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Little Black Box??

Little Black Box??

bntcrkfrm

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Location
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In the engine compartment mounted on the drivers side Fender well under the Brake Master Cylinder is a black box about 4" x 6" with some electrical wires come from the bottom of it. What is it and what purpose does it serve? Mine has what appears to have been some overheating and some plastic melted on the fenderwell.....
 
In the engine compartment mounted on the drivers side Fender well under the Brake Master Cylinder is a black box about 4" x 6" with some electrical wires come from the bottom of it. What is it and what purpose does it serve? Mine has what appears to have been some overheating and some plastic melted on the fenderwell.....

Fill out your profile so we know what cj you have.
 
Sorry about that...It is a 1980 CJ5 ...I cant seem to figure out how to attach a pic from my folder. It says Motorcraft on the box #12A199
 
Last edited:
Searched the Motorcraft #12A199 and turns out it is an Ignition Module. What does it do and why would it be leaking what looks to be melted plastic. Nothing is wrong, Jeep starts and runs fine, no hot wiring smells.
 
That ignition module takes a signal from the pickup assembly in the distributor and sends pulses to the coil to make the sparks.
5544-lg.jpg
 
That ignition module takes a signal from the pickup assembly in the distributor and sends pulses to the coil to make the sparks.
5544-lg.jpg

Actually this may help me quite Abit. Sorry for stealing ur forum. I drove mine in the rain the other day and now 3 days later she refuses to start.Not getting any spark.this box has never been hooked up and its ran before.Thoughts?
 
BusaDave, Those are the steps I follow to post pics but when I click to upload it comes back as invalid file. There's something not right when saving pics to "My Pictures" folder. I can see the pics but sometimes they will transfer, sometimes they wont. Thanks
 
this box has never been hooked up and its ran before.
The ignition module is needed on a stock engine but there are ways to get rid of it. Do you have an MSD or other aftermarket ignition module? Did a PO install a points distributor?
 
BusaDave, Those are the steps I follow to post pics but when I click to upload it comes back as invalid file. There's something not right when saving pics to "My Pictures" folder. I can see the pics but sometimes they will transfer, sometimes they wont. Thanks
I assume you are using the instructions at the beginning of that link. You press the button that says "Manage attachments" and get this screen.
9403d1335268830-little-black-box-upload.jpg

Press browse and find your picture.
Then press the upload button. I think some people forget this step.
Before you close the window make sure the name of your image appears in the window.
My image is called upload.jpg and you can see it in my picture.

Upload.webp
 
The ignition module is needed on a stock engine but there are ways to get rid of it. Do you have an MSD or other aftermarket ignition module? Did a PO install a points distributor?

I haven't seen anything else and I don't believe it's a points distributor
 
What size are they? they might be to big.
And you still haven't filled out your profile :confused:
 
I haven't seen anything else and I don't believe it's a points distributor
There must be something making your engine run.
Trace the minus wire from the coil. That wire must go either to points or to some type of ignition module.
 
There must be something making your engine run.
Trace the minus wire from the coil. That wire must go either to points or to some type of ignition module.

Will do on Friday or Saturday. This jeep is many firsts for me and I think it ran off of pfm (pure f*cking magic)
 

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