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Some MSD help please.

Old Nov 26, 2017 | 06:27 PM
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Default Some MSD help please.

I am going to start my 502 tomorrow for the first time and was going thru some things. With the key on the LED on the MSD 6AL blinks and then goes off. What wires hooked to the distributor should be hot when the key is on. I am running a 4 pin HEI. With the key on none of the wires are hot. Should they be or are they hot when the engine is cranking/running. i have 13.8 volts.
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Old Nov 27, 2017 | 04:03 AM
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Here is the wiring diagram as I'm sure you have. The wires going to the distributor are just the trigger. Not sure what voltages should be on them.

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Old Nov 27, 2017 | 06:17 AM
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I have an HEI, thanks for the diagram.
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Old Nov 27, 2017 | 12:31 PM
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Called MSD, they said none of the wires will show voltage with just the key on and the light blinking and then going out is normal.
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Old Nov 27, 2017 | 04:47 PM
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That's what I was thinking as all those wires do is trigger the box to trigger the coil. As an electronics engineer I can think of a bunch of ways to do that with and without voltage and knowing how my MSD distributor triggers I figured they probably wouldn't have voltage. My old 6AL doesn't have an LED so I've never seen what you're talking about.

Hope your engine start goes well. Always fun when it does.
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Old Nov 27, 2017 | 05:11 PM
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Originally Posted by theandies
That's what I was thinking as all those wires do is trigger the box to trigger the coil. As an electronics engineer I can think of a bunch of ways to do that with and without voltage and knowing how my MSD distributor triggers I figured they probably wouldn't have voltage. My old 6AL doesn't have an LED so I've never seen what you're talking about.

Hope your engine start goes well. Always fun when it does.

Thanks.
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Old Nov 28, 2017 | 09:13 PM
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I had a problem with the power wire on the battery positive. To many terminals connected there and some galvanic corrosion occurred with the different metals and the MSD box lost power/couldn't start the car. Once I figured it out I just cleaned all the terminals and tightened the fastener fixed the problem.
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