Had the jeep out running fine. Parked it in the driveway. When I went to put it away and it was running very roughly. ???
Fuel supply is fine. I put in new plugs, points & condenser. Now it won't start. Thinking coil, but wonder about capacitor. If the capacitor went bad, would it just stop running?
All ideas and suggestions invited and welcome.
TIA, Mike
M38 trouble shooting
- LoboMike
- Contributor

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- Location: Summerfield, NC
- maeserik
- Active Member

- Posts: 226
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- Location: Wijnegem Belgium Europe
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I had probelms with the capacitor, they had a short lifetime, a bad capacitor is no ignition or very unregulary. No power at all, just bad idling.
Do a test and replace it with another one. Check the opening between the contacts and see if they close and open while turning the engine.
just a tip
Erik
Do a test and replace it with another one. Check the opening between the contacts and see if they close and open while turning the engine.
just a tip
Erik
1942 GPW 71336 my son's jeep restored now
1951 M38 MC11891
1953 VW beetle (genuine german Käfer )
1957 fantastic wife
http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/showgal ... p?cat=1865
and this webside
1951 M38 MC11891
1953 VW beetle (genuine german Käfer )
1957 fantastic wife
http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/showgal ... p?cat=1865
and this webside
- wesk
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Most folks do not have a capacitor/condenser tester handy. A rough check can be made using a regular Ohm meter. You place one probe on the unit's case and one on it's input terminal. The meter should slowly build up a resistance reading which will peak and then drop quickly to "0" resistance. If it doesn't then reverse the test leads and try again. If it still doesn't then it's bad.
Last edited by wesk on Mon Feb 02, 2009 2:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100
Mjeeps photo album: http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... _album.php
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100
Mjeeps photo album: http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... _album.php
- LoboMike
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- Location: Summerfield, NC
M38 trouble shooting
Thanx,
I have an extra new capacitor I'll test and make the switch if it's OK. If not I'll test the installed unit.
Thanx again everyone
I have an extra new capacitor I'll test and make the switch if it's OK. If not I'll test the installed unit.
Thanx again everyone
- LoboMike
- Contributor

- Posts: 108
- Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 6:00 pm
- Location: Summerfield, NC
M38 trouble shooting
Well the M38 is back running fine. Turned out to be the distributor cap. Looks fine and I cannot see where it failed. However I had power through to the points, but no spark at the #1 plug.
So I took an old rotor and distributor cap (I guess it might have been the rotor, but I doubt it) and replaced them. Jeep started right up.
I run it a bit and then check timing, dwell, etc.
I'll also need to pickup new replacements. Thanx to all who offered help,
Mike
So I took an old rotor and distributor cap (I guess it might have been the rotor, but I doubt it) and replaced them. Jeep started right up.
I run it a bit and then check timing, dwell, etc.
I'll also need to pickup new replacements. Thanx to all who offered help,
Mike
-
Thomas
- Member
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- Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:00 pm
- Location: Van Wych, SC
Gentlemen;
It looks like I am having the same type problem. Our Jeep has been running like a champ since we fixed the starter in January of 2008. I have had a few backfires through the tailpipe, but I thought it was the carburetor adjustments.
A week ago it started fine, but cut off several times during warm up. It acted like it was flooded. It started back up several times and then I put it back into the garage.
This weekend, it cranks and tries to turn over, but will not. I have new batteries so I was able to crank it several times. Still no joy. I have not touched the distributor since we bought the Jeep five years ago. I am not sure when the distributor was last maintained or repaired. It sounds like I probably needs a new rotor and capacitor.
My question is...which suppliers might have these parts?
Thanks for any help you can give.
Regards;
Thomas
Charlotte, NC[/b]
It looks like I am having the same type problem. Our Jeep has been running like a champ since we fixed the starter in January of 2008. I have had a few backfires through the tailpipe, but I thought it was the carburetor adjustments.
A week ago it started fine, but cut off several times during warm up. It acted like it was flooded. It started back up several times and then I put it back into the garage.
This weekend, it cranks and tries to turn over, but will not. I have new batteries so I was able to crank it several times. Still no joy. I have not touched the distributor since we bought the Jeep five years ago. I am not sure when the distributor was last maintained or repaired. It sounds like I probably needs a new rotor and capacitor.
My question is...which suppliers might have these parts?
Thanks for any help you can give.
Regards;
Thomas
Charlotte, NC[/b]