No starting

[bigfootlarry]

Hopefully someone can help. I have a 71 mustang coupe that I am going to sell was running perfectly. I also just purchased a 73 mustang Convertible that was also running. I decided that I would trade on my 71 the new coil, battery, regulator, starter solenoid with the 73. Now my 71 doesnt start. I checked the coil from the convertible and I am getting a spark, 12 volts on the battery, checked the starter solenoid with a volt meter, I just cant get the car to start. It cranks, there is fuel in the carb, spark to the plugs. It just keeps cranking doesnt turn over. Any ideas.

 

[Chris Womack]

If it was running before swapping the parts then this should be easy.

It could be due to a poor electrical connection causing low voltage, have you checked the volts at both terminals on the ignition coil (when ignition is in the run position)?

 

[will e]

check the coil from you took from the 73. It should be external resistance but if someone did some electrical work on the 73 you may have ended up with an internal resistance coil. If the 71 still has the resistance wire the engine won't fire.

Another easy test is to take a wire from the battery positive right to the positive side of the coil. Try starting. But be CAREFUL! If the engine starts the only way to stop it again will be to remove this temporary wire. So make sure the parking brake is on. I would even chock the wheels. And the transmission is in Park.

Don't leave the temporary wire in place when the engine isn't running for an extended period of time.

If it fires up, you either have an internal resistor coil or your primary ignition circuit has a fault. At that point get a mulit-meter to it.

 

[Mikes73]

Your cars are mad at you, just kidding. Have checked to see if you have spark snd fuel?

 

[bigfootlarry]

Mike, I did a jumper wire from the positive terminal of the battery to the positive side of the coil and it wouldnt start. I took a volt meter to the coil and I am getting only 4 volts at the coil. I took a spark plug tester and i am getting spark from the coil and also getting spark to the plugs. I also used my coil from the 71 and still no luck!!

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Larry

check the coil from you took from the 73. It should be external resistance but if someone did some electrical work on the 73 you may have ended up with an internal resistance coil. If the 71 still has the resistance wire the engine won't fire.

Another easy test is to take a wire from the battery positive right to the positive side of the coil. Try starting. But be CAREFUL! If the engine starts the only way to stop it again will be to remove this temporary wire. So make sure the parking brake is on. I would even chock the wheels. And the transmission is in Park.

Don't leave the temporary wire in place when the engine isn't running for an extended period of time.

If it fires up, you either have an internal resistor coil or your primary ignition circuit has a fault. At that point get a mulit-meter to it.

Took off the fuel filter, plenty of fuel going to the carb. Took a spark plug tester and I have spark from the coil and spark to the plugs.

Any suggestions would be appreciated

Thanks

Your cars are mad at you, just kidding. Have checked to see if you have spark snd fuel?

I have over 12 volts at battery and 4 volts at the coil? Any ideas to why the change of voltage when cranking. The car is turning just not enough spark to ignite

Thanks

If it was running before swapping the parts then this should be easy.

It could be due to a poor electrical connection causing low voltage, have you checked the volts at both terminals on the ignition coil (when ignition is in the run position)?

 

[Don C]

4 volts at the coil could be correct, when the points are closed and the resistance wire loaded. When the points are open you should read close to battery voltage with a digital volt meter.

When you've cranking the solenoid provides full voltage to the coil, bypassing the resistor wire.

Have you checked the battery voltage while cranking?

 

[peche 71]

i felt like i wrote that post, the first line at least. I have a 71 coupe and just bought a 73 'vert!

 

[Mikes73]

Have you tried advancing the distributor a bit at a time to see if it starts?

 

[rocket366]

I would connect a wire from +Bat to +coil then remove a spark plug

and confirm spark.

Then pour a small amount of fuel into the carb about a tablespoon or two and

if you dont get it to bark I would suspect it jumped timing.

Spark+Good Fuel+Compression=BANG!

Paul

 

[bigfootlarry]

I used a spark tester getting spark from the coil and to the spark plug. Check the starter solenoid with volt meter everything is good. Checked fuel to carb and all good. Just turning and no start. Like I said I just swapped the following: battery, coil, starter solenoid, and regulator prior the car was starting like it should. I swapped verything back and still not starting not sure what the problem is

 

[mjlan]

Strange problem! Does it fire at all? I would try some ether/ starting fluid. That will confirm for you that everything is mechanically ok. I would expect that the issue is with one of the parts that was swapped, but if you hot wired it and still nothing, that's weird!

 

[bigfootlarry]

Yes tried some starter fluid, still nothing. May have to have it owed spent a few hours and cant figure it out.

 

[4Vforever]

Is it the original timing set still on the engine, if so may have stripped the cam gear. Also check to see if the dizzy is spinning properly, if not maybe the problem previously described, could also be a dizzy gear failure. Check these things to see if they're the problem.

 

[Don C]

Pull the spark plugs and see if any are fouled or covered with liquid (gas, oil, or water). Clean them and check the gaps. Double check the firing order.

 

[bigfootlarry]

Update, maybe somebody has an idea. I have no power going to the coil. I thought maybe a bad coil bought switched it out and I still am not getting any spark from the coil. Does anybody know if there is a particular fuse for the coil. I also tried putting a wire from the battery positive to the positive of the coil and still no spark from the coil. Would the ignition switch cause the coil not to have power? The car is turning just no spark to make it start.

Thanks

 

[jb73Mach]

What is the amperage that is going with the 12v from the battery and the 6v from the coil? I was lost because the voltage was good from the battery and the coil output. Still no spark. Took forever to sort it out (because I'm not too fluent in the electrical stuff). The key was good voltage but low amperage. Once someone told me to check, it was just a question of finding the bad connection/wire.

 

[Mikes73]

Have you tried hooking the coil - to a good ground as well as the + to the battery positive? maybe the green - wire is giving you trouble.

 

[midlife]

No fuse is used on the coil wire.

 

[rocket366]

With the +coil getting power from +BAT and -COIL going to the

points either the coil is bad, the points are not opening, the dizzy is not turning

or the condenser is shorted to ground and bad.

Assuming + and - connections are correct on coil!

IMO

Paul