72 Dart Ignition problems

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Mike6171

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I have never had an issue with any vehicle quite like this. I have a 72 Dart Swinger that we are slowly restoring. It's a daily driver, or was.
Here's my problem. Couple weeks ago I went out to start her, and got nothing. It was early morning about 5:30. It was 58 degrees outside. Took the other car to work. I tried to start it when I got home and it started without hesitation.
The following day it did the same thing, nothing. It did start later in the day. I started to put a pattern together, but it didn't make any sense to me. The battery was 6 years old and getting weaker by the day. I replaced the battery hoping this would be the answer to my problem. No such luck. I finally realized it was the temperature. The car won't start until the temp was over 65 degrees. Way too weird.
Has anyone ever experienced this kind of starting issue? I have run out of ideas.
Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
Next time it doesn't start, try going into neutral, then see if she starts. Neutral safety has played a lot of games with people over the years.
 
Mike6171 said:
I have never had an issue with any vehicle quite like this. I have a 72 Dart Swinger that we are slowly restoring. It's a daily driver, or was.
Here's my problem. Couple weeks ago I went out to start her, and got nothing. It was early morning about 5:30. It was 58 degrees outside. Took the other car to work. I tried to start it when I got home and it started without hesitation.
The following day it did the same thing, nothing. It did start later in the day. I started to put a pattern together, but it didn't make any sense to me. The battery was 6 years old and getting weaker by the day. I replaced the battery hoping this would be the answer to my problem. No such luck. I finally realized it was the temperature. The car won't start until the temp was over 65 degrees. Way too weird.
Has anyone ever experienced this kind of starting issue? I have run out of ideas.
Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...

Yep, on two different cars and both times it was the pigtail plug for the distributor.
Apparently temp variations cause the rubber to expand and contract then the plug looses connection. (you didn't say if it cranks and does not start, or doesn't even crank)

If it cranks but no start try squeezing the female parts of both sides of the plug with a pair of pliers and try it again.

If it doesn't even crank you have basically the same problem somewhere in the cranking system.

Basically what you have is an expansion/contraction loss of connection.
 
I already replaced the NSS. Wasn't the problem. When it started doing this I could move the shifter around a bit and it would start. Won't do anything now other than irritate and frustrate me
 
Sorry, It does nothing. No crank. It's like there's no power at all. I will take a look at the distributor pigtail tho. In order to diagnose this, will I need to test it when the temp is low enough so the car won't start, or does it matter?
 
A good cleaning of cable connections and grounds. Ground strap from engine to firewall present and contact surfaces and bolts-screws tight. Battery cable connections free of corrosion and tight.
 
Next time it happens, remove the NSS wire at the starter relay and run a jumper to gnd. Stand to the side because it might be in drive and jump forward, i.e. the NSS was fine and doing its job and the tranny wasn't actually in P or N. Plastic bushings in the linkage get old and fall out, giving slop. I just dealt with that when my son had my 1985 M-B away at university. Wiggling the shifter around N got it started. He was also alarmed by the rattling sound near the shifter while driving. I like that because is says "bingo" to me.
 
You could also tie the ignition switch in the start position and then start wiggling connections.
Of course pull the coil wire so it won't actually start.

It could point the problem spot out pretty fast.
 
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