Reply to "New MSD Digital 6AL Box"

Dennis

Initially, the digital box worked great - no issues. After 50 miles while driving with a friend following me at 40 mph, the Pantera died. Towed it home, extracted the unit from the vehicle and returned it to MSD.

Reinstall returned unit and it functions properly for about 10 miles. The car begins running rough and backfiring. I make it home.
Talk with MSD, send the unit back.

Reinstall 6AL2 with unit's main ground wire directly to negative battery terminal. Pantera starts and works fine for a couple of miles, then car begins to run rough and backfire. Pantera dies half mile from my house. David Bell and I push it home - Dave is sweating profusely and almost suffers a heart attack. I remind him to get more exercise.

Call MSD and send unit back.

In the meantime, I install a new analog 6AL that I have as a back-up on a shelf. Car starts immediatel and runs perfect; actually it is still running fine.

MSD claims to bench test the unit for 8+ hours and calls to tell me they could not replicate failure mode. I suggest it may be heat related and that the 6AL I have since installed has the car running fine. The problem is obviously the 6AL2

MSD apprises me that they will replace the unit with another 6AL2 and offers me no guarantee on the new unit.

Of course, I was not pleased with that offer; felt I had no reasonable alternatives short of litigation. Thus a new unit in the box sits on a shelf in my garage.

I surmise they felt that I must have performed an unsatisfactory installation. They were adament on the tech line that the 6AL2's ground wire go directly to the negative terminal of the battery. I pointed out that their instruction sheet does NOT state that as a requirement, It illustrates a chassis ground as sufficient. I had initially used a convenient chassis ground - the same one I had used on all previous 6AL installs that I had performed.

Upon the units first return from MSD, I subsequently ran a ground wire directly to the battery. It made no difference and I informed them of that.

It was a frustrating experience because MSD refused to believe the unit had a failure since they could not replicate it on their test machine. I have read on forums of others experienceing this problem with the unit.

So, I naturally believe this failure mode still exists in this model as it appears MSD has not acknowledged it.