Ignition Issues for my 79 bronc

[yeti042]

Ok, I have some issues with my Red Devil. I'll give you a recent recap. It was having ignition issues a couple weeks ago: would turn over, but engine died once the key went back to the unlock position but would stay running if you held the key 1/2 way between the unlock and start position. I replaced the starter switch and core in the dash, the dist. cap and rotor for good measure, and the battery cuz it was time for a new one. It ran great for about 2 weeks.

Yesterday, I went to start it up to go to work. It turned over right away. then i put it in gear and turned the wheel and the engine cut out. Now, it won't even turn over, just clicks. But the radio and wipers will work.

My thought, since its a new battery is the alternator is bad and not charging properly; or the voltage regulator is bad and causing the output to f*** up. what do you guys think?

 

[Broncobill78]

If your electrical accessories work but it just clicks when you try to start it it's generally a poor connection or ground. Check the condition of the battery cable ends, very often the insulation pulls out of the terminal connector and allows water in to start destroying the wire strands. If the cables are good then look at the ground & starter connection.

Having the alternator ck'd is easy enough (assuming you can't get it stated. If you *do* get it started then just ck it with a volt-ohm meter). If alt. output is ok then I'd replace the voltage regulator. The engine cutting out for no good reason could be the ignition module, which may have been victimized by voltage spikes from a bad regulator. Get it started first & resolve the voltage issue then see how it runs & if it continues to cut out

 

[BRONCADONK]

every old ford i have owned has always been a little touchy with the battery conections. if they are not clean and tight the starter will not kick over. the worst ofender was my 71 bronco. i would have to clean and tighten the cables constantly. bad conections can cause charging problems, and your battery will not have enough juice to run you'r ignition. broncobill is dead on, i would check and maybe replace those battery cables. make sure you check all the connections, not just the ones on the battery. they could have corrosion inside the insulation. from my experience those ignition modules are very sensative, but mine have never cut out they just quit working. i would carry a spare if you can. you ever know when or were they are going to crap out.

 

[yeti042]

Well, i took your guys advice last week and started small. I unhooked the battery connectors and took off the ground wire from the battery to the frame, cleaned them up and tightened them with a socket wrench ... fired right up.

however, i have a new problem. it was running fine until this morning. i started it, which it needed about 10-15 sec, but no biggie. after giving it some gas and letting it warm up, i pulled off the curb and the engine stalled. when i went to start it again, all i got was this buzzing sound.

radio, wipers, and all electrics work fine. but when i turn the key to start, it just buzzes.

ideas?

 

[Broncobill78]

Is this a buzzing sound or perhaps something like a quick repetitive clicking or maybe a funny grinding ? It *sounds* like what you're hearing is the ignition solenoid & when you hear that sound it usually means that it's not receiving enough voltage to spin the starter.

I'd start by cking the battery voltage. The battery needs to have at least 12 volts just sitting there with the engine off. A couple tenths higher is better (12.2-12.5, etc) and with the engine running you should have between 13 & 14 volts if the alternator is charging it. Since the battery is new I'd suspect the alternator. Jump start it & test it yourself or bring it someplace like AutoZone or Napa once it's running & have them test it. If the Alt is ok then it's probably the voltage regulator but you'll *need* to ck the battery voltage when it's standing & when it's running to really know what you're dealing with.

 

[yeti042]

Guess what?? It was the f***ing battery cables again. I specifically think its the ground wire that runs from the negative terminal to the frame right next to the battery.

Ahhh .... gotta love 30 year old wiring.

I think I'll replace all three battery cables since I am getting this issue about 1x per week. I was thinking about getting the alternator and voltage regulator checked anyways, just to be safe. Probably wouldn't hurt to replace the volatge regulator, considering its only about $17.

thanks for the help, Broncobill.

 

[Broncobill78]

Glad to help.

If those are original (or just old) battery cables then yeah, I'd replace them. Usually what happens is the insulation pulls away from the lug or terminal end letting water get in & start corroding the wire strands. Like spark plugs those cables are really a disposable item, use them for a few years & throw them away. If nothing else changing them out gives you a chance to clean the battery terminals & ground location on the frame and to be sure everything is tight & secure. You might also consider replacing the cable running from the solenoid down to the starter as well or at the very least take a few minutes to inspect it since that one can also give you problems if/when the connection starts to go bad.

Before replacing anything have it tested. Just put a meter across the battery terminals while it's running & see what the alt is doing. You can also have them ck it for free at Autozone, those guys usually love any sort of excuse to grab a tool & go goof around in the parking lot. The voltage regulator is solid state & usually hold up pretty well but you have a point about it being cheap.

 

[Johnny Reb]

Another thing you might want to check is where your wireing harness goes together at the firewall. The water sealer the manfactures put on it. To keep out moisture--------will melt over time and go down inot the wire terminals and cause troubles. What I done to mine was DIS-CONNECT THE BATTERY AND I TOOK A CKEANER AND CLEANED OUT ALL THE GUNK--(IT LOOKS LIKE MELTED TAR_ and AFTER IT DRYS-----ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME BEFORE YOU CONNECT YOUR BATTEREY BACK UP--MAKE SURE --IT IS COMPLETELY DRY--IF NOT-YOU MIGHT HAVE A FIRE--SO PLEASE ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME-----OVER NIGHT WOULD BE GOOD.--