The Dodge Challenger Message Board

While trying to fire up my engine last fall, had several prolems with the electrical. Ignition switch was dead inside in the start mode, but was working in the run mode.

Continued to try to get the car started by crossing the terminals using a large screwdriver on the relay. This work fine for about three to four cranks, then all of a sudden, when the ignition in the car was in the run mode, the starter was engaging, and the engine was trying to crank. Seemed weird at the time that all of a sudden it "broke". Simply removed the wire running from the ignition switch to the relay, hooked up a bare wire from the relay, and touched to the positive terminal on the battery and fired up and broke in the engine.

Replaced the ignition switch today, thinking that was the problem. Still have the same issue. When the ignition is in run mode, the starter is engaging. Could we have fried the Starter relay doing what we did? Any other thoughts on what to replace to fix this? Electricity has never been my strong suit, so speak in simple terms for me!! Thanks,

- rich

Rich, I think you already confirmed the realy was bad by using a jumper wire to perform the breakin. I would replace the relay. I bet this solves your problem. The flywheel is in good shape right.

You should check the Nuetral safety witch connections as well.

The starter relay is cheap $$$ too and anew one always looks better anyways.LOL

Tom

72challengerorange wrote:You should check the Nuetral safety witch connections as well.

The starter relay is cheap $$$ too and anew one always looks better anyways.LOL

Tom

I agree. I bought one last year at Napa and there were two grades according to the part counter help. One was like $13 and the other $18.

Do you have a 4 speed with the clutch safety switch? You will need the pole on the relay if so.

Just a simple 3 speed. I did replace the neutral safety switch, had the wrong style in the car when I bought it. Pigtail did not hook to it.

Sounds like the concensus is the starter relay. The chain of events which happened the day we fired her up had me perplexed. I had put a new starter relay in prior to starting the car last fall, so that is why I thought we did damage to it trying to start the car.

Thanks to everyone for the help and advice.

- rich

Found it last night. Just a bad starter wire from the ignition switch to the relay. Read an old post from Wayne and just jumped a wire through the window. All other components were okay. Course now I have to rewire correctly through the firewall. Should have done all this with the engine out of the car.

Didn't seem like in the run mode, I had any interior lights, etc. The external tach did jump, so maybe under the hood is getting juice. Could this be bad fuses? What else to look for?

Thanks again,

- rich

by the sound of that rich i would suspect the bulkhead connector is where the problem will be i have a similar problem
cheers ian

There is a fusable link in the main feed from the relay to the firewall bulkhead on a 70. I am not sure if this is the wire you are dealing with though.

Thanks Ian and Jon. I agree with you Ian, the bulkhead must be the problem. Did you actually remove the bulkhead to replace the wiring?

The bad wire is actually the yellow starter wire, this is the one I jumped across and now I can actually start the car from inside the car! What a novel concept!

I am still working on getting the accessories (dash lights, etc.) to work in the run mode, but the ignition works.

Thanks again,

- rich

gday rich as yet i havent fixed the problem as im still in the bodywork stage but i think i will remove the bulkhead connector altogether & just make new wiring harnesses that run straight through the fire wall like they do in our aussie cars its just 1 less problem
cheers ian

Well, I thought I was done with this one. I think I have it narrowed to a bad relay (which is what Eddie said earlier in this thread). I now get 12 volts at the relay (yellow wire) when the ignition switch is turned to "start", but the starter does not engage. I can and have jump started using a scredriver on the relay, so I know that works.

Any help is always appreciated.

I finally drove it a little on Monday, ran like a champ. Was going on 3 years, I never thought the thing would move again

auto? right- check the other wire- brown with yellow tracer- should be grounded when in park or neutral- if not then you have to check it at the tranny!!

John Mac

Thanks John Mac, that was the ticket, neutral safety pigtail pulled off. Thanks again.

10-4!!!


now get driving!!!!!!!!

All over it. Thanks again.