It's me again. I think everything is failing at one time. I've been looking at new F250s and the base price is twice what I paid for the first house I bought in the 70s. :-)

Anyway: F250, 460, 4x2, C6

New Coil
New Coin Wire
New Battery
New Fuel Pump
New Starter
in the last month. Not all of them were required but they needed replacing on age alone.

First no start I replaced the coil and it fired right up. Ran good for a couple of days and down again. First AAA tow.

I replaced the crimp connectors to the coil and it started working better than before. Ran even better than before for two days and died on the interstate exit coming home. Second AAA tow.

I'm getting about 5.5 volts to the coil. But I get no spark grounding a plug to the frame with the coil wire attached.

Wondering if it's th voltrage regulator but I replaced it about 3 years ago. probably enough problem grounds on this thing to make one go bad though.

I've tested the voltage drop at the battery only so far and it doesn't drop at all when starting the engine.

I'm stumped (again).

Clues????

PS: Why does the coil wire not show continuity from one end to the other?

TIA

 

the wire from the coil to distributor should be a resistance wire... thats why they dont have ballast resistors anymore like on the old points system. if its a dead wire then thats probably your problem
also if the wire from the coil to the distributor cap should be a resistance wire too.. i think 5000 ohm is about standard for plug wires... if you ran straight wire on your plugs you wouldnt be able to use your radio, and neither would anyone else around you

 

step 1. key on, should be bat. voltage pos. side of coil. 2) make sure rotor spins wen cranking. 3) have module tested. 4) if all this is good change picup coil. allways chek for spark at coil, if good spark, problem is cap, rotor or wires

 

Walkied in to this thread response just after waving goodbye to actually the fourth tow truck. The third one from AAA is running some kind of scam where they won't load with the flat bed if your so far off the road. I was 18' on solid ground but they wanted to bring out a a-frame rig and charge me another $50 on top of what AAA paid them. AAA backed the scumbags up so I told to take their truck and go home. Called another shop and they came out with the same kind of truck, loaded the truck and took it to my house for less than the $50 the other place wanted. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I know who I'll use from now on.

Anyway, have replaced the following:
- Ignition coil
- Dist cap
- dist rotor
- voltage reg
- ignition control module
- battery
- fuel pump
- starter
- alternator
(yeah, not all of these are related to the current issue but most of them needed replacing anyway)

After it worked on it the last time it ran like a top. Started better than it ever has. I started it over and over many times and took it out on local trips and it ran great. Drove it 15 miles and it just quit in the middle of the interstate, no spark out of the coil. 5.85 volts at the coil posts with the key on. Voltage loss between the coil posts during a start attempt = 0 (iin fact it rose 1.5 v).

One thing. This time I noticed the ignition coil was hot as a $2 pistol. Way hotter than any other thing in the engine compartment except the block. The top of the radiator wasn't that hot.

As the tow truck drove away (I waited till he got far enough not to hear it) I tried to crank it and it started and ran fine on the third attempt. I almost cried. :-)

I am just stumped.