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Turn the key she starts, release the key she dies...

Started by toast007, January 01, 2007, 11:38:51 PM

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toast007

Out of the blue today my 70 Charger decided to give me another snag in it's restoration.  It has been running fine, sorting out other issues such as turn signals only flashing on the passenger side, the horn not working and the headlight doors not opening, and no brake lights, but now a new one!

Hit the key and she fires right up.  Release the key and she dies.  She runs as long as you hold the key in the start position, but as soon as you release the key she dies. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that that is a sign of a smoked ballast resistor.  Visually it looks fine.  I put a ohm meter across it and it is not open. I picked up a new one tonight anyway on the way to work, they are cheap and will try it tomorrow.

Here are the particulars.

70 R/T Charger 440.  It does have a new ignition switch and harness.  Mopar Orange box ECU. New Year One engine harness prewired for electronic ignition wired for a 4 pin ballast. New voltage regulator and a Blaster coil.

Any other ideas out there?  The factory service manual stinks for diagnosing things!

myk

Wouldn't holding the key in start keep the starter engaged?

Ghoste


toast007

Thanks for the reply Ghoste, will do.  Any guesses why it crapped out? All new ignition pieces.

Ghoste

Sometimes they just do.  If the replacement dies quickly (and I'm not 100% sure it's the ballast only about 97) then I'd start looking for an underlying cause.  Until then just chalk it up to gremlins?  (not the AMC kind)

toast007

I sure appreciate your help. :icon_smile_big:   I take it you either have insomnia  or you work nights too like me since you are up at this hour like me!

Ghoste


resq302

Quote from: Ghoste on January 02, 2007, 04:48:20 AM
Change the ballast resistor.

I agree.  Same thing happened to me and my dad said that the ballast resistors were know to just go at any point and time with little or no warning.  He said when he was driving these cars back in the daily for everyday use, he always kept a spare in the glove box since they would go out that often.
Brian
1969 Dodge Charger (factory 4 speed, H code 383 engine,  AACA Senior winner, 2008 Concours d'Elegance participant, 2009 Concours d'Elegance award winner)
1970 Challenger Convert. factory #'s matching red inter. w/ white body.  318 car built 9/28/69 (AACA Senior winner)
1969 Plymough GTX convertible - original sheet metal, #'s matching drivetrain, T3 Honey Bronze, 1 of 701 produced, 1 of 362 with 440 4 bbl - auto

nh_mopar_fan

Yup. Happened to me last summer. I pulled the 67 out of the garage. Drove it over to the house, washed and waxed it and then drove it over to the garage. An hour later hopped in to take it for a spin. dead

Charger_Fan


The Aquamax...yes, this bike spent 2 nights underwater one weekend. (Not my doing), but it gained the name, and has since become pseudo-famous. :)

terrible one

Well since we're already on the topic and I'm still clueless when it comes to many things Charger-related, what is a ballast resistor?

Charger-Bodie

Quote from: terrible one on January 02, 2007, 01:23:16 PM
Well since we're already on the topic and I'm still clueless when it comes to many things Charger-related, what is a ballast resistor?


its the ceramic white part on the firewall it reduces the volts for the ignition some have 2 wire connecters later ones have 4 this one is on a 70 charger
68 Charger R/t white with black v/t and red tailstripe. 440 4 speed ,black interior
68 383 auto with a/c and power windows. Now 440 4 speed jj1 gold black interior .
My Charger is a hybrid car, it burns gas and rubber............

TylerCharger69

When you upgrade the ignition system  (i.e.   from points to electronic)   you are supposed to upgrade the ballast resistor as well......well...so I've read anyway.   I did it anyway  just because the literature said to do so.

toast007

RESOLVED!!! :laugh:

It ended up being the ECU.  My pretty "orange box" went south.  It sure seemed like a bad ballast though.  Went up to Checker Autoparts and got a Niehof ECU for $25, popped it it and she fired right up.  Drove her around for half an hour and everything is a-okay. Don't know why the ECU went poof though.

