I recently had an issue w/ my 2 year old MSD Grid #7730 controller. The ignition switch in the switch panel would not kill the motor, had to be done w/ the master cut off. After talking w/ MSD the told me to send it back but didn't think they could repair it because it is a "molded unit". After discussing this w/ my car builder and the switch panel manufacture, it was explained to me that this is a fairly common problem, in fact the switch panel manufacture has had it happen to his own car! He did have a different problem than mine but same results, no repair. Maybe MSD will make it right, will see.
I would think long and hard if your thinking of buying a "GRID"

I’ll have a comment to make about what you posted, but would like to ask three questions prior to this.

If needing to use the master disconnect switch to turn off the engine, when the master disconnect is turned back on can you re-start the engine with the ignition ON switch in the OFF position ?

What is everything that you have terminated to the ignition ON switch ?

Is this a 12v or 16 volt system ?

Strange with as many Grid units sold you would think we would have seen a bunch of post similar to this if it was a common problem . Sorry about your problem , hope they work it out for you....

Which switch panel? Curious...

Sometimes other things tied to the ignition switch can cause this problem due to back feeding power. I had it happen once after installing an electric water pump drive that was wired to run continuously and also could be run through a manual toggle switch with the ignition switch off. The fix was as simple as a diode. It would be convenient if your fix is that simple but maybe it's not.

To answer some of the questions posed no you cannot restart the car once the ignition is in the off position there's only one wire on my ignition switch it goes directly to the grid and my switch panel is digital delay. Also removed the grid from our door car moved it to our dragster which is having the problem took the dragster the bad one if you will and put it in the door car in the same thing happened with it

Grid works great for me 2 years running..

tas472, because you were able to easily exchange Grid 7730 with another known good one and have the problem follow the bad box, it easily diagnosed the problem. Very nice. Also, having a DD switch box and relay board offers a dedicated ignition on circuit that isolates this signal to the ignition control which is a nice feature as well.

Here’s my comment that is not expressly directed to you, but to anyone reading this thread.

MSD Grid 7730 is the most powerful programmable ignition control offered at the retail price of $435. Discounted thru the web it can easily be had for just over $400. This is very inexpensive considering all the features it offers and free firmware and support in the future. Unlike analog ignition that needs multiple hardware to do something other than fire the ignition, Grid 7730 can do it all and offers a limited data acquisition system.

MSD Grid 7730 is a throw away if it every fails. This is because it’s so inexpensive to replace. The great part is that you can many times change it in less than 5 minutes, load your saved program and be back running in the event of a controller failure.

Both of my Grid 7730 are over 6 years old. They get cycled in and out of my car yearly so that I know I always have a good working spare. They have also been in others cars when trying to diagnose a problem. My car needs a programmable ignition to run properly. If one ever fails the replacement is miniscule compared to the many thousands of dollars of mechanical parts that have failed in my car during this same 6 year period.

If anyone can show me a programmable ignition controller that is better than MSD Grid 7730 with all the same features and support for the same retail price I’ll be the first to step up and say “I’ll take two”.

GO GRID 7730 !!!

I have one that does this but never diagnosed for sure if it was grid or switch. Worked fine for a couple years before it started this problem with no changes to the setup. It would shut off after a second, then a few seconds, then a lot of seconds. I "fixed" it by paralleling a resistor on the switch circuit to bleed residual voltage. It works fine now. It seems like the grid input gained impedance trapping voltage in the line. I had a similar problem on a system I built at work one time which is where I got the idea for the bleed resistor.

Markemark, you have an outstanding argument and I won't disagree. Just call me old fashion when I belive ignitions and other things of that nature should last longer than 20 months. This unit has way more features than I can ever hope to use or understand. It was a new car build and was looking at what the trend was for resale down the road. It just a hard pill to swallow when we have two other cars with a 6AL and 7AL that are 21 and 26 years old!

quote:

Originally posted by Brktracer:
Sometimes other things tied to the ignition switch can cause this problem due to back feeding power. I had it happen once after installing an electric water pump drive that was wired to run continuously and also could be run through a manual toggle switch with the ignition switch off. The fix was as simple as a diode. It would be convenient if your fix is that simple but maybe it's not.

I had the same issue when I first installed an MSD. The generator light would backfeed and provide enough current to keep the engine running. My fix was also a diode (that MSD recommended). Take care. Tom Worthington

I am intrigued and interested in some of the Grid features, but disappointed to hear it is a non-repairable "throw away" for any failure. So how long is the warranty period?
You'd think MSD would at least provide a significantly discounted price for exchange of a failed unit/replacement. True, all of us have a good chunk invested in our programs, even the lower-end guys like me. But I know how my luck works, and I can almost guarantee I would get the unit that fails a week after the warranty expired...

The "cheap" data acquisition is worth it by itself, not to mention all the other stuff it can do.

Helped me find a couple problems with my car I would have over looked. One was the alternator not keeping up with the load going down track. I had 14.2v at an idle but draining the battery on a run with everything on. Would drop to 10.2v on the shift.

If diode or resistor fixed the problem then to me that means MSD needs to build this into the unit so it is never a concern. This is a normal thing in the electronic world to have diodes or resistors on the inputs to pull the signal to ground.

Scott

quote:

Originally posted by 358T:
If diode or resistor fixed the problem then to me that means MSD needs to build this into the unit so it is never a concern. This is a normal thing in the electronic world to have diodes or resistors on the inputs to pull the signal to ground.

Scott

Yes it is! Holley learned this through me years ago.

How do you build one in? I thought the idea was to diode the unwanted source

quote:

Originally posted by Bucky:
How do you build one in? I thought the idea was to diode the unwanted source

Using a 2K ohm 1/4 watt resistor, attach one end to the ignition ON terminal wire of the Grid 7730 and the other end to ground.

Attaching another device like a amp meter display to the same line might do the same as the resistor also.

Thx

I have a hard time accepting the fact that a $400 item is not repairable. That would stop me from buying it. I have my Digital 7 ignition and full V300Sd racepak which covers my needs. I have repaired all kind of electronics my whole life and recently soldered in a new battery in my Fitbit watch that I was told was a throw away. Also repaired a K&R Delay box as well. The watch was $120 and still works great now. Seems like society just accepts this fact and we can change this by not buying their products and letting them know.

quote:

Originally posted by J Olejniczak:
I have a hard time accepting the fact that a $400 item is not repairable. That would stop me from buying it. I have my Digital 7 ignition and full V300Sd racepak which covers my needs. I have repaired all kind of electronics my whole life and recently soldered in a new battery in my Fitbit watch that I was told was a throw away. Also repaired a K&R Delay box as well. The watch was $120 and still works great now. Seems like society just accepts this fact and we can change this by not buying their products and letting them know.

The boards are epoxied. That's why you can't repair them.