304forest

need more advice from everyone!! 72 cutlass, got it all together and it wont shut off unless I unplug the alt, no wiring is hacked, its all there, im on a stump!! thanks in advance

66 POST

MSD ? ------ needs a diode in alternator wire for current to travel in one direction-----Go to MSD site under directions and it will explain it-----

Rustbucket2

Have you changed distributor to electronic ? Do you have any extra wires going from distributor to starter? Just fishing here, trying to find out where your power is coming from, but bypassing the key!

MDchanic

This makes zero sense.

Follow your wiring. Something's not connected properly.

Other (highly unlikely) possibility: all or some of the contact ring inside the solenoid has welded itself perfectly between the hot and R terminals of the solenoid.

How many imbeciles have worked on this car between when it was made and when you got it?

- Eric

oldcutlass

Or you have the coil/ hei wired to an unswitched hot wire.

oldolds88

bad ignition switch?

304forest

thanks for all the info, 66 post was on it, found the diode and installed it on the brown wire #4 on the regulator, car is charging, and shutting off, thanks,

MDchanic

Okay, so the car has an MSD ignition unit which was not installed according to the instructions?

Thank you for letting us know what the problem was.

I, myself, will remember this failure mode.

- Eric

oldcutlass

x2 for me.

Stevec

Needs the diode installed as mentioned above. It came with my MSD box when I bought it.