car starts than dies

[gitrdone73]

ok I have a 73 dodge charger with a 413 motor. I just got it to start but it dies soon as I disengage the starter. anyone have any idea what the problem may be?

[NHCharger]

Probably the ballast resistor or the orange ECU box (if you are using that one).

[resq302]

Another vote for a bad ballast resistor.

[71superbee]

Sounds like a ballast resistor....the reason, because when you let go of the key it dies.

[gitrdone73]

ok I will try and get a new one tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes.

[Charger1973]

ok I will try and get a new one tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes.

Just my  but thats one of those parts you should always keep a spare of in the trunk.  They like to go bad at the worst times. 

[Ghoste]

Agreed, buy two.

[gitrdone73]

ok so I bought a new ballast resistor today, put it in and it did the same thing. Soon as I let go of the key it would die. so what is the ecu thing that was mentioned earlier?

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Neutral Safety Switch? 
Do you mean die like the engine starts and dies or you just get a click?

[gitrdone73]

ok when I turn the key forward to engage the starter motor it will turn over and start. and you know how the ignition automatically returns to on which is where it stays when you drive it well soon as I release the ignition into the on position it dies. It just cuts out. so it only runs while the starter is engaged.

[Ghoste]

The ecu is the rectangular box that the electronic ignition plugs into.  It is about 2X4 inches and a 1/2 inch thick.  There will be a large somewhat pentastar shaped black plug going into the top of it.

[gitrdone73]

ok I replaced the ecu and it still did the same thing so I brought it to a mechanic to look at. I havn't heard anything yet but he said it might be some wiring that leads to the coil.

[Lurker]

sounds like your coil is only getting juice when the key is in the start position and none when it rotates back to the run position, could be wiring or a wore out igntition switch or a few other things, shouldn't take the mechanic long to figure it out.

[gitrdone73]

yeah a friend of mine said it might be something like the ignition switch but I did not want to mess around with anything underneith the dash.

[gitrdone73]

ok so the mechanic said that I had the wrong distributor. So I got the correct one and put it in and now it doesn't fire or anything. I'm thinking that it might be something with the coil cause before I brought it in I shocked myself with the wire leading to the distributor from the coil. And now I put a test light on it and there was no power there. I even replaced the coil and that didn't help. I have 2 wires leading to the coil and they both have power which I tested with the light so I don't know if they both are supposed to have power or if I am missing a wire, I even switched the wires on the coil with eachother and still nothing so if anybody has a suggestion I would greatly appreciate it otherwise it's going back to the mechanic.

[NHCharger]

ok so the mechanic said that I had the wrong distributor. So I got the correct one and put it in and now it doesn't fire or anything.
otherwise it's going back to the mechanic.

Not sure I would take it back to that mechanic. Sounds to me like you have a wiring problem. You have power when the key is in the start position but not in the run position. I would start checking the wiring, maybe a bad ignition switch?

[Lurker]

ok so the mechanic said that I had the wrong distributor. So I got the correct one and put it in and now it doesn't fire or anything. I'm thinking that it might be something with the coil cause before I brought it in I shocked myself with the wire leading to the distributor from the coil. And now I put a test light on it and there was no power there. I even replaced the coil and that didn't help. I have 2 wires leading to the coil and they both have power which I tested with the light so I don't know if they both are supposed to have power or if I am missing a wire, I even switched the wires on the coil with eachother and still nothing so if anybody has a suggestion I would greatly appreciate it otherwise it's going back to the mechanic.

if the car starts and runs while the key is in the start position i doubt it was the distributer

[poppa]

the two wires on your coil,that have power,are they on the same side of the coil??/Now that I think about it my car is the same.Someone hooked up a "starter" switch .I have to turn my key on,then use the starter switch.If I remember righht,I looked at the wiring diagram and there were two wires from the ignition switch,one was used for starting and one for in the run position.It was something like that.I left it figuring anti theft device,can't hurt. I hope this helps.It's free too!Good luck....