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79 Power wagon no start

F

fixerupper

Well-known Member
79 Power wagon with a 360 won't start. Will crank fine, gets gas OK. When the coil wire is held close to metal to make a spark jump it will make one spark when the starter is first hit, then no more spark. Quit cranking, hit the starter again and it will again make one spark then the spark quits. It did this a year ago and replacing the ignition control module on the firewall fixed it. Now 500 miles later it's doing it again. The new module might be bad, the old one lasted only a few thousand miles, but what else could be causing this if the module is still good? I can troubleshoot points ignitions easily but I'm not well versed on electronic ignitions.


Oh, by the way, I used to haul tractors with it. LOL
 

Check the Ballast resistor If good. (I am going by memory cuzz I have not worked on a no start on one like yours in years) take a test light and back probe the green wire at the ignition module ignition switch on if it glows dim the module is bad... (may be green wire with red stripe)

Parts are cheap fer'em if all fails throw the parts cannon at it...
 

I am supersized you did not say you already swapped the ballast I still tote one in the glove box in my tow truck for Chrysler no starts... Left over parts from back in the day....

Dodge trucks that eat modules once was a common thang to eliminate the issue I ran a ground wire from the base of the module to the chassis and one to the engine...

Google your system they are simple as it gets the problem is its hung on a mopar.
 
I had a 79 dodge van that liked to lose ignition about every 30,000 miles. First time I replaced the ignition box, then the second time spark went away I just loosened the ignition box mount screws to restore a good ground to the module. crack those screws lose 1/4 turn then retighten, it may well restore the spark.

Another thing, unplug the male / female plug in the distributor lead near the distributor.
They tend to corrode a bit and the unplug/ plug in action cleans the contacts. It helps to add a bit of electrical grease to the plug to stop corrosion.
 
I do know the new ignition parts we get today aren't what they used to be. The factory ignition module lasted a good many years. Now I'm on the third replacement in maybe 15000 miles or less. Will try the test light trick and report back when I get time. Yesterday this pickup did start when we bump started it. I left it run awhile, killed it and restarted it with no problem. Today it's back up to the same old trick. I did run a jumper wire to the coil from the battery but that didn't help.

Years ago when this thing was new it wouldn't start with the starter but bump started fine. Took it to the dealer under warranty and it started fine for them. They told me they couldn't find the problem if it is starting OK. They had an arrogant attitude about it. I took it home, put my meter on the coil, wiggled wires and in five minutes found a plug in the firewall was loose. The dealership sold Pontiac, Cadillac and Dodge. They acted like a Dodge customer like me was a second class customer. That dealer is long gone now, good riddance!
 
I?ve owned three Power Wagons over the years and I had one
that gave me fits. If yours has a factory amp gauge , take the
wires loose and jump current across them, that was my no
start problem, amp gauge was shorted.....
 
Grayrider, I had to chuckle. This thing melted three ammeters. I finally bolted the two wires together and that solved the problem. Two other Dodge owners of that vintage had their ammeter melt also.
 
DUI, and end the issues. The "GOAT" company made an over complicated, and not very reliable "ignition syshtem".

<img src = "https://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/mediumlarge/dui-127212cl_w_ml.jpg">
 
I think a ?79 would still have a vacuum advance. Due to the movement of the pickup coil sometimes the wires to it can bend back and forth enough that they break inside the insulation. Tugging on the wires while checking for the proper ohm reading through the pickup coil will test this type of failure.
 
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