No cranking, radio, interior lights or headlights working.

hey guys, new to the club. i see you guys helping around the thread alot and was hoping you could help me with my first car. i have a 75 duster and its been acting up since i got it. there would be days when it simply wouldnt crank and accessories like radio and lights wouldnt work then they suddenly work again. that was a couple months ago now something similar has happened and it hasnt been fixed for days. ive replaced the starter relay and the fuses, and made sure the battery was good. tested with a new one but still nothing. hope you can help out. any advice questions are appreciated

Welcome , if I recall your car has an ammeter,in the dash check the connections at it and the bulk head connector is also an issue.good luck keep us posted.

double post. OP see your other thread...more answers there.

littleduster225 said:

hey guys, new to the club. i see you guys helping around the thread alot and was hoping you could help me with my first car. i have a 75 duster and its been acting up since i got it. there would be days when it simply wouldnt crank and accessories like radio and lights wouldnt work then they suddenly work again. that was a couple months ago now something similar has happened and it hasnt been fixed for days. ive replaced the starter relay and the fuses, and made sure the battery was good. tested with a new one but still nothing. hope you can help out. any advice questions are appreciated

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The next time it doesn't start:
First: Did you hear a 'click' when the key was turned to Start? That indicates at least some power made it to the relay.

Second a quick check for battery condition and connections to the main splice.
Turn on the parking lights and then the headlights. The ammeter needle should move to discharge. About 5 amps for parking lights and about 12 amps with the headlights added.
If the lamps are on and there is a wall in front, are they weaker than normal?

If the battery is weak - then put it on a charger. Slow charge is usually best.
If the lights don't turn on at all, then there is probably a connection issue in the line between the battery and the main splice.

Interior lights (dome light) are powered through the fusebox hot side.
Radio gets power from fuse box switched side (only get power when the key switch is in run position or accessory position). Same iwth heater fan.

With a '75 you're going to have to check the details of the wiring. You can physically look at it (take photos and post 'em if you want) as well as look at the service manual diagrams.

Does your car have the seatbelt interlock system still functioning? There's a button on what will look like a big relay on the firewall. Press the button in and it will click. If it starts afterwards, that's your problem. Mine would trip sometimes out of nowhere before I disabled it. Think the computer was going bad. It's easy to disable, you just unplug the big red plug from it and jump two of the sockets together. I don't remember which two right now, but I can check when I get home or I'm sure you can find a thread on it.
edit: I doubt that's your problem since accessories are effected, but it's worth looking at. Missed that on my first read.

Seatbelt interlock was one year only, 1974. It interrupted no more than starter relay signal from ignition switch ( the yellow wire ). Everything else would still work.

RedFish said:

Seatbelt interlock was one year only, 1974. It interrupted no more than starter relay signal from ignition switch ( the yellow wire ). Everything else would still work.

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I thought I had read somewhere that some 1975 models came with it before they got rid of the requirement?

zsn0w said:

I thought I had read somewhere that some 1975 models came with it before they got rid of the requirement?

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I was reading that early 75's had this as well. As I just recently learned about that too. Under your seats do you see a connector that goes to the buckles? Under the hood on the drivers side wheel well near the firewall is there a module that has a single wire on one side and a multi connection on the other side? If so there is a long cylinder on the back of it, push something in it to reset the seat belt interlock.