Cj medevac I'm in need of help with my 83 CJ7!

Tiny
RYAN ABERNATHY
  • MEMBER
  • 1983 JEEP CJ7
  • 5.0L
  • V8
  • 4WD
  • MANUAL
  • 123,456 MILES
Cj, I see where you have assisted many with electrical issues on cj's in the past. I have a 1983 cj 7 which I can not seem to diagnose. I am far from a mechanic so any help would be greatly appreciated.
It is an 1983 cj 7 which was converted over to a 304. I rarely drive it but have owned it for several years and haven't had any major issues with it until lately. About a month ago it would not start.
I checked and it was not getting fire. I tried finding a loose wire but had no luck. The jeep would start and run on about every 10-15 attempts and then run random amounts of time before shutting down.
I replaced the coil and the jeep started first attempt and ran perfect. Thinking I had fixed it I shut it off and did not try it again for approximately two weeks. Then back to the same thing but probably starting less often. I have tried different coil wires, a third coil, starter solenoid, and a electronic ignition module all without any success.
Please let me know what other info and pics you need to help diagnose. Also I do not think I'm located but a few miles from you. Thanks.
Tuesday, March 28th, 2017 AT 10:14 AM

13 Replies

Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,005 POSTS
Got a voltmeter?

Whacha getting at the Positive side of Mr. Coil w/ Key on?

Have you dumped 2 teaspoons of gas down the carb or a one second burst of starter fluid in it?

Other than the engine swap, what sorta engine/ electrical stuff ain't stock anymore?

Thanks for requesting me!

I was thinking they were all fixed now, as yours and one other are the only ones to show up in months.

The Medic
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Wednesday, March 29th, 2017 AT 7:31 PM
Tiny
RYAN ABERNATHY
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I only have a test light at the moment but I will try to pick up a voltmeter tmrw. I did have a friend check it with a meter and I think it was 8 something which I think was in the correct range.
I have tried adding a little gas to the carb, and also made sure it was spraying gas when someone pumped the gas pedal.
As far a electrical changes I really do not know. I picked it up at a car sale years ago and never talked to the owner. I do know that the ignition control module that was on it cross referenced to the same as a 94 Cherokee.
Thanks for your help.
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-1
Thursday, March 30th, 2017 AT 3:11 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
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!981 was the last of the 304s

The module changed slightly when they stuck a computer in the Jeep CJ to run the stepper motor on the carb (on the 258 6 cylinder later than '81) (remember 304s were not in 'em anymore!). The module looked the same, it just had one less wire. JUST INFO, this is why people do the "Nutter Bypass" to eliminate computer controlling the ignition (Basically making their 258 Jeep back into a '76-'81 model)

YOU SHOULD NOT BE BOTHERED WITH THE ABOVE!

Your module should be exactly like this one, A Motorcraft or equivalently the same (this is a Motorcraft ignition system) I have no problem using a 'Clone' that looks the same

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/bwd-ignition-control-module-cbe7p/5240484-P?searchTerm=ignition+module%2Fcontrol

4 wires into one connector

2 wires into the other

Where the wires exit the module, it should be BLUE PLASTIC (other colors are for other Ford applications)

Lemme know if this is what you have, lemme know if your wires go the same places as my previous diagram. It is a must! No cheating/ rigging something else. OOOPS! FORGOT THAT LATE ONE NIGHT! I'LL PUT IT BELOW! Disregard the 6 cylinder firewall part

I can help you find where stuff goes/ suggest where to get needed parts/ pigtails

Is this the EXACT same module you have?

Your Turn!

The Medic
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Thursday, March 30th, 2017 AT 4:46 PM
Tiny
RYAN ABERNATHY
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  • 7 POSTS
Yes sir the module looks similar other than the plugs. Here's a few pics.
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Friday, March 31st, 2017 AT 7:39 AM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,005 POSTS
Follow the wires

How 'bout your connector out of the module- Same number of wires as the module has?

Do they go to the EXACT same places as Mr. Diagram?

Gotta know- get your fingers dirty!

The Medic
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Friday, March 31st, 2017 AT 4:45 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,005 POSTS
Jeep still sick?

The Medic
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Monday, April 3rd, 2017 AT 7:09 PM
Tiny
RYAN ABERNATHY
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Yes sir she's still down. I haven't had much time to look at it lately. I hope to get a chance to look at it more tmrw. I'm also starting to wonder if I could have possibly been given the wrong or a bad ignition module.
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Tuesday, April 4th, 2017 AT 7:48 AM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
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Gotta follow each wire from the module/ thru connections/ see where they wind up in comparison to the diagram I gave you.

A glance ain't gonna cut it!

I need to know if it's exactly the same or different. Explain any differences!

