Weak spark, won't start

Over the past 3 days my truck has died a few times for no apparent reason. It runs great and then it shuts off suddenly, like the ignition was turned off. After a few minutes of waiting it starts back up. That happened 3-4 times over the last few days.

It's a SBF with electronic ignition.

Now she's in the driveway and won't start. The spark at #5 is orange. The spark at the coil wire is blueish white, although I was holding it with my hand and it barely even tickled as my wife turned it over. I know the orange spark is weak but I'm sure if the coil wire was blue enough.

I swapped out the coil with no change. There is a coil resistor there but I can't seem to find a replacement.

Should I be looking to the distributor for answers? It's kinda old.

 

Do you have the stupid Duraspark ignition? If so, you need a new box.

Good luck, -Abone.

 

if its not the dura spark..than check your condensor..just change it 'cause you cant tell by looking at them.

 

No clue what the ignition is. No labels or anything, just a aluminum ribbed box.

 

take the box to a auto parts store and have it tested

 

oh ok electronic ignition..yep like gearsforguts said go get it tested.

 

Ford Duraspark modules are a 100% failure rate part...it,s just a matter of time.

 

i keep a spare in the trunk of my 77 comet

 

Check the color where the wires go in the box .The first ? the parts guy is gonna ask.Most common blue. I have owned many early fords & operated a tow service Always carry a spare.Dont worry about bolting it up just plug it in & mount it later.Does not need grounded

 

New cap and rotor also. Plug wires seem good.

Had someone tell me to check the wires to the coil and dizzy with an ohms meter. what am I looking for? don't know how to use this thing.

BTW - it started and ran. i shut it off after a while and now it won't start again. I sounds like it's just about to start right after I'm done cranking.

 

My experience with those things is that when they go bad, the vehicle will be driving down the road and act like someone 'turned the key off.' However, you might try to smack it lightly with a hammer and see if that'll help it.

Something reminds me that if the plastic 'grommet' where the wires pass into the box are orange, they are garbage from the start. The replacements are blue if I'm not mistaken. However, even the blue ones will fail in time.

 

I love it when this solution becomes an actual possible remedy.

 

I've beaten on them with rocks, sticks, hammers, screwdrivers, my balled up fist, and just about anything else I could reach. Bottom line is that it sometimes works.

 

Replaced the box and still no good.

 

try running a jumper wire from your battery to your coil to give it straight 12 volts,if it has a resistor or resistor wire that might have fried

 

I've replaced the coil, the ignition module and bypassed the coil resistor without any change.
Last night I found the wires running to the distributor had been spliced together with those cheap pinch connectors. They were hidden under my radiator hose. I soldered and shrink wrapped them and it started right up... I think it's fixed although this morning on my way to work it was kinda hard to start. I'm hoping it was just a fluke and I'm done with this.