MSD repair service

[Pyrotechnic]

My dad gave me an old MSD 6A box to run on my truck. After running it for awhile, it seemed to be unreliable so we sent it out to MSD to have it checked and repaired. There was a few components that were replaced and we also had it converted to a 6T so we could run a rev limiter box. $80 and $10 shipping to get it there.

Not too long after I'm driving along, the motor has a HUGE backfire and I'm left for dead in the middle of the street. Sent the box out again, and MSD sends it back and tells me there's nothing wrong with it. $10 shipping again.

So weeks later I'm driving downtown and again, the motor dies and will not restart but luckily I was able to coast into a parking spot. I went under the hood, stuck a screw driver in the coil wire and laid it on the valve cover. I shorted the magnetic pickup wires and it seems to have spark. Weird. I get back in the truck and start it up and put in reverse to try and back out. While I'm waiting for traffic, it dies again. So as fast I can, I run back and do the test again. This time I have nothing.

This box has had this intermittent problem for a long time, and now for the first time it was confirmed.

I had tried to tell MSD that even though the box may have been passing their 4 hour burn in tests, this was an intermittent issue that showed up maybe once a month. When I questioned their testing procedures, I got an earful. They told me that their testing and repair procedures were perfect, and that the problem was for sure on my end. The tone was very rude and condescending, pretty much the opposite of what you'd expect good customer service to be.

I understand that a lot of people do a poor job of wiring these boxes, and that they get blamed for a lot of these issues. I also understand that intermittent issues are tough to find.

However, intermittent issues are a REAL thing in the electronics world. They do happen, and you can't ignore it. They chose to tell me that there was no such thing, and because of that, I have zero faith in their skill to repair anything. No testing or repair procedure is 100% effective, and claiming this and blaming the customer 100% of the time is ridiculous.

I went with the old school 6A because I thought it would be simple, robust, and cheap to maintain. Boy was I've wrong. I've wasted more money on this box than I'd like to admit. Calling them to argue again is pointless. I'm done, this box is going in the trash.

Don't get me wrong, I know that no product or service is perfect, but that's what customer service is for. Customer service fixes any problems and leaves the customer happy. Customer service was non existent in this case.

MSD...you may have saved a few dollars by refusing to fix this box correctly, but you have lost 2 long time customers. Because of this experience I can not recommend an MSD ignition box to anyone again. Infact I will have to tell everyone I know to steer clear.