[undertaker1995]

I have a 65 Plymonth Sport Fury with a 85 318 magrum engine with automatic transmission. I tried to crank it this morning so I could drive it to work today and it wouldn't stay cranked. When you turned the ignition switch to start it would crank and as soon as you let go of the ignition switch it would quit. I tired several times to crank the car. If you held the ignition switch to start it would stay cranked but as soon as you let go it would stop. I could smell a faint odor that smelled like electrical and after that when you turned the ignition switch to start nothing would happen as if the battery was disconnected. So with all that said guys. So guys what do you think? Starter, starter solenoid or something else. I had planned on going to a car show at my church on Saturday. My problem is that I won't be able to work on my car untile Friday. I had planned on detailing my car Friday not trying to get it running. But things happen. So what do you guys think?

[Ray Bell]

Ignition switch?

Try a live wire to the ignition, bypass the switch, just use the key to crank it. See if that works.

[undertaker1995]

Your right it could be the ignition switch. I didn't think about that. Let me throw this back at you. What if by passing the switch doesn't work. Remember I smell a faint odor that smell like electrical. That smell was under the hood. I'll try by passing the switch. That's not a problem. Also rememder that when the switch is turned to start now nothing works like the battery is disconnected. But what else could it be?

[Centerline]

Ballast resistor.

[cobalt327]

X2↑

A textbook case.

[HotRodMan]

I had a 65 plymouth belvedere with the same problem and it was the ballast resistor. You can take a volt ohm meter, set it to ohms, and check it to see if it is good. If its bad it only cost a few dollars to fix.

[undertaker1995]

Thanks cobalt327, HotRodMan, Centerline, Ray Bell for your replies. I'm sorry that I'm just now getting around to replying to your replies. As my nickname replies to my job when death calls I have to take care of the dead as well as the ones left behind. I have checked the Ballast Resistor, Ignition Switch and they both check out good. I took the Starter Solenoid Relay apart and found that the points inside were burned. I cleaned them and checked the solenoid relay for continuity and it as well checked out good. The faint odor of burn had to come from the Starter Solenoid Relay. I tried by passing the switch but that did not work. I have complete continuity through the entire starter circuit and all circuits connected to the ignition Switch. The battery, alternator, alternator regular, horn relay, Ignition coil, Starter Solenoid Relay are all good. The only things left is the Starter and the Starter Solenoid. There is one component that I cannot locate. The wiring diagram shows a wire running from the Starter Solenoid Relay to the "Neutral Safety Switch". Where is it and what does it do? I have tried tracing the wire but with not luck finding it. Remember guys I have not power. When I open a door I don't even have dome lights. It's just like not having the battery installed. Well guys that's it. Keep on thinking guys and I will too. Thanks in advance.

[Ray Bell]

While I'm not saying you won't find the answer here, there are two other forums I think you might get it...

The '62 6o '65 Mopar forum and Moparchat.

[cobalt327]

Momentarily use a jumper to bypass the ballast. It can still be bad, yet the ends can touch so a meter will still show continuity.

[LATECH]

Originally Posted by undertaker1995

Remember guys I have not power. When I open a door I don't even have dome lights. It's just like not having the battery installed. Well guys that's it. Keep on thinking guys and I will too. Thanks in advance.

Sounds like a fusible link or bad battery cable.get a test light and ground it right to the battery negative post... to the post itself not the cable. Now check the power at the positive lead and chase it back to the little relay where the positive ends at.Any wires hooked to the same post there are fusible links and one could be burnt .

[LATECH]

[QUOTE=undertaker1995]I have a 65 Plymonth Sport Fury with a 85 318 magrum engine with automatic transmission. I tried to crank it this morning so I could drive it to work today and it wouldn't stay cranked. When you turned the ignition switch to start it would crank and as soon as you let go of the ignition switch it would quit. I tired several times to crank the car. If you held the ignition switch to start it would stay cranked but as soon as you let go it would stop.



This contradicts the other post however , this could be caused by a bad BALLAST RESISTOR or IGNITION SWITCH. Its an older mo chicken so it probably has a single row ignition ballast resisitor.I think the balast has 2 reds and one pink wire. The pink is from the ignition switch (hot in start) and t's with the red and goes straight to the coil. In run the red on the oposite side is hot( hot in run) and goes through the balast resistor.If the ballast is open circuit it would still get power from the ignition switch while cranking and would start but in run when the opposite side is energized it wont stay running due to the open in the ballast

[LATECH]

This is for a 65 truck. should be similar.
Also the coil could have shorted out and fried the fuse link and the ballast and the ignition switch like a chain reaction.

[undertaker1995]

Thank you guys again for your replies. It will be Monday or Tuesday before I can put your suggestions to work. I have to work the next three days. I'm on call from 9 am Friday til 6 pm Sunday night because of my work. However there is still one thing I need to know. What is and where is the "Neutral Safety Switch" that is shown running off of the Starter Solenoid Relay on my wiring diagram. Please guys , I need to know this. It may be the problem. I don't know. I'm just grabbing at straws. Thanks again guys for your help. We'll get this problem resolved.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by undertaker1995

there is still one thing I need to know. What is and where is the "Neutral Safety Switch" that is shown running off of the Starter Solenoid Relay on my wiring diagram.

The NSS does not allow the engine to be started in any gear selector position except "P" or "N", for obvious reasons.

I don't know about your car in particular, but in most cases, the NSS deactivates the starter solenoid- not the ignition- so if that's the case, it would be unrelated to your problem.

[35terraplane]

Originally Posted by undertaker1995

Thanks cobalt327, HotRodMan, Centerline, Ray Bell for your replies. I'm sorry that I'm just now getting around to replying to your replies. As my nickname replies to my job when death calls I have to take care of the dead as well as the ones left behind. I have checked the Ballast Resistor, Ignition Switch and they both check out good. I took the Starter Solenoid Relay apart and found that the points inside were burned. I cleaned them and checked the solenoid relay for continuity and it as well checked out good. The faint odor of burn had to come from the Starter Solenoid Relay. I tried by passing the switch but that did not work. I have complete continuity through the entire starter circuit and all circuits connected to the ignition Switch. The battery, alternator, alternator regular, horn relay, Ignition coil, Starter Solenoid Relay are all good. The only things left is the Starter and the Starter Solenoid. There is one component that I cannot locate. The wiring diagram shows a wire running from the Starter Solenoid Relay to the "Neutral Safety Switch". Where is it and what does it do? I have tried tracing the wire but with not luck finding it. Remember guys I have not power. When I open a door I don't even have dome lights. It's just like not having the battery installed. Well guys that's it. Keep on thinking guys and I will too. Thanks in advance.

You said you had no power in the car, have you checked the ground on the battery when you don't have a good ground, but enough to crank it over and start it could cause something to smoke and the shaking of the motor could be enough for you to lose ground. just a guess.


Later 35terraplane