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

[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]

Change the ballast resistor.

[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.    I take it you either have insomnia  or you work nights too like me since you are up at this hour like me!

[Ghoste]

Insomnia and I start very early in the morning.

[resq302]

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.

[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]

I agree too. It's a fairly common problem.

[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]

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

[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!!!

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! 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

[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