The Medic
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Tuesday, April 4th, 2017 AT 5:12 PM
Tiny
RYAN ABERNATHY
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
The wiring looks the same minus one extra brown wire added at the splice near the firewall. It runs to the solenoid and has a plug on it. It appears later someone spliced the red wire closer to the solenoid and no longer used the brown wire.
Also here are a few pics of the differences in the wire color positions on the module plug ins.
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Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 AT 3:38 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
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It ran with the old module.

As you demonstrated, with your pics, the wire colors are not going to the same positions on the connectors out of the module. (For instance, the black wire is a ground, at a different position, it is no longer a ground, it is now trying to be what the mate in the connector actually is. Does this make sense?)

I would look for a module just like the one you had originally, Brand may not matter, as long as the colors go to the same connector positions.

If it were doomsday, I might recommend cutting the wires and rearranging them (either at the module or at the mating connector, BUT IT'S NOT DOOMSDAY! This might make things more confusing in the future when another module is needed, or if you had to trace back in a future repair. NOT TO MENTION another poor soul at a shop trying to figger it all out! This would void returning the module to the parts store if you whacked up it's wires!

LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN FIND THE CORRECT MODULE!

Your drawing was nice, usually the other guy just tries to explain it, Having a diagram helps me the most, Thanks!

Your turn,

The Medic
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Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 AT 5:48 PM
Tiny
RYAN ABERNATHY
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
I just left napa and was told that I have the correct replacement module. He says that although the wire colors do not match at the plug that they would preform the correct function for the color wire on the jeep side of the plug. Dosent make sense to me but idk. Your thoughts?
Old motorcraft ef 8953005079
New napa tp28sb
Thanks
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Thursday, April 6th, 2017 AT 5:26 AM
Tiny
RYAN ABERNATHY
  • MEMBER
  • 7 POSTS
Well after researching 87-93 jeep modules online, and a trip to advance auto I was not able to find another brand where the wire colors would not match up at the plug. I then went back to napa and asked again if he could confirm this was the correct wiring. This time he offered to check it with one he had on the shelf, which I had know idea he had in stock earlier. This one matched the the wiring of my original. I guess whoever wired the plug on the first one must have stayed out to late the night before.
Anyways I went home and plugged in the second module and we are back in business. It's a little frustrating that I spent unessary money and time all because of a faulty part but I'm glad she running again. It was also a lesson learned on my part that you can't always consider a new part good.
Thank you for your help and patience. I greatly appreciate it.
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Thursday, April 6th, 2017 AT 4:07 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
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I've posted this many times on here to other CJs!

My own experience a long time ago.

I'm copying and pasting this from one of my old answers!

TO REMOVE YOUR "MOTORCRAFT" IGNITION MODULE ....ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CONNECTORS GRASP THE WIRES AND PULL HARD (DIGGING W/ A SCREWDRIVER IS SORTA FRUITLESS) IF YOU PULL EVENLY ON THE BUNDLE OF WIRES, IT WILL COME APART AND YOU WON'T BREAK THE LOCKING TABS

OFF TO A POPULAR AUTO PARTS STORE, YOU GO....THEY USUALLY WILL TEST THESE FOR FREE

LETS WATCH AND SEE IF THEY HOOK UP RIGHT (IF YOU KINDA CAN READ THE CHART THEY ARE READING)

THEN HAVE THEM TEST IT 5-8 TIMES (THIS WILL WARM IT UP) SHOULD IT FAIL THE LAST FEW TESTS.....ANY THING LESS IS LAZINESS....AND YOU MIGHT SUFFER...NOT THEM!

WHAT IF IT FAILS?.............YES, REPLACE IT!

AS YOU PUT YOU HAND ON THEIR DOOR HANDLE TO LEAVE, WITH YOUR NEW ONE............

TURN YOUR BUTT RIGHT AROUND, GO BACK TO THE COUNTER, AND HAVE THEM TEST "THEIR" NEW ONE 5-8 TIMES.

WHY????

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE TEARING YOUR ENTIRE JEEP CJ 5 DOWN (EVEN THE WIRING) FOR 2 DAYS, TEARING YOUR HAIR OUT!.........BECAUSE, IT WILL NOT START!!! .......THEN YOU TAKE THE BRAND NEW, UNTESTED MODULE, BACK TO THE STORE, ONLY TO FIND OUT.....IT TOO, WAS BAD!

Paste is over!

How 'bout this one?

Might as well throw it at you before you come back to me!

Here's the post, scroll to the date listed below.

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/1979-jeep-cj5-clutch-problems

Read my response, after a bunch of digging!

THURSDAY, MAY 31ST, 2012 AT 10:59 PM

and his after that!

The rest of the post has some good links you might wanna check out!

Glad yours is good to go!

Last reading, I thought I had not convinced you of the module wires!

We like Jeep pics, Send some full ones of yours. (even ones with a good looking gal sprawled out over the hood!)

The Medic
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Thursday, April 6th, 2017 AT 4:55 PM

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