Thread: 302 wont fire PLZ HELP

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Originally Posted by treese13

....i put a light tester on the battery and it lit up but then i put i on the coil and i got nothing...

(I'm assuming you probed the + terminal on the coil with the key in the run position and the ground lead of the test light had a good ground)

Does it have a ballast resistor? Most old engines either use a ballast resistor or a resistor wire between the ignition switch and the ignition coil to reduce the voltage to the coil.

If you have a ballast resistor, you can check it using your test light.
- if there's power on one side but not the other, it's a bad resistor.
- If there's power on both sides, the wire from the resistor to the coil is bad.
- If there's no power to the resistor, it's either a bad wire to the ignition switch, a faulty ignition switch, or just plain miswired.

I would not recommend running a coil directly off the battery for an extended period of time unless you know for sure that it's a 12v coil (most stock coils are 6v - many 12v coils are just 6v coils with an internal ballast resistor). I blew-up a coil once because I overheated it with too much voltage - no firey explosion or anything, the can just ruptured and spewed oil everywhere.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck.

ive seem to mislead you guys...the solenoid is not in the starter

the one circled on the far left is the starter solenoid, Its not mine, I just pulled a picture up from the net. And unless its a chevy powered ford the solenoid is on the right fender inner skirt.

thanks for the pic but how am i supposed to tell the difference between the + and the - on the solenoid?{my solenoid is is on the right next to my transmission,cant really tell}

thanks for the pic but how am i supposed to tell the difference between the + and the - on the solenoid?{my solenoid is is on the right next to my transmission,cant really tell}

Be real careful of what starter and off starter solenoid set up that you have. The new starters have the solenoid built into the can on top of the starter with the one on the firewall being merely a relay for the start signal - and I don't have a clue when these were installed - mid '90s maybe. With the new setup you have 2 heavy wires on one terminal with a lighter one running to the starter - there being 2 wires rather then a single heavy one like the older Fords.

This is what I mean. The sketch on this page is NOT the solenoid I'm using - I'm using the older style, with some mods to my wiring

Now you got me confused. What does this problem have to do with the starter solenoid?

Maybe I misread this thread, but here are the symptoms as I understand them:

• The engine cranks; but no smoke,cough or backfire.
• There is no power to the coil.

Unless you're looking to replace a blown fuse-link, there is no reason to even look at the starter solenoid.

Originally Posted by Joe G

Now you got me confused. What does this problem have to do with the starter solenoid?

Maybe I misread this thread, but here are the symptoms as I understand them:

• The engine cranks; but no smoke,cough or backfire.
• There is no power to the coil.

Unless you're looking to replace a blown fuse-link, there is no reason to even look at the starter solenoid.

Yeah, it's a little confusing. Someone else put this thing together evidently, and wires are hanging loose all over. He has no juice to the coil, and Fords pickup the ignition voltage from the second small terminal on the solenoid generally. That is how the solenoid came into this. We are trying to get him to start at ground zero and see where he is not connected.

Don