{"id":1572,"date":"2004-10-10T21:17:07","date_gmt":"2004-10-10T21:17:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/king6fab.com\/info\/?p=1572"},"modified":"2025-05-26T21:44:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T21:44:46","slug":"installing-a-hei-ignition-module-projectmazda-archive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/king6fab.com\/info\/archives\/1572","title":{"rendered":"Installing a HEI Ignition Module – ProjectMazda Archive"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\u00a0<\/p>

This How to has been Archived from clubprotege.com. All Credit goes to the author. To see original website Click Here for wayback machine archive.<\/a><\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Installing a HEI Ignition Module on MX-3
with or without External Ignition Coil<\/span>
by Wil Fellows (Gro Harlem) 10\/10\/2004<\/span><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Applications:<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
92-94 MX-3 GS<\/span>
93-94 Ford Probe GT<\/span>
93-94 Mazda MX-6 LS<\/span>
93-94 Mazda 626 ES<\/span><\/p>

Estimated Time: 2.5 hours<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Tools \/ Supplies you will need:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Basic wire-stripper \/ Crimping tool<\/span>
Ratchet or wrenchset (12mm needed to remove distributor, 10mm may be needed to remove bolts to secure bracketry)<\/span>
Wire loom<\/span>
Electrical tape<\/span>
Solder & Soldering Iron (if you don’t want to use crimp terminals)<\/span>
Pliers (to bend bracketry)<\/span>
Cutters (to cut bracketry)<\/span>
OPTIONAL (If installing an external coil as well):<\/span>
Dremel tool with grinding bit<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Overview of Parts you will need:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

HEI 4-pin Ignition Module (to find this, go to the first step in the install instructions below)<\/span>
20 or so feet of 16-gauge wire<\/span>
Peice of perforated steel bracketry<\/span>
A couple of small bolts w\/nuts or screws w\/locking washers.<\/span>
Four BLUE female disconnect terminals<\/span>
Three BLUE self-tapping terminals (also called “Insulation Displacement Connectors or IDC for short)<\/span>
One BLUE Ring terminal<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
The Pic above shows the crimp-connectors you'll need. The numbers in parenthesis are if you are installing an external coil as well.\n<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

First of all, I’d like to thank the awesome\u00a0ProbeTalk<\/a>\u00a0community for their extensive discussion on this topic, particularly Joe Bialy for founding this information. For more info go\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>

This how-to outlines how to install a GM HEI ignition module in place of your stock distributor Ignition module. As you may or may not know, the stock internal-coil distributor on the MX-3 is very failure prone, this is almost always caused by a faulty ignition module.<\/span><\/p>

How Do I know my ignition module is bad?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

For starters…if you are driving and your car suddenly cuts out, you wait and a few minutes later it starts back up, it is most likely the igntion module. If you aren’t so lucky, you will be stranded & require a tow (i’ve been stranded twice in the past thanks the the POS stock module). If your module does blow out, your only real option is to buy a new or remanufactured distributor which costs at least $150 and that doesnt’ even guarentee you won’t get stranded in the future (i’m on my 4th distributor in just over a year of driving my KLZE mx3)<\/span><\/p>

If you pull the OBD-I code from your ECU after an ignitor failure, you should get the “cam angle sensor” code<\/span><\/p>

What can I expect after performing this mod?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Well for one, your car will be more reliable (assuming you don’t do a halfassed job of wiring it all). You won’t have to worry about your car randomly breaking down on you. You will also notice the starting improve if you’ve had problems in the past where you have to crank it 3-5 times before it starts on a cold morning.<\/span><\/p>

I personally feel a more consistent power curve when flooring it in 2nd or 3rd gear, my engine doesn’t stutter like it used to. I’m not going to get people excited and say I felt a power difference, but the fact it pulls more consistent DOES feel to me like it pulls harder, but it might all be in my head.<\/span><\/p>

This module apparently puts out as strong a spark as a MSD 6AL ignition control box, but uses less current (a max of 5amps instead of a constant 10 that the MSD requires).<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Approximate Cost Overview:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>