Car Won't Crank

[FastbackJon]

'74 Dart Swinger slant 6 (groovy baby)

Used this car as a daily driver for a few years, and used it up until earlier this year just fine and parked it and now it won't crank, click, or anything when I turn the key. It did this before once but it was because of a low battery. But now the battery is charged and still nothing. Even with the neutral safety wire run over to the battery (-) terminal. Now I can start it with the key in the on position and a screwdriver to jump the terminals on the starter relay no problem.

I also noticed while disconnecting the battery (-) that it sparks just a tiny bit. This is with the key off and doors closed, so nothing should be using power. I can put a 12V test light between the battery (-) and the cable and the light doesn't come on, so it isn't a huge draw, but there is still a tiny spark when I touch them together. Every time.

So maybe a small short somewhere in the ignition wiring? The car has a new starter relay.

[Plumcrazy]

Check to see if you have power in the yellow wire that goes to the starter relay when the key is in the crank position.

Also, if the test light doesn't light when you connect it between the battery terminal and post then it's not a large enough draw to matter.

[GoodysGotaCUDA]

'74 Dart Swinger slant 6 (groovy baby)

Used this car as a daily driver for a few years, and used it up until earlier this year just fine and parked it and now it won't crank, click, or anything when I turn the key. It did this before once but it was because of a low battery. But now the battery is charged and still nothing. Even with the neutral safety wire run over to the battery (-) terminal. Now I can start it with the key in the on position and a screwdriver to jump the terminals on the starter relay no problem.

I also noticed while disconnecting the battery (-) that it sparks just a tiny bit. This is with the key off and doors closed, so nothing should be using power. I can put a 12V test light between the battery (-) and the cable and the light doesn't come on, so it isn't a huge draw, but there is still a tiny spark when I touch them together. Every time.

So maybe a small short somewhere in the ignition wiring? The car has a new starter relay.

Neutral safety switch wire should be grounded to bypass the switch in the transmission. Try doing that and see if it will crank with the key.

[Plumcrazy]

'74 Dart Swinger slant 6 (groovy baby)

Used this car as a daily driver for a few years, and used it up until earlier this year just fine and parked it and now it won't crank, click, or anything when I turn the key. It did this before once but it was because of a low battery. But now the battery is charged and still nothing. Even with the neutral safety wire run over to the battery (-) terminal. Now I can start it with the key in the on position and a screwdriver to jump the terminals on the starter relay no problem.

I also noticed while disconnecting the battery (-) that it sparks just a tiny bit. This is with the key off and doors closed, so nothing should be using power. I can put a 12V test light between the battery (-) and the cable and the light doesn't come on, so it isn't a huge draw, but there is still a tiny spark when I touch them together. Every time.

So maybe a small short somewhere in the ignition wiring? The car has a new starter relay.

Neutral safety switch wire should be grounded to bypass the switch in the transmission. Try doing that and see if it will crank with the key.

He did that.  He said he ran the wire to the neutral safety switch to the battery negative terminal.

[FastbackJon]

I'll check that yellow wire, but maybe I don't have to...

I went to the car today. Put in the new alternator. Tried to crank it, got nothing. Tried it a few times. Nothing. Jumped it at the relay and got it running. Turned it off. Put in park, still won't crank or anything. Put it in reverse (neutral safety wire grounded) and it fired right up. I had tried all the gears before (previous day before first post) but got nothing.

So I shut it off. Went to park. Cranked the key and it made a bunch of weird clunky starter noises and didn't fire. So back to drive, started right up. Shut it off. I went through a few gears and it made that weird noise in neutral and park a few times, but now it starts up in those gears like normal. I even plugged the safety switch back in and now it starts up only in park and neutral, no problems, just like the factory.

Wiring.... ain't it great!

[Plumcrazy]

That relay might have been stuck from not being used in a while.

[FastbackJon]

Guess if it happens again, I could try to jump 12v from the battery over to the terminal where the yellow wire goes in, right? Assuming the key is in the on position it should start. This would at least eliminate any of the dash/ignition wiring.

