery to one of the box mount screws.
been there done that A FEW TIMES

[Kaegi]

one visual inspection you can do on a coil is pull the wire and check for oil in tower and the other is check and see if the bottom of the coil is bulging out. should be flat. if either of those two things are happening its bad