[455rebel]

Anyone ever have a msd box drain their battery? It's bout 3 years old, just started doing this couple weeks ago. Took me all day to find what was the drain. It's the red wire that goes straight to battery positive, hot all time. When unhooked, no more drain. But hooked up it lights a test light between negitive bat terminal and ground cable?
My fix was to put on the key switch, only hot now when key is on!
Anything wrong with this fix?
Web search found hundreds of post similar, but no fix?
Some said it kept a capacitor charged?

[Schurkey]

6AL, or DIGITAL 6AL? There might be a difference when it comes to MSD's ability to fix the thing. The 6AL was repairable. Digital 6AL may...or may not be.

CONTACT MSD.

In the meantime, use the ignition switch to trigger an external relay that supplies full power to the "red" wire. That way, there's no drain when the ignition is off. There should be a relay--or a transistor, which would do the same job--inside the box. Either the relay stuck, or the transistor is "open".

[Tom Vaught]

I used a pair of common 40 amp relays controlled by the Ignition Switch to remove power to my MSD "Potted" 6AL Ignition Box and my Electric Fuel Pump and never had any issues by doing that.
I personally do not like "Always Hot" wiring from the Battery anywhere on the car.
It also worked as a great "Theft Deterent" in college.

Tom V.

A lot of failures from the MSD ignition stuff with the wiring just flopping around in the box after being used for a while. The Potted MSD Ignition Boxes were offered by Ford's SVO Racing group for Trans Am Racing vehicles many years ago.

[steve25]

How is that circuit to the control box even active if this drain is taking place with the ignition key off?

[Formulas]

Usual suspect in key off battery drain is a defective diode pack in alternator

.

[Tom Vaught]

Originally Posted by steve25

How is that circuit to the control box even active if this drain is taking place with the ignition key off?

LOTS of MSD Wiring shows a direct power feed from the battery to the MSD Unit. believe the feed wire is 10 gage.

Some of the later stuff shows it going thru the ignition Switch.

Tom V.

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught

LOTS of MSD Wiring shows a direct power feed from the battery to the MSD Unit. believe the feed wire is 10 gage.

Some of the later stuff shows it going thru the ignition Switch.

Tom V.

Actually every one I've ever wired up over the last 30 years, it's both. It has a heavy wire that is 12v positive all the time, and directions explain that to go directly to battery.

Then there is another wire, a trigger wire that goes to a 12v keyed source to turn the box on. So I can understand where Steve25's question is coming from.

With that said, if the key is off and the trigger wire isn't hot, then it sounds like an open circuit in the box if that thing is lighting up with just the heavy 12 volt battery wire. Because the box shouldn't be active with that wire.

[455rebel]

That's why it took me all day. I unhooked the alt, then the raido memory, then every fuse that was hot with key off. All 1 at a time, then re test with test light. I had the msd, like instructions said, on positive terminal pigtail off red cable. It starts just like before?
Ps-this is a tiny red wire, I c no need for relay. The old boxes had a large red wire.
Pss-this is also a generic msd box with rev limiter, that a local shop sells. I use it on points distributer.

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by 455rebel

I had the msd, like instructions said, on positive terminal pigtail off red cable. It starts just like before?
Ps-this is a tiny red wire, I c no need for relay. The old boxes had a large red wire.
Pss-this is also a generic msd box with rev limiter, that a local shop sells. I use it on points distributer.

Are you saying that this is NOT AN MSD-BRAND BOX? Why would you use a brand-name to describe a generic box?

Post photos, including a scan of the instructions for how to route the wires.

[Tom Vaught]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

Are you saying that this is NOT AN MSD-BRAND BOX? Why would you use a brand-name to describe a generic box?

Post photos, including a scan of the instructions for how to route the wires.

MSD actually means Multiple Spark Discharge (MSD) and even though the Company MSD was one of the first out there, there are other companies and OEMs who have been using Multispark ignitions for many years.

Tom V.

