Vikefan88

so like ive posted before ive gotten my car back from the body shop.. i havent driven it yet but ive turned it on and off to just check it.. well yesterday i had it in the on position check that all my light bulbs were working behind my dash and my turn signal light.. and all of a sudden i heard like air being released then a loud pop. i first looked at my tires because i thought it was that.. but then i saw a large puddle under my car and my msd coil blew!! it was super hot!!!!! so was my alternator.. all the fluid came out and the lip part of the coil came off because i guess it was hot and all this liquid fell out.. my question is what the hell is up with that.. my guess is they unhooked my igntion wiring somewhere to paint the dash and also the engine compartment because before i sent it in for paint it didnt do this.. they had to put it back together but all mickey mouse somwhere there either is a short.. or something isnt connected right.. also when i stuck my hand bhind the dash i noticed one of the wires was hot when i touched it... where should i check for first?!?

Gun Jam

The car was running or not? The key was in the on position but the engine not running?

If you trace back the + wire on the coil where does it end?

-Gun

Vikefan88

Not running. Car ran but have not driven for I have been putting the decals back, but at this point I hadn't turned the car on since the day before, it was just in the on position,, engine wasn't on. It is a 65 coupe v8, like I said it nber haven't before I sent to get painted, someone had to Mickey mouse it back I'm guessing when the attempted to paint the dash ot engine compartment

Starfury

What kind of ignition do you have? Factory points? Ignitor? Ignitor II? MSD?

It's unwise to leave the key in the run position with the engine off with many ignitions. If the conditions are right, you'll be constantly sending power through the coil. Eventually it will overheat and pop. The Ignitor II, most better aftermarket distributors, and any box-controlled system should eventually kill power to the coil to keep this from happening.

JMD

Gun already has the problem nailed... Key on, engine NOT running can DESTROY COILS and ALTERNATORs.

These devices are not meant to be powered up without the engine running.

The coil is meant to deliver a spark when the points open, with the key on and the points (or electronic equivalent) CLOSED, the coil will overheat pretty quickly, and even more so if you have the coil on a full 12 V.

Alternator is the same, with the key on, the alternator is trying to charge, but this is not possible when it is not turning, so it will overheat also. Compounding this, that fan on the front of the alternator does not work when it is not in motion.

Both situations are a b!tch, but completely normal.

Vikefan88

So what happened is normal? I have msd. But it was just for a couple of minutes, because I was checking the turn switch, what should I do guys? Just make sure to not have it in the on position for long? What about the hot wire I felt behind the dash? I know before I've never had this problem before. Need ur advice on setting my mustang the bestway u guys suggest?

Gun Jam

you have just the MSD coil or the whole A6 setup?

When my car is in the on position I have 0.00 volts to the coil because I use the MSD A6 and matching distributor. It shouldn't close the circuit if its not spinning. But to be safe I always use the ACC position when I listen to music or work on something with out the car running its an old points habbit I guess.

as for the hot wire I cant really say.

-Gun

JMD

All I can say for sure is that if the coil popped when the key was on and the engine was not running, it was getting 8 to 12 Volts, AND the -negative side of the coil was being grounded for it to "POP"...

There is no doubt about that.

The key being left on CAUSED this problem...

I can't say how the BOX was working, or how it was SUPPOSED to work, but since the car was running before this incident, I am thinking you are going to need to own up to this one, it would not have happened had you not left the key on....

I can say that if we were talking about an ignition system that does not use a box, the + side of the coil is ALWAYS HOT whenever the key is on, and the coil circuit is completed (to ground) inside the distributor.

On a points setup, the coil may be grounded (energized) or not all depending on where the distributor happened to stop when the car was turned off.

I am imagining that the MSD coil might have been subject to a full 12 Volts?

If so, this fact + the fact that it is a "higher energy" unit would probably end up speeding this process up over a stock coil. (more heat)

Vikefan88

k thanks guy u r really helping me alot... i do just have a msd blaster coil... so what do i do now guy.. re hook it up and just be careful? or is there something wrong i did before with my wiring.. because i could of sworn ive listened to music before with the key in on position and the engine off.. and never had this problem.. what should i do guy?

Gun Jam

Its easy just replace the coil and hope the car starts....Yes its Russian roulette with a binary choice of points open or points closed. If the points happen to be in the open position and you listen to music your fine. If they happen to be closed then your coil burns. Points are either open or closed depending where the engine stops when you shut it down.

By the way I'm not your guy buddy.

Good luck

-Gun