[Plumcrazy]

Guess if it happens again, I could try to jump 12v from the battery over to the terminal where the yellow wire goes in, right? Assuming the key is in the on position it should start. This would at least eliminate any of the dash/ignition wiring.

Good idea.   Any electrical problem can be tough to diagnose, intermittant ones are especially difficult.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Yo,
My 73' Charger is doing the same thing. I started it and pulled it out of the garage to get it ready for body work. I took the bumpers off, F & R.
  Went to pull the car in and nothing, no clicks or anything. I replaced the ignition module, starter relay, starter, battery terminals, battery.No luck at all, no clicks or anything. I even tried to jump the bitch. It only starts when I jump the relay.
   It is a floor console car, where is the neutral wire? How do you test that again? I am going nuts over this.
Could it be the ignition switch in the column?
                Thanks Mopar Buddies.
???l

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Tried grounding the yellow neutral wire. No luck at all, nothing!
Help !

[Nacho-RT74]

neutral wire is not yellow, is brown traced yellow ( even the trace code could it be erased ) and drives ground from tranny when is P or N

Try jumping the prong where brown wire arrives direct to chassis, and then try to start with key normally. be sure tranny is on P or N. If start, then is NSS damaged or brown wire coming from center NSS pin broken

if doesn't start then feed with + 12 volts the prong where arrives the yellow wire, just for the instant is cranking, with key on RUN position, engine must start. If starts, then it could be ignition switch damaged, or plug down the column with same yellow wire.

Then of doesn't start, Try to jump between the black and red wires with a wrench or something similar. If engine starts then is starter relay damaged.

Of course, before everything check you have on RUN position 12 volts on ballast blue wire and around 9 volts on + lead of coil.

On START postition, is reversed, 12 volts on + lead of coil and around 9 volts on blue wire

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Where is this wire located ?
Thanks for the help man  ?
BMOTOXSTAR

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Also,
  When I try to start the car, I get a faint click sound that seems to be coming frim under the dash, by the glove-box.
Thanks yo !

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Wow,
  I looked underneath by the tranny & there was no neutral connector hooked up to the tranny, just the piece sticking on the tranny with the 3 prongs. I traced the wire from the relay and behold, the wires that go to the tranny were all rolled up on the firewall & no plug. 2 of the wires were connected together & one (which was black) looked as though it was connected to something by the air cleaner. So I think that it was rigged up and they had the one wire grounded to something, but when I ground the wire and turned the key it got red as hell.
   I have no idea how the car started with the neutral wires beibg hooked up to the tranny? I guess I have to find the piece that connects to the wires and 3 prong connector?
  When I ground the neutral connection from the relay it starts, in any gear of course. I bought the car this past summer and it always started fine, till' now.
    I don't know? Help !

[Nacho-RT74]

about tranny harness I think this will help:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,18480.0.html
if you got red wire is because somehow you joined positive and negative on tranny harness.

on 73, brown traced yellow wire also enter to cab ( spliced from starter relay prong/plug ) to make works the seatbelt buzzer and related stuff

Plug to NSS switch is sold I think on any restorer, maybe on fact any local parts dealer, but just in case, go to www.buymopar.com. They have it.

Just in case... do you have a Cali car ?

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Mr.Nacho,
  Thank you for the help . I was able to order the Neutral Switch and Plug from the web-site you gave me. I still do not know how the car has been able to start without the neutral switch on the tranny  being hooked up? I think it was rigged up to the tail-lights, then when I took them off for body-work, the Charger would not start.     
Thanks Mopar Buddy, BMOTOXSTAR

[Nacho-RT74]

I still do not know how the car has been able to start without the neutral switch on the tranny  being hooked up?

Maybe because starter relay was grounded. I have seen some starter relays NOS without Ground prong and a welding point to chassis instead that. Starters relays are 2 prongs, one screw and one stud with nut.

[73Charger]

I miss that about the slant 6s - being able to start them with a screw driver - how convenient - I used to have a 73 & 74 dart too. great engine.
My charger doesnt start sometimes when my tranny doesnt totally shift into park far enough - enough to park, but not enough to hit whatever switch activates - so, when this has happened, i've put it in neutral and started it.  i think i fixed it by adjusting the shift linkage now.