My husband has an 83 Ford E150 (302) with an electronic ignition problem.

In his words:

"After driving home and parked for two days, it would not start. I put a new electronic ignition box on. Plus a new coil. It still would not start. It has 4.65 volts going into the coil from the ignition box

Anybody here have any ideas why it will not fire?

Is it possible to convert it to a regular ignition setup.
If so, what is needed to do this?"

Any help would be appreciated.
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(Why I am so glad my own E100/4.9 is a basic "nuts and bolts" affair.)

 

I'd suggest locating a good service manual that spells out the pinpoint tests for your system.It's a bit time consuming but it works for me.Hope this helps.

 

We have both Chilton's and Haynes'...for what it's worth. But their "troubleshooting" guides aren't thorough enough to help him

 

Which coil did you replace? The visible one on the engine, or the "Pickup Coil" in the distributor?

Also, never replace the module and pickup coil with a used one, and don't trust the rebuilt units, either.

Modules and pickup coils have been a PITA since day one. While these parts may all look the same they are not. make sure the new ones you get are the correct ones for a specific vehicle, otherwise....

 

i have to agree with bill {numberdummy} ignition modules,etc have been one big pain since they were invented..on my 86 bronco 2 i have gone through 3 modules since i had it,my 72 has the old points style, and only 1 coil since new...never use rebuilt or used parts..trust me,i tried and it's not worth it

 

Chilton and Haynes aren't usually good for troubleshooting anything more difficult than a flat.Chilton professional edition is a bit better.Not much though.I think a Ford shop manual would have it if you can locate one.If you have a shop that you deal with ask them.There are currently some online service manuals such as Motor or Alldata that are very good.Problem with them is they are subscription services and unless you are running a shop they are cost prohibitive for the average person.Some shops in my area will download and print what you need for a fee.Hope this helps.

 

> It has 4.65 volts going into the coil from the ignition box

This does not sound correct, it should be 2x-3x that amount.

When the ign. module was replaced, was it replaced with one that had the same color grommet on it and if so, what was the color?

What are the color of the wires on the connector? Usually there are four.

How was the voltage measured and on what color wire?

 

No, in the duraspark system (in ;83 it's either DS2 or DS/EEC III), It should only have rougly 6 volts going to it. If it's been cranked a little it's going to register a bit lower. You can try running a wire from the (+) side of the coil to the (+) side of the battery and see if it will start. I'd see if it's getting spark first tho. Take the coil wire off and hold it about 1/8 to 1/4 inch above the post on the distributor. Turn the engine over and see if spark jump. If not you may need to replace the wires. Also you can take the module to autozone, napa, or advance auto and they can test it for you.

 

NumberDummy
Both Dura Spark and "visible" ignition coil were replaced with new ones. The Dura Spark he bought from AutoZone a few months ago but kept boxed as a backup.

There isn't a "pick up" coil in the distributor. Only the "visible" one.

Redcap Diesel: Bradley Ford in Parker may have one (oldest Ford dealer in Arizona, est: 1912) Yeah, Chilton's and Haynes help...up to a point.

pfogle....my husband will try your suggestion tomorrow.

My72Ford: My husband would love to replace all this "electronic crap" (in his words) with an "old points system"

 

If you have EEC, the Stator (Pickup Coil) is sold only with the distributor.

If you don't have EEC, The Stator (Pickup Coil) IS there and is sold separate.

D4PZ-12A112-A Stator, Distributor (Motorcraft DU-1-A)

See post #12 for Ignition Modules.


I've been to the Parker, AZ Ford Dealer. The display cabinet with obsolete Ford parts on display is a treat. If only they'd part with them.

 

Sounds like a California Van that has the DS/EEC III system.
The Ignition module must have a brown color grommet to work with this system, they are hard to find.
The EEC system does not have a Stator (Pickup Coil) in the distributor.
There are not any small wires going to the distributor and it does not have a vacuum diaphragm on it.

You might think about converting the system over to a DS2, it is the best system you can have for that year.

If you need a wiring diagram for either system just ask and I will post it.

 

1983 E150 302 V8
CALIFORNIA ONLY

D9AZ-12A199-B .. Ignition Module (Motorcraft (DY 249)
__________________________________________________ _
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NOT CA

D9VZ-12A199-A Ignition module (Motorcraft DY 184)
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This van has always been in Arizona

 

This would indicate a California Van.

 

"California van" means w/cal emissions. It didn't have to ever visit cali to have the emmissions. I bought a 78 f-100 in NC from second owner, all original paperwork inc. original purchaced in Indiana, w/cal emissions. check to see if there is a decal under the hood w/ vacuum diagram. it should state original engine dispacement, ignition system type, and idle and timing settings.

Unfortunatly, I had a 84 Ranger w/ EEC. Has smaller dist w/ ignition (6 wire connector) mounted to it; carburator with a bunch of wires connected to it, and all vacuum accessories (EGR, dashpot, heat riser) running through electric/vacuum solenoids. It was a really good truck until the mixture solenoid went out on the carb, you could drive until the computer took over (105 deg), then it would flood out every 2 minutes. Of course, when FoMoCo abandoned EECIII, they promptly stopped making replacement parts. I had to switch to DS2, rejet used 2150 2bbl, and tune for a month. It runs fine now though. Someone told me the tuning would have taken less time if I had used a carb for a 2.8 instead of a 400 (6.6L), oh well, spare parts, us 'em when you can...

Check for a "D" shaped connector on the drivers side inner fender. 2 wire connector red / white, this is the DS2 power connector. if when plugged in the wires are crossed, red-to-wite:white-to-red, it should still work, mine did. Unfortunatly, you will need DS2 module, DS2 distributor, DS2 coil, make wiring harness, 4 wires, 8 connectors, new plug wires, and carburator. If you dont have emissions to mess with, for about $200 extra, a 4bbl upgrade will help out a lot and you can loose the EGR. Edelbrocks are a little easier to adjust since you dont have to disassemble them. 500-550 cfm is all you'll need.