Your 1975 Dodge pickup truck uses a magnetic pickup coil inside the distributor and communicates with the ignition control module to synchronize voltage delivered to each of the spark plugs. Engine vibration and heat can eventually break the pickup coil lead wires or internal windings. However, before you blame the pickup coil for a malfunction in the ignition system of your Dodge truck, perform a test in your garage.
Tools Used: Phillips screwdriver, Ohmmeter
Identify Bad Pickup Coil
Open the hood of your Dodge pickup and follow the spark plug wires from the engine to the other end where they hook to the distributor cap. On one side of the distributor body, you will see a small rubber grommet with two thin wires going through it. They connect to the pickup coil inside the distributor.
Unplug the pickup coil lead wires connector from the wiring harness. Unfasten the clips or the screws securing the distributor cap to the distributor with a Phillips screwdriver and move the cap aside, but do not disconnect the spark plug wires from the cap.
Get your ohmmeter out of your toolbox and set the scale to 2000 ohms.
Hook up your two ohmmeter leads across the pickup coil wires. It does not matter which lead connects to which wire.
Turn on your ohmmeter and read the resistance value on your meter's display. Your Dodge's pickup coil should have a resistance between 250 and 1500 ohms, depending on your Dodge model. Check the service manual for your pickup and compare your number to the one listed in the manual. Replace the pickup coil if out of spec.
Wiggle the pickup coil wires and notice the display on your meter. If the reading fluctuates as you wiggle the wires, one or both wires are broken and you need to replace the pickup coil.
Lightly tap the pickup coil with a screwdriver's handle and notice the display on your meter. If the reading goes up or down, the windings inside the pickup coil are broken and you need to replace the pickup coil.
Plug in the pickup coil electrical connector and replace the distributor cap by fastening the clips or the screws with the Phillips screwdriver.
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