Car won't stay running after new harness installed - Seriously whats wrong !!!

[Canadian1968]

If anyone has been reading my other post, they will see that i have just installed new wiring harness from Evans wiring.  As well I upgraded to the 2 FLD ALt.  and spliced in the wire to the Ballast.

So everything hooked up Turn the key and the car will fire but as soon as I let go of the key, it will die. A little back fire every now and then as I let go of the key.

The car was running great, turn key and fired right up and ran no problems before anything wsa done.  Reason for changing everything was the bulk head had been melted at the fuseable link connection and wiring was hacked up.  Wanted nice new connections.

WHat I have done. -

New Electronic voltage Regulator and new 2 Field ALt.
New Evans wiring harness for 68 B-body with ECU
Moved MP orange box ECU from fender to firewall ( to acommadate new wiring harness )
New Firewall Bulkhead
Added addition wiring to Ammeter for upgraded Alt.

[nascarxx29]

Have you got key on power at +coil terminal and power at both sides of the ballast

[Canadian1968]

I do not have a voltmeter at the moment but this is where I should start then ?

Key in RUN position I should have 12V at coil and both ballast prongs?

[Ghoste]

Sounds like a failed ballast resistor.

[nascarxx29]

At one side of the ballast with key on and other side of ballast while cranking.Should show power during cranking and letting go of key.I doesnt hurt to ground the module either

[b5blue]

You can make a test light out of any 12V light socket and bulb. Ghoste is right a failed (open, no continuity.) resister could do it. In crank position coil gets full 12V to start then in run transfers to through resister for run. Check for power at the resister in run position, going into the light will be bright and the other side will be dim.
Also consider a "tug test" on all new wire connections, I had a new engine harness that had a loose crimp on the blue ignition bulkhead wire to connector. Had I not found it by closely examining every aspect and detail of the new harness I'd been screwed assuming "nothing can be wrong" with new stuff.

[nascarxx29]

It wouldnt hurt to get a wiring diagram from mymopar.com and check the letters and colors of wires againist the repo harnesses .Ive seen mistakes before wires in wrong spot or bad connection

[Canadian1968]

OK so I got a multimeter.

I have 5V at the coil +
I have 5V at one of ballast terminals and 11V at the other

I made sure there was a nice clean ground on the back side of ECU, and tried another ballast I had

I got 7V at the coil+
I Got 7V at one of ballast and 11.6V at the other

still same problem

[nascarxx29]

Have you got another module to try .Orange boxes not to reliable

[Canadian1968]

No I don't have one .... That box has been run for MAYBE 7 hours total.  I find it hard to think it just died all of a sudden?

[nascarxx29]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,22544.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,58252.0.html

[Ghoste]

The boxes have been subject to some pretty spotty quality the last several years.  They were consistent and great until the great outsource began, cheaper isn't always better.

[nascarxx29]

I have orange boxs go out on me .If not box. Its unlikely dist pick up can be going bad.But it can be tested with ohmeter and for cranking light pulse at neg coil terminal

I carry my dual point dist and ballast when Im on long road trips.Ive been through the electronic dist issues roadside

[Canadian1968]

The entire ignition system is brand new  ( Coil, Distrib, ECU) and now wiring The only thing that has changed is I now have an Electronice Voltage regulator and 2 FLD Alt.

I also had the carb and intake manifold pulled while I was doin other work, but this doesn't sounds like a mechanical problem more electrical I belive?

[nascarxx29]

You say it starts and shuts off on key release.Seems electrical Test light the neg coil terminal where black yellow wire attach.Getting a pulse flash on testlight

[Canadian1968]

OK Now I am starting to get a bit angry !! Now it appears I have no spark at all . The car will not fire at all now.

I pulled coil wire off the distributor and had my wife crank the engine to see if I can get a spark from the coil wire... nothing

I still have power to the coil in run position ( 5.V8 or 7V depending what ballast I try  )  So what does this mean my coil is toast?? Or can it still be ECU related.

Getting really peeved!!! Everything is brand new. and the car was running perfectly 2 weeks ago.  The only real thing I have added is the regulator, could this be giving me any of these problems??

[JB400]

If in doubt, try the old one again, or another one.  Electrical gremlins are funny that away.

[nascarxx29]

Ive gotten brand new parts of of box defective.You need the pick up in distributor to signal the ecu to fire the coil.Any light pulses with testlight on neg coil terminal while cranking.If you have a old known part coil old working ecu or borrowed one whatever try it .You go to parts store and cant return electrical parts you made guesses with

[Canadian1968]

well I will have to see if I can can get another one to try.

I dont' have a test light , can I just use the digital meter.  Put one lead on the - terminal, where would I put the other one?

I just got the wife to crank it again and I put the meter across the terminals of the coil.  5V in run , and when cranking I was only getting reading of 9V, should I not be getting 12 or close to it?

[nascarxx29]

When I do the testlight I go clip on end to ground and pointed to neg coil terminal looking for a flicker pulse of light.You might be able to tell by voltage changes. Are your coil connections right blue yellow to + and black yellow to _ ..Do You have got any add ons like after market tachs or anything on the coil

[Canadian1968]

Yes Dark Blue to Positive and yelow/black to negative,  And stock Tic Tac to Negative

As I said brand new wiring harness from Evans wiring , I am hoping everything is right.

What really stump me is why I could get it to fire and now all of a sudden I can't even get that.

And the fact that it was running fine before,  I understand parts can fail but just seem like a pretty big coincidence that it did it as soon as i installed new stuff, just want to make sure it not somethign i have done in the install

[Canadian1968]

PIctures always work better than words !!!

[nascarxx29]

 Wiring looks right .Module Is what I suspect are you sure its well grounded

[Canadian1968]

Well I put a good solid ground directly to the ECU and no difference. 
What a dissapointment if the ECU is the problem, unit ran for approx 8 hours and failed, that is just plain garbage.  So what are my options obviously need to try a new ECU but I am goin goin to purchase another Orange one if that is kind of quality it is going to deliver. I know there is a chrome ECU will that run fine on my stock setup??

[Ghoste]

I`ve had chrome ones fail too.  Before buying a new one, is there a known good one you could swap in to try