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Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: righthandman on July 09, 2014, 02:25:42 AM

Title: 74 with electrical shutdown
Post by: righthandman on July 09, 2014, 02:25:42 AM
 I have this 74 with a 2.3 that every once in a great while it will just shut off. It sometimes will start right back up and run as good as ever and other times it will have to sit for a few minutes, but always has started back up without doing anything under the hood. and it always runs great when its running.
 I put a new coil on, and then a new condenser, but now I am stumped.
 Any ideas greatly appreciated. 
Title: Re: 74 with electrical shutdown
Post by: oldkayaker on July 09, 2014, 05:42:28 AM
Those intermittent problems are hard to track down until they permanently fail.  Do not rule out the fuel system, a dying fuel pump, dirty fuel filter/sock, and/or a fuel tank vent problem may give similar effects.  If it is electrical, I would first suspect the ignition switch.
Title: Re: 74 with electrical shutdown
Post by: slowride on July 09, 2014, 03:08:44 PM
Same issue and symptoms as my 74 had. New ignition module (on fenderwell) and no failures in 3 years.
Title: Re: 74 with electrical shutdown
Post by: amc49 on July 09, 2014, 04:40:01 PM
Condenser says not electronic ignition...... .........

If you get to one of those 'let it sit before it starts' days you should be checking for spark right then. You WILL have to get under hood to solve the issue. Can be literally 50 things although mostly a small handful.
Title: Re: 74 with electrical shutdown
Post by: righthandman on July 12, 2014, 12:35:34 AM
 Yea guys this is point type ignition. Was electronic available in 74?
 What about this seatbelt safety switch. Fords better idea for "74". Is that something that shuts off power to the ignition coil or to the starter so the cars engine won't crank over?
 I have had the opportunity to check for spark on occasion and found none, but yet the car will restart sometimes instantly other times an hour later. Without me doing anything at all.
 Any ideas. Please run them by me caus I can't stand to be embarrassed by a car as simple as these old ones.
                                                                           Thanks,     
Title: Re: 74 with electrical shutdown
Post by: dga57 on July 12, 2014, 12:39:13 AM
Have you tried resetting the seat belt/starter interlock?  There's a red button in the engine compartment that does that.  Can't remember its exact location (it's been 38 years since I last owned a '74 Pinto) but it's not hard to find.
Dwayne :)
Title: Re: 74 with electrical shutdown
Post by: amc49 on July 12, 2014, 03:53:22 AM
I do not remember the exact wires from the seat belt interlock module but two of them cut and twisted together bypasses the whole mess. Had a car that mysteriously slowly ran the battery down over and over until I found it in that module.
Title: Re: 74 with electrical shutdown
Post by: dick1172762 on July 12, 2014, 06:51:15 AM
Check for a loose plate that the points bolt to. Had that happen more than once.