Ignition/starting problem

My '63 Dart will crank over fine but not start until you release the key from the start position. I'm currently running a 360 with a points distributor but also had the same problem when I used to have an electronic set up on it.

I've replaced the ignition switch with a known good one and also temporarily bypassed the ballast resistor with no change to the problem. It fires right up when using a remote start button.

What should I check next?

Has to be a fault in the way that remote start is tapped into the factory start circuit.

The starting problem exists whether the start button is connected up or not. No wiring is changed to use the start button - it's just an accessory like you'd use for cranking the engine when you're under the hood that hooks to 12v and the starter solenoid wire.

When bypassing the ballast resistor, did you run a wire straight from the + battery post to the + terminal on the coil? If so, it should have fired with the key, especially if a remote starter button would start it. I'd guess that you may not have bypassed the ballast resistor as you may have thought.

When using the ignition switch, the coil is powered by the brown wire coming off the switch which bypasses the ballast resistor. Somewhere along the line that brown wire is broken, has a corroded contact, or what not. Usual suspect is the bulkhead connector. Once you release the ignition switch from start to run, the coil is powered by the blue wire which runs through the ballast resistor. The start button works because you're not using that brown wire circuit, just the run circuit. I may have the brown and blue wires mixed up, plus that's on my '69; not sure the colors for a '63.

You'll need to either find the problem in the start circuit, or just bypass it. I got so sick and tired of mine working and then not working no matter what I did, I just wired a switch to energize the run circuit; all the start position on the ignition switch does is activate the starter. I leave the switch on when I want the motor to run, switch it off when I want it off, like a kill switch.

Could be the ignition switch, but since you've replaced it I'd say it's probably not the problem. My 2 cents and how I fixed mine, I'm sure others may chime in with various tests and so on to pinpoint the exact problem. I just wanted mine to start and run, so I rigged up what worked without worrying about originality or looks.

racingsnake440 said:

The starting problem exists whether the start button is connected up or not. No wiring is changed to use the start button - it's just an accessory like you'd use for cranking the engine when you're under the hood that hooks to 12v and the starter solenoid wire.

Click to expand...

Using a start button DOES change how the system works see below

mad accountant said:

When using the ignition switch, the coil is powered by the brown wire coming off the switch which bypasses the ballast resistor. .

Click to expand...

This guy is starting to sound like ME

OP: You need to get a voltmeter and see what you have right at the coil + during cranking WHEN USING THE KEY in a normal factory manner. This engages the "brown wire" IGN2 bypass circuit. It's a simple one..........goes from the IGN2 terminal on the swtich, through the bulkhead and to the coil + side of the resistor.

The other thing you must understand that during cranking, using the key, the normal "ignition run" IGN1 is disabled. The IGN2 terminal is the only ignition source

It's VERY possible you have more than one problem...........

Points deteriorating or a bad condenser or coil, meaning a weaker spark.

Something broken in the brown wire circuit.

Or maybe it's not electrial..........at all

Check the spark with a grounded probe right at the coil tower. Do this AFTER checking out and repairing -if necessary- the IGN2 circuit.

Thanks for the replies.

It seems most likely it's a problem with the brown wire circuit - the car starts instantly using the button and runs great.

To bypass the ballast resistor I connected the two terminals that normally go to the ballast resistor to each other.

I realize using the button changes the way the system works - my point was that it couldn't be causing the problem when using the key as none of the original wiring had been removed.

I think I'm going to check the brown wire circuit and if there's not an obvious issue just fit a permanent starter button so I only need to use the IGN1 circuit.

Do I understand you are not running a ballast? What are you using for an ignition system?

............Or did I misread? You jumpered the ballast just to test?

As you say it sounds like the brown circuit might be problem. Check right at the ignition switch connector, and then engine bay side of bulkhead connector

Currently running points - I just temporarily bypassed the ballast to test, it's hooked back up again now. Hopefully have chance to check the wiring tomorrow.

Finally got chance to take a look at this today. The brown wire on the engine side of the bulkhead connector had become loose and backed partly out. Cleaned it up, tweaked the locking tab slightly and pushed it back in. Car starts great now Next up, try and fix the gauges...

Very good. I would suggest you go through the bulkhead connector "more completely." Even if you don't do "the mod" please read this excellent article, which has a great overview on general problems with these old girls

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

Excellent result. Everybody agreed on the likely problem, the OP was also thinking along those lines and found it.

I also was confused by the key switch. When I did my custom wiring, I ran only the IGN wire since I wasn't going to use a ballast. I had the same result. It wouldn't fire when cranking, but as I released crank, it sometimes fired. I then found that IGN (blue) is powered only in "run", not in "crank". I just jumpered IGN2 to IGN at the key switch connector to fix that.

A question is why Mopar designed it that way, since it would have been easy to have the switch power IGN in both "run" and "crank" positions. The only advantage I can see in not powering IGN during cranking is that the alternator Vreg is then not powered and thus not loading the engine. But, the Vreg is still "back-feed" thru the 0.5 ohm ballast and since the alternator field is >5 ohm it would still get powered. Anybody ideas why they designed the key such? I wonder what GM & Ford did since they also had ballasts (or ballasted wires).