Now on to other gremlins.

Got tail lights but no brake lights.  Gonna check the switch in the morning. (I work nights.)

Passenger side turn signals blink but not the drivers' side.

Headlight doors don't open.  Tested the motor and it is good.  Probably gonna do the "famous headlight relay upgrade".

Do these gremlins ever cease! :-\

Thanks to all of you for your help and input. 

Ghoste

Yeah, those damned orange box ecus are becoming more and more notorious all the time too. 

myk

That's good to know, especially since I've had the same orange box since, like '95 or so.  What's a suitable replacement?  The chrome box, the only other box I know of, is just for racing right?

Also, aren't there some systems that don't run a ballast resistor?

toast007

Ghoste, you are not the first person that I've heard from about iffy life spans of the orange box.  I wish I had heard that before I bought it to begin with!  Thought I had picked the "right one"!  I wonder what's going on with them? And of course, I bet there is no refund or returns allowed on them either! :flame: For the time being, I'll use the autoparts store special till I figure out what I want to do. It works.

MYK, I have heard but not verified that the MSD systems don't use the ballast.  Don't hold me to that though.

Charger-Bodie

just so you know th life and function of the ecu can be worsened by a bad ground ....carfully take the paint off each surface were it bolts to bare metal ,making sure the box will still cover it, this is very important
68 Charger R/t white with black v/t and red tailstripe. 440 4 speed ,black interior
68 383 auto with a/c and power windows. Now 440 4 speed jj1 gold black interior .
My Charger is a hybrid car, it burns gas and rubber............

AKcharger

Yup, I had a bad Orange box too...like 3 months old and went bad, was part of a Electronic distributor upgrade kit.

TylerCharger69

Ive had mine since '95....no problems as of yet....keeping my fingers crossed

Ghoste

MSD does not run a ballast (probably some others too).

I had an orange box that was bad when it was brand new and I had another go bad after a few years.  I had a chrome one go south on me too but I think it was caused by the poor ground thing.

1BAD68

I had a orange box too that came with the Mopar dist. upgrade that only lasted about two weeks, went to NAPA and bought a cheap one (around $25.00) and that one worked about three years that I know of (sold the car) could still be working.
BTW the NAPA guy said the cheap unit is actually better than the orange one and he said avoid the chrome box.

Ghoste

I've had no issues with the chrome ones except for the one and as I said, I'm pretty sure it was caused by a poor ground, but who knows?

TylerCharger69

So the one that NAPA speaks highly of is the black box???

1BAD68

no, it was sort of an anodized gold color like a master cylinder cover

TylerCharger69

Oh...okay....that way when my orange box DOES go out...I'll know which to get.

Chryco Psycho

the Old Orange boxes seem to be fine , the newer ones made in Mexico seem to be the juck ones

myk

Quote from: Ghoste on January 03, 2007, 08:33:13 PM
MSD does not run a ballast (probably some others too).

Well, when I installed my MSD-6 the directions included placing a ballast resistor.  The funny thing about my setup is that I now have TWO resistor's-the one on the firewall and one mounted close to the coil.  Are you guys saying that I can just...take these things out?  I'm wondering what that would or could do...

Ghoste

Really?  I have a 6AL and there is definitely no ballast in mine nor did the instructions indicate to use one.  Could it be an older version, I haven't had mine that long?

Chryco Psycho

you can eliminate 1 ballast for sure running 2 you may have 4-5 v at the coil

myk

Quote from: Ghoste on January 05, 2007, 10:20:32 AM
Really?  I have a 6AL and there is definitely no ballast in mine nor did the instructions indicate to use one.  Could it be an older version, I haven't had mine that long?

Maybe so, I got my 6AL back in, oh '95?  Ancient history for me.  Oh, and what's that about having only 4-5 volts at the coil with the two ballasts?!

Ghoste

I think CP is talking about when you have the dual ballast setup and you run one half of it with the MSD.  I think.

myk

So how many volts are you supposed to have at the coil?