1974 duster starting issue

Stone340 said
Only starts when holding the key in start position for 5-10 seconds. There is no crank during this time. I do hear an electrical noise or click when I turn key. Also noticed that the radio doesn’t come on when key is in accessory/run position. When car is running the radio keeps turning on and off. Don’t know if that has anything to do with it not cranking. The neutral safety switch is new. Battery is good. Starter relay is new. Ballast is new. Car will start when bypassing the terminals on relay every time. I’m thinking something wrong with key switch. Is that behind the steering wheel?
(wanted to know before pulling wheel off). Been scratching my head for couple of weeks now. Checked ground and all wires to bulkhead. I’ve had this car since 1999 and this my first electrical issue. Any suggestions helpful. Thanks in advanced.

If it’s a ‘74 it will have seat belt interlock garbage on it. There’s a relay out in the engine bay and a few other components, kinda sounds like you may have a relay going bad and it’s taking more juice to energize it.

There’s been a few different threads on the seat belt interlock lately, just search seat belt interlock or seat belt relay. You can bypass it entirely, if nothing else you can bypass it and that way you can eliminate it as a possibility.

It may also just be a bad ignition switch, they can develop some play in them and when they do they don’t always make all the circuits they need to.

Demonracer said
Go to MyMopar and get a FSM and research the wiring on the ignition switch.

There is no FSM for a ‘74 at mymopar. In fact, there’s no free manual that covers the seat belt interlock wiring at all. The ‘74 up wiring is different enough that the free ‘73 manual isn’t much help if it’s that seat belt interlock system.