1966 valiant ignition problem

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1966 valiant

1966 valiant

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First I would like to say hello to everyone. I just signed on to this website. Here is my problem. I picked my car up from storage after a 7 month winter here in cleveland ohio. My car fired right up and drove just fine. I got to my driveway and tried to restart and had nothing. The radio does come on when I turn the key either way. I found I could jump the starter solenoid to start the car. So I put a new one in and had the same problem. I tried 3 different ones with the same results. Put in a ballist resistor just to see if it would make a difference it did not. All contacts seem to be good. I pretty much suck at electrical problems. But I have narrowed it down to the ignition switch or the neutral safety switch but I don't know how to check these problems. I did try to start the car by moving the shifter around. It is a 904 automatic on the floor.Any thoughts on this would greatly help. Thanks in advance.
 
If you have no power to ignition start with the heavy red wire that travels through the firewall plug. They tend to overheat there and lose connection.
 
Thanks for the info. I will check that out as soon as I get a chance. Hopefully tomorrow after work. Is there a fuseable link there? Or is this just something that happens. I have never heard of that happening before.
 
Yes, fuse link, but the radio would not work unless the radio is aftermarket and "wired around"

You can download a free factory shop manual here:
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?p=1970088617

and here

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=31

and MyMopar also has "simplified" wiring diagrams, but these are not always correct or complete with some options like AC

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=18

On the 66 manual, you will have to "play" with page numbers, because the original Mopar ones used a "dash" system, IE electrical chapter starts on page 8-1. The MyMopar ones are consecutively numbered

Also, read this article:

http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml

Even if you never perform this bypass, this explains the how and why of the main power in these cars, and the pitfalls that affect nearly all of them.

By the way do your headlights work?
 
Got a test lamp ? 2 smaller wires on the starter relay. One of them ( yellow I think ) gets 12 volts every time the switch goes to start. The relay will only energize to run the starter if the neutral safety switch is supplying a ground path on the other wire ( brown I think ). If you prove start signal from switch is good, put a jumper to chassis ground where the other wire is and it should start,( even when in gear so be careful ).Start hunting the neutral safety switch problem. If the start signal isn't good, the problem is from there back to the ignition switch.
 
There ain't no better bunch then this crew 1966 valiant :glasses7:
 
Explain "had nothing". Does that mean no "clunk" from the big starter solenoid (inside starter motor), and no "click" from the starter relay (on firewall). If later, verify 12 Von big stud (thick red wire), 12 V on yellow "start" wire when key is held in "crank" position, 0 V on the small wire to the transmission (neutral safety switch, or to linkage if manual tranny, I think). All are relative to the relay's case. Get a multimeter (free at HF w/ coupon).
 
first thanks to everyone who posted here. @ bill grissom by nothing i mean not a click or anything. the radio plays when ignition is on. but i can jump the solenoid and start the car when ignition is turned on. i just went out and put the car in reverse and tried starting it by jumping the solenoid. it started cranking while in gear. this is leading me to believe that the neutral safety switch is bad. any thoughts on this. i happen to have a nns switch so i will be putting it in regardless. if i'm not mistaken this should be located on the driver side of tranny. it is a 904 tranny automatic with floor shift. any help of location would be helpful. thanks.
 
Almost certain that the NSS is not bad and is doing its job fine. It is a simple plunger switch and very unlikely to fail. Just because the "shift indicator" shows "R" doesn't mean the tranny is in "R". It was probably actually in "N" (hence the NSS was happy there).

The shift indicator has spring detents and the tranny has its own spring detents. Disconnect the linkage and move the tranny lever by hand (or cable if 1965-) and you will feel the detents. Your job is to adjust the linkage so the two detents match. The manual details it. In my 1965, the adjustment is a wheel on the shift cable. I like to adjust it when the tranny pan is off and I can feel and see the operation below.

The NSS is on the driver's side. Should be the only electrical wires to the tranny. Some cars have a single wire and some have 3 wires. The two outer wires are for the backup lights (connect together in "R"). The center wire is the NSS and shorts to gnd in "P" or "N", completing the coil circuit in the starter relay. If yours has a single wire, the backup switch is separate, somewhere on the shifter. My 65 has a floor shifter, w/ separate backup switch in the cabin, so a 1-wire NSS.
 
1966 valiant said:
i just went out and put the car in reverse and tried starting it by jumping the solenoid. it started cranking while in gear. this is leading me to believe that the neutral safety switch is bad. .
Click to expand...

No. When you jumper the relay, that takes the NSS out of the circuit

The auto trans starter relays have 4 terminals

the great bit stud is used as a junction and is one relay contact

The "square" screw is the "switched" contact and goes to the starter solenoid. So if you jumper the stud and the "square" screw, the relay is completely out of the circuit.

The other two "push on" quick connect terminals are the relay COIL. One gets starting signal from the key, and the other grounds the relay through the NSS when in park or neutral. There's a wire goes from one of the two quick connect terminals, down the firewall, to the NSS

If you are jumpering across the two large terminals, it could be

no start signal getting through bulkhead from key, or bad ignition switch or connector

Could be a bad connection in the NSS wire, bad NSS, or misadjusted trans linkage

Could be a bad starter relay


To start testing, IDENTIFY the NSS wire, unhook it, and hook a clip lead to that terminal of the relay, and clip to ground. BE CAREFUL!!!! It will start in any gear. See if the ignition switch now reliable actuates the relay
 
Welcome to FABO.


Also make sure that the yellow wire for the neutral safety switch on the starter relay has a good connection and is not corroded. Maybe disconnect it, clean the male and female terminals and reconnect and see what happens.

Be careful starting the car in moving gears (not park or drive), it will start and be moving in gear. You will have to chase it down before it crashed into something to stop.... If you must try starting it in gear, then jack up the rear tires so it cannot get away from you...

If it won't start in park or neutral, it should be your neutral safety switch or a wire for it that has lost its continuity.
 
@ krazykuda...had the wife standing on the brake when i tried this. going to be talking to a friend today or tomorrow about getting it on the lift so i don't have to crawl under it on a jack. getting to old for that. he also knows more about electrical so he will be able to trace it down easier.
 
well i finally found the problem. the wire came off the neutral saftey switch. thank you everybody for the input. on the road again. 8-)
 
Cool. And thanks for updating the thread. Many "don't"
 
@ 67dart273 i believe if the problem is found people need to know it so not to waste their time. everyone here had good input and the problem is solved. been running the 66 like i stole it all weekend 8-)
 
1966 valiant said:
so i don't have to crawl under it on a jack. getting to old for that. he also knows more about electrical so he will be able to trace it down easier.
Click to expand...

Just an FYI, you are never to old NOT to do that! Get some jack stands please.
 
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