dturnlund

Howdy out there, I'm new to your forum.
My name is Dan and I have a question.
My 1974 Challenger developed an issue very suddenly. I parked it for the winter, and two weeks later went to start it and......nothing.
For awhile you could jump the relay, but now that doesn't even work.
I have gone through every wire in the engine bay(and cleaned everything up nicely, just to be thorough).
Yesterday I started working on the interlocks on the steering column, found a barely hanging on main power to ignition wire, cut and rewired that, and still nothing.
I'm pretty convinced it's the actual ignition switch, although the neutral safety switch wiring loom could also use some rewiring-somebody at one time routed it around the hottest part of the engine, and it's very brittle.
The fact that it won't run in the "On" position I think is the giveaway.
Any thoughts-or takers on this one?

BJennings

My 73 did the same thing. i switched ballast resistor and ignition and it worked, if you have brittle wires it might be time to start looking at a new harness. Im a newbie here again. rejoined after being gone for a bit, welcome to the site...

dturnlund

Mr. Jennings,
Thanks for the input. I took out every wire in the engine bay, resoldered bad connections, made sure all the contacts were good, reinstalled the wiring.
Then I took out the steering column, tested the ignition switch, blasted the whole assembly, painted it, reinstalled it.
The ballast resistor was cracked, but I replaced that too.
Then I took out the dash, and redid all the dash wiring, put a factory style tach where the clock delete plate was.
So now it's down to the neutral safety switch and it's wiring harness.
If that doesn't solve it, I may have to break down and take it to someone, because I'm out of possibilities.
I mean, the ignition system isn't that complicated, what the heck else could it possibly be???
I suppose it could be the ignition control module, but that's only ten or so years old.
I do know that the key won't start it, and the plugs are not getting spark.
Very frustrating to say the least.
I'm tired of working on it, I want to drive it!

BJennings

Sounds like you"ve replaced everything! Man your right it shouldn't be that hard, I have a 79 Bronco kicking my butt as well(wrong forum eh?) it likes to start in drive so I have to rig the Neutral switch, anyway good luck and hope your on the road soon. Good Luck ....

dturnlund

Gee, thanks for sending an ad for your limousine service that isn't even in our state.
On my birthday, in response to a real problem I'm trying to solve.
Guess whose limousine service I'll make an extra effort to NEVER EVER use under ANY circumstances?

dturnlund

OK, latest update.
Seems like the voltage regulator failed, and took out the ECU, the ballast resistor, and the pick up coil in the distributor. I've replaced all these, and now it starts with the key and runs.
However... the ballast resistor gets really hot. It starts from the brown wire to the ignition coil and works it's way outward across the resistor. I'm thinking ground issue with the coil, causing blockage of the current across the coil to the ground from the coil, and the sparkplug wires don't carry enough amperage to keep the ballast resistor from overheating.
Anybody have any thoughts?

dturnlund

Seems like the problem has something to do with the 2 coil wires from the ballast resistor. One goes to the coil, the other backtracks through the ignition and the seat belt interlock.
I'll bet the seatbelt interlock circuit has a short to ground somewhere, and that's whats pulling the excess voltage through the ballast resistor.