neidert

My car is off the road for the winter(95 mustang GT), so as a habit I start it every 2 weeks. Last week I started it, it ran for a couple minutes and then just died. Wouldn't start after that. I checked the MSD coil I have that was good. I wasted my money on an ignition control module, installed it tonight and it still won't start. There is no spark getting to the coil. Any other ideas? Would an MSD Ignition have anything to do with this? Or when I was installing I stripped a thread so I drilled and taped them 10-24 and the bolts are coated.Don't know if that matters. Any help is appreciated. I've called the sales rep at the speed shop I go to, no help. I asked him if the ignition was mounted on the passenger side fenderwall and he said no its on the distributrer like earlier mustangs. Thanks

hellion_79

I ran my car for a bit every now and then and once I let it sit and then it wouldnt start, so I tried starting it with the solonoid and with my key turned ON and it fired up. So it led me to the ignition switch, try starting it with a screw driver by connecting the + cable nut to the wire that leads to the ignition switch.

And what year is it? Maybe try some starting fluid lol

wildsurfer92

i dont think it is soo simple on a 95 to use a screwdriver...i can do it on my 85, but not a chance on my 92...how do you know the coil isnt getting any juice?

hellion_79

Doesnt it have coil packs?

wildsurfer92

Nope not on a 95 5.0, his igniton setup looks just like the one in my sig pretty much, unless he has changed it...its just the standard distributor and what not, and usually when you have to take a screwdriver and jump the two sides of the solenoid, it is usually your solenoid that has gone bad...in a way it is like a big fuse, and the power goes in one terminal, and out the other, so when it goes bad, and you put a screwdriver to the two terminals the power jumps bypassing the solenoid...but anyways, i assume your car is cranking, but just not starting?

neidert

Yeah the car is just cranking. I put I screw driver on the coil and there was no spark. But I put the same coil into a 5.0 mercury cougar and it started, so thats how I know the coil is good. Know I don't have huge knowledge on cars, if this solenoid is gone, where is it located and on my 95 can I use the screwdriver trick?

wildsurfer92

well where did you put a screwdriver on the coil? also i will assume you dont have like an inline spark tester, so what you can do is make sure everything is hooked up right, and pull off one of the spark plug wires off on one of the plugs...so leave it on the distributor...pull back the boot a little bit, and you should see the clip inside the boot, where the spark plug would clip into...now take that clip and hold it near the block or cylinder head, really close but not touching, and have someone crank the car...if you see a little spark shoot fromt the boot the the block, you are good...have you checked your cap and rotor? my friends sister was driving went to the store came back out and her car wouldnt start...she had a hairline crack in the distributor cap, that you could barely see and it was tiny im talking tiny, but it was enought so the electricity was just shooting out the cap..the electricity takes the path of least resistance, so if your 5.0 cougar starts up and runs fine, try popping the cap and rotor off that car and putting it on the stang if they are the same and then try it...i still cant see where you were putting a screwdriver on the coil? and im pretty sure the solenoid on your car is built into the starter now, so you cant do the screwdriver trick

neidert

Thanks I'll try that and maybe take the cougar cap and rotar off and try it on mine. I touched the coil where the spark plug plugs in and from there goes to the distributor. Thanks

hellion_79

Well, you could always hold a plug wire while cranking the motor over [&:]That should tell you if you are getting spark or not

wildsurfer92

yea sometimes that wont work, its better to have your hand right on the distributor as you are cranking it...**** man, i was working on my bronco and i had the same problem...5.0 bronco btw, and i had just done plugs, wires, cap, rotor, starter solenoid, and i thikn the coil, not sure, but something happened, and at the moment it wasnt getting spark, and i was jumping the starter solenoid with my hand on the coil plug, and that **** flet like i was struck by lightning man, got i was about to call 911, i couldnt move my arm for literally 30 minutes, it hit me so hard, like i couldnt move my fingers, it freaked me out pretty good, and tingled the rest of the day