I really need help!

[Justins72]

Today i took the car out for a drive and it started and ran fine.  I decided to go see a friend at work and when i was done the car would not start.  I know i was getting gas so i tried changing the ballast since i always keep an extra and it still wouldnt start.  I checked to see if i was getting spark from the coil and i must have cause instead of it hitting metal i got a nice jolt to my finger.  My dad finaly came out to help me get it started. We jumped it and tried a lot of stuff but we checked to see if i was getting spark from the plugs and i wasnt for awhile until he grounded it to the alternator and finally i got a spark and it started right up.

Anyone got any ideas on what the problem is?  I have electronic ignition so he thinks it might be the pick up in the distributor.  Im gonna pick up a new one and inspect my cap tomorrow.  The ignition controller is a mopar chrome box  when i did get the car started it was on the one i got with the car but it also started fine and sounded like it was running better with the chrome one so i dont think thats the problem.

[422STROKER]

Could still be the chrome box.

Tom

Did it smell flooded?

[MrMopar440]

I agree with the box as a potential as well - I went through a couple before switching to MSD. Same with the stupid voltage regulators. 

[Bullitt-]

Since adding the ground got the car to start I would suggest there lies the problem, a poor ground. I have read that between loose mounts & corrosion that the ICU looses ground.

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Since adding the ground got the car to start I would suggest there lies the problem, a poor ground. I have read that between loose mounts & corrosion that the ICU looses ground.

I'm with Wade on this one... I'd start here first. 

[Justins72]

I will try adding a chassis to block ground wire today.  I tried the other box that i had as an extra and that wouldnt start it either.  I had the spark plug wire and screwdriver next to the alternator to see if i could see the spark jump so i would know if there was spark getting to the plugs wich there wasnt for awhile then all of a sudden there was a spark and thats when the car fired right up.  This problem has happened to me before the last time i drove it but it only does it after i have been driving for awhile when the car gets warmed up or too hot.

Also on the passenger side firewall there is an L shaped sensor or some sort of electrical thing bolted to the firewall that has 3 wires conneted to it. Anyone know what this is?

[72hemi]

I had a similar problem with my 71 cuda when i first got it together. The problem for me was the ignition box was not grounding to the body, because of the painted firewall. So I ran a ground strap from the box and I never had another problem.

[shadango]

Also on the passenger side firewall there is an L shaped sensor or some sort of electrical thing bolted to the firewall that has 3 wires conneted to it. Anyone know what this is?

Is this what you mean?

[img][http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q391/shadango_bucket/cuda%20ignition%20and%20wiring/DCP_0093.jpg/img]

[Justins72]

yea what is that?

[Chryco Psycho]

could be a bad coil or pick up in the dist also

[Justins72]

I put in a new pick up and made sure that the ICU is grounded.  The car starts so far but it started last night also.  One of those things were im just going to have to wait and see what happens.  I thought about the coil but the car runs great when started and i would think if it was the coil that it would like crap.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Coils are strange. I had one that was fine until my engine hit 2000 RPM's, then all heck would break loose. It would start missing real bad, and send my tachometer to the funny farm.   

[HemiOrange70]

I was told that when a car is hot it will use another spot to ground  so you should always ground the block to the frame as well as the battery ground.