The Dart is DEAD!!

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easyrider

65 droptop
Joined
Aug 21, 2011
Messages
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Location
Crystal Springs, MS
I was headed to Crusin the Coast. Car was running great. I've been driving it a lot. Thought it was ready to go. About 50 miles from home, I was running about 60mph, it died just like I turned the key off. Can't figure it out. will not fire. Cranks over. This thing is killing me.
 
Cranks but won't start. ( 9 times out of 10 it's ignition.) Check for spark while cranking first.
 
How old is your timing chain? Did you check to see if the rotor turns when you crank it?
 
Had The coil take a **** 2 times over the last nine months, chased it the first time, got wise the second. Have a look see?

Jake
 
Had same sudden failure once, a long time ago. Ballast resistor had burned open. A little piece of a hose clamp between those female terminals bypassed the resistor for the to drive to the part store.
No resistor for long term could overheat / damage the coil.
 
This is why I eliminate the damned ballast on every Mopar I own.
 
Lol maybe carry a spare on your keychain.
I actually just relocated the ballast resistor from the ignition system to my wiper motor (it was only working on hi speed, and this solved the issue)
 
Title is a little misleading.lol i opened this expecting to see rods hanging out the bottom of a block...not a minor ignition issue that can probably be fixed for somewhere in the $12-$80 range :p
 
Did we ever figure out if it was ignition? I always check for fuel first. No tools required for that.
 
Did we ever figure out if it was ignition? I always check for fuel first. No tools required for that.
Yup, same here. Car crapping out, coasting silently to the edge of the road...not fun. Hope you got it fingered out...
 
Coil, that's how they go, no warning.
Mine did the EXACT thing Monday afternoon...
Steps...
1 ballast resistor (kept spare in glove box)
no start
2 ECU (kept spare in glove box)
no start
3 coil (spare kept in basement DOH!)
no start
3.1 put hi-voltage spark plug wire back on after forgetting DOH!
START! YAY!
 
I can remember back in 1971, I believe, having this same problem with a 69 R/T, 440 six pack. Ran great for two years, then I cleaned the engine on one bright sunny day. All of a sudden it ran very rough, or rougher than usual. Then it stopped. Can you believe that I had it into a Dodge dealer in the Quad Cities, couldn't find the problem, then to a local garage who thought that he had it fixed, just to find out not. Several starters, battery, plug wires, coil, the only thing that I missed was that ballast resister. Finally sold it, AS IS to a guy returning from Viet Nam. That was the last that I saw of it until about six years later when I came up behind it on the street. Could always recognize that R/T with its Dana so visible from the rear. Ballast resistor was what he changed, first thing, and it ran like a top. Expensive stupid lesson.
 
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