How much is too Much?

[Judhudson]

Okay, I'm in a situation that I probably can't explain well - but I'll give it a shot.

I've been having trouble trying to start my car, when it is cold, it takes about 5 times to finally get it started.  When it is warm, and I try to start it, I have to hold it for like 5 secs for it to kick on.  I asked a fellow mopar owner who had the same problem with his Cuda and told me that it might be an electrical problem.  He checked the volts on my ECU and the green wire on the Ballist Resistor, and it is getting 6 volts.  He told me that that is the reason why it is taking so long to get it started.  It loses 6 volts from the battery to my ECU unit, which is due to at each of the connectors, it loses a little bit of voltage.  So, I took a small wire with clips at the end and hooked it from the battery to the Resistor.  Surprised, it starts right up like it should, and reads 12 volts.  However, the same night I went to open my trunk, and found my trunk light not turned on.  So I opened my car door, and the dome light wasn't working.  Big Uh-Oh.  I tried to start it, but it wouldn't do anything.  No power, no nothing.  The battery read 12 volts, so it was good.  I closed the door, went in to use the bathroom, and came back out.  I opened my car door, and the lights came on.  Everything worked.  So now I'm confused... which leads me to these questions:

1.  How many volts should the Ballist Resistor get?  Is 12 too much which caused me to blow it?
2.  Did I blow the fusible link since nothing came on?
3.  What do you really suppose happen to cause the mysterious "Nothing works" part?

-Jud

[Nacho-RT74]

Green wire is conected to the higher resistance of ballast. By the way, check if your module is 5 or 4 pins one. 6 volts could be ok. But main source of ballast is spliced from blue wire of engine harness what is really getting complete 12 volts from ignition switch at RUN position and maybe 9 volts at START position throught ballast.

Cold, I think the lower resistance ( where brown wire is conected ) I think it must read around 9 volts. That's the main source to coil. As far engine is warn, volts decrease.

At start moment, ballast is bypassed by the double brown wire on ballast what is coming directly from ignition switch.

Ballast resistor is always getting 12 volts from somewhere. on Blue wire at RUN position and Brown wire at START position. Output is the difference and where goes output.

Fusible link is ok if you can get power ANYWHERE.

It could be ignition switch itself or plug down the column. Is very tipical on Moipars get burned spots and terminals at RED or BLUE wires... also Black wire if you have to much accesories consumption, like A/C-heater high speed blower

check down the column for:
12 volts on red wire ALLWAYS.
12 volts on brown ( direct coil source ) and yellow ( starter relay signal ) on START position.
12 volts on blue ( main module sorce, ballast source, alt brush, regulator... ) and Black wires ( accesories ) on RUN position.

except for Black or Yellow wires, you need to check the same on brown and blue wires on engine harness at same moments.

when you have 12 volts on any of brown and blue wires, with engine cold you must get around 9 volts on the opossite one.

Now, about the nothing works stuff... I would say ignition switch OR PLUG, what is very tipical. Switch is a very hard to destroy piece, I would think really on plug or red wire terminal down the column.

Headlights switch is feeded directly by fuse box, not by ignition switch, so even yo have some wrong on ignition switch or wiring, allways will get power up to lightning system. EXCEPT if fuse link is blow. Cluster and parking lights are also flowing by another fuses on fuse box.

[71_deputy]

Correct Nacho,   check the main power feed wire that goes thur the bulkhead harness from the battery!!!

[Judhudson]

Thanks for the help Nacho.  I dont know what I did but I inspected the wires, cleaned the ends, and checked them down good.  Now I am reading a good percent of volts and it starts right up.  I haven't checked my steering wires yet, but I'll be doing that soon once I get my steering wheel in!

[doctorpimp]

I had the same "no power" problem last spring when I brought my car out of the garage.  I turned the key ON (the gauges responded and the int light was on etc) and then to START - Nothing!  I turned the key OFF and then back to ON and nothing, no lights no gauges.  I went under the hood and checked the starter relay's connections and tried again - nothing.  I went inside to get my shop manual for the wiring diagram to begin my troubleshooting.  I opened the door and the int light was on again!  I turned the key to ON got gauges etc and then started the car.  I let it run for a few minutes, shut it down and it started back up, no probs.
It has never happened again and I thought it was a fluke.  I'll be sure to check my steering column after I take it out for paint etc.
Thanks Nacho!

[Nacho-RT74]

If your Ignition Module is 4 pins no matter what the hell you have on green wire at ballast since 4 pins doesn't use that source... that wire is just for 5 pins modules.