Re: Spirit engine problem fixed....now the %&*^$ SX/4

[Matt Haas <mhaas@xxxxxxx>]

Marty,

Are all of the ground straps on the engine? The older sixes have one that 
goes between the engine and engine crossmember by one of the motor mounts 
(I think someone has said it switched sides over the years, both of my 
American's have it on the driver's side). Computer controlled cars 
typically have several ground straps so there may be more than one. You 
should also check to make sure that any installed ground straps are good 
(no broken wires, not corroded) and that they're contacting bare metal at 
both ends. It would also be a good idea to check the negative battery cable 
to make sure it's good and is also touching bare metal where it attaches to 
the engine and to the body.

Resistance does increase with heat so somewhere you have a bad ground strap 
or corroded connection that needs to be cleaned.

Matt

At 05:31 PM 6/25/2005 -0700, you wrote:
> OK, latest update...it is electrical and not fuel.
> Checked spark from the coil and the plugs and it was
> weak and then non-existant.  Pulled out the TSM and
> did some T/S w fol results:
> -ign coil primary circuit checks out ok
> -coil checks out ok
> -per TSM removed coil wire from distrib and
> disconnected 4 wire connecter from ign control
> unit(icu)...no spark as it said there should be...
> -connected ohm meter btw D1 from icu and batt neg and
> had 2.6 ohm reading which TSM says is bad ground (less
> than .002 is acceptable).
> -I traced the D1 wire in the wire diagram and it goes
> to the B1 connector from the distrib (this is the
> ground wire)
> -checked B1 to batt neg and it read 2.6 ohms
> indicating a bad ground of the distrib
> -removed the distrib and checked the area around the
> distrib hole and the distrib hold down and it showed
> good ground
> -With distrib out of car rechecked continuity of B1
> ground and it was good!
> -reinstalled distrib and checked continuity numerous
> times and it showed good
> -attempted to start car and it fired right up
> -let car warm up to reset timing, had timing reset and
> dropped idle back to curb and car stalled...wouldn't
> restart...same indications as original
> -disconnected distrib connector and checked B1 and it
> showed 2.6 ohms again indicating a bad ground!
> It appears that engine heat is somehow causing the
> ground to fail in the distrib.  Is this
> possible/probable?  The distrib is a new/rebuilt unit
> that has a lifetime warranty so I can take it back.
> Just wondering if I'm wasting time doing this.  Is
> there another way to ground the distrib to check out
> the theory?  Thanks.
> Marty
>
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mhaas@xxxxxxx
Cincinnati, OH
http://www.mattsoldcars.com
1967 Rambler American wagon
1968 Rambler American sedan
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