My chit was the old heavy red wire box.

[455rebel]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

Are you saying that this is NOT AN MSD-BRAND BOX? Why would you use a brand-name to describe a generic box?

Post photos, including a scan of the instructions for how to route the wires.

Not msd brand, instructions long gone. Wires up just like a msd brand, wire colors same , it was bout half price, it's worked 3 years. Working fine now 3 days on key switch.
I used the MSD so everyone would know what I was talking about!
Just wondered if anyone else had a. Similar problem.
Found a bunch on web with same problem? But no fix? All reco ended send back to MSD.

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by 455rebel

Not msd brand, instructions long gone. Wires up just like a msd brand, wire colors same , it was bout half price, it's worked 3 years. Working fine now 3 days on key switch.

IF this thing draws current like the "real" MSD, you shouldn't use the ignition switch for main power. That's why there's a separate power wire--to take the load off of the ignition switch. The current draw will be too great at higher RPM for the contacts in the ignition switch, and the vehicle wire harness it connects to.

Use the ignition switch to control a relay, with the relay wired to deliver power from the alternator/battery to the big red wire when turned "on". Essentially, you're installing an external relay to take the place of the failed internal relay (or transistor).

[455rebel]

After bout an hour drive, I felt the red wire, it's not even warm. This must be the new digital style box, again the wire is tiny. My concern is what it does, why would anything need to be hot, or active when the engine isn't running?

[Formulajones]

I've installed 2 digital MSD boxes recently, like a few weeks ago, and they are still the same.

10 gauge heavy red and black wires that go directly to battery.

Another very thin red wire that is a key on power trigger source.

I'm not sure what you have there but sounds very strange.

[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by 455rebel

After bout an hour drive, I felt the red wire, it's not even warm. This must be the new digital style box, again the wire is tiny. My concern is what it does, why would anything need to be hot, or active when the engine isn't running?

Hard to help you when you mislead us about the product, and never do tell us what exactly you have, or even post photos of it.

[455rebel]

Again this is a generic box, not the real MSD. I can't get a pic, it's hidden way up under dash.
But it does have the tiny wire that went to bat +. Didn't mean to mislead, but as stated before, msd, means multiple spark discharge, not just 1 brand, kinda like coke means all soda.
Anyway, new news, after sitting bout 4 days, went to start, didn't start instantly like normal.
So I left key in on position bout 10 seconds and then I got the instant start like I'm used to.
Something inside is discharging. Because it's a cheap knockoff box, I'm not going to worry about it, I'll change my routine to start, key on a few seconds before I crank, if car has sat awhile. Still starts fine if only 1 day setting. When and if it finally quits, I have a real one on a crashed car to replace it with. I've used several real brand boxes in my lifetime, only had 1 quit after bout 12 Years service, this is the 2nd generic box (2 different brands), I've had go bad!
Might be a lesson somewhere hear?

[Formulajones]

Hard to say. If you listen to a lot of people here they complain about MSD too, stating they went over seas and it's china crap too etc etc....

But apparently there still must still be some quality difference between MSD and the generic boxes as you have found out.

Even with that said, I still just recently had a brand new MSD Digitial 6 right out of the box not work at all. I sent it back to Summit and they replaced it no questions asked. This one has been just fine.

Electronics are funny that way, there are no guarantees no matter what name is on it, just maybe a little more reassurance.

[Tom Vaught]

Going thru a 3rd party like Summit seems to be the right way to go as far as the supplier making it right.

Tom V.

["QUICK-SILVER"]

NASCAR runs two boxes "for a reason"

Clay

[455rebel]

Quality control, when parts were built in the good ole USA, was better than now!
Us folks 50+(I'm 61) lived through the time of Best parts. I've mechaniced since i was 14, Hardley ever got a bad part, happens now a lot. I remember a MSD display on the counter that sent sparks flying, back in late 70s. Bought my first one from them. At the time he swore he never got one back. Now the web is full of tales bout bad boxes.