318 Wont start unless I jump out the ballast resistor.

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Cope

Cope

Fusing with fire
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My 318 refuses to start unless I jump 12V hot to the lookers left side of the ballast resistor. (The side that goes to the coil) It will run fine once started and I can remove the jumper wire.

I have installed new points, condenser, plugs,Ballast resistor and Cleaned up the cap and rotor.

Any Ideas would be great. The car runs great I just hate having to open the hood every time I want to start the dang car.

Thanks again.
 
This is somewhat baffling. I think maybe I would look at the ignition switch, or longshot maybe the coil.
 
if u have an DVOM just go checking around. maybe u have low voltage going into ur ballst resistor thats why it won't start. i would check voltage at the battery, resistor, coil, and do voltage drops along the way.
 
I've done that already, I'm seeing 10. in the resistor and like 6-8V out. What should I be seeing at the coil?

Thanks again
 
Has it done this forever? Did you change something to cause this? Sounds like the start/run wires may be switched or the ignition switch may be bad. What does it do when you turn the key to start it without the jumper? does it just crank over with no firing?
 
Cope said:
My 318 refuses to start unless I jump 12V hot to the lookers left side of the ballast resistor. (The side that goes to the coil) It will run fine once started and I can remove the jumper wire.

I have installed new points, condenser, plugs,Ballast resistor and Cleaned up the cap and rotor.

Any Ideas would be great. The car runs great I just hate having to open the hood every time I want to start the dang car.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
theres a b-resistor bypass on the starter circut that allows the engine to start.
did you check that?
 
When you turn the key to start the car there should be 12 volts at the coil. When you release the key and it's running you'll have 6 volts at the coil. I think you're ignition switch is bad...It runs once you start it, but won't run in the start mode.
 
Sounds like the ignition switch or mabby a bad fire wall conection. Jiggle all the plugs on the fire wall to make sure they are in all the way. If not it could be the ignition switch. Or mabby the nutral safty switch?

I just had the same problem with my car. The igntion switch was to blame for me.

Good luck.
 
So now new coil, new wires, new cap and rotor, No luck!

It will fire or spark once and then nothing, not even with the jumper.

The ballast resistor gets hot, is this normal? My coil also gets warm.

The car is new to me and my first mopar, Before that I was a Toyota guy.....

Thanks again.
 
Try checking the solenoid, I had the same problems and then replaced it and no more problems. The coil will get warm but should NEVER be HOT, oh also I replaced the regulator don't know which one fixed it I changed them at the same time, but I had the same problems you're having, I replaced the coil which didn't do anything and then replaced the resistor, the regulator and the solenoid and haven't had a problem since.

I know, I know a girl, but just try it. I mean you aren't gettin any where else it sounds like...
 
Cope said:
So now new coil, new wires, new cap and rotor, No luck!

It will fire or spark once and then nothing, not even with the jumper.

The ballast resistor gets hot, is this normal? My coil also gets warm.

The car is new to me and my first mopar, Before that I was a Toyota guy.....

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
no sparky now eh? shouldn't be running that ballast bypassed for any length of time lol. ballasts get hot.. so do coils.. normal.
give your points/condensor another "once over" so you can get back to the original problem.
 
I never ran the bypass for more than the time it took to start the car.

The car is a 1971 Dodge dart Swinger.

I'm thinking about sanding the old points and installing them..

Just to get this right, 12V hot to right side of ballast block. The left hand side of the ballast block goes to the positive side of the coil, Negative side (Of the coil) goes to the distributor.
Correct?
 
blue wire into the B/R, brown wire out of the B/R to the +side of coil, black wire from the -side coil to the dizzy.
don't think it matters what side the the B/R the wires are. its Ohms the same in either direction.
was running when you installed the NEW points and bypassed the B/R correct?
 
Yeah it ran fine last night,(I changed the plugs, B/R, Condenser, and points last night) Then this morning I warmed her up and pulled out into the drive way and she just quit and refuses to fire now.

Mopar chick
I'm not afraid to take advice from a lady and I have a Ford remote start solenoid that i may swap out for the factory mopar one.

Thanks for the ideas.
 
Cope said:
My 318 refuses to start unless I jump 12V hot to the lookers left side of the ballast resistor. (The side that goes to the coil) It will run fine once started and I can remove the jumper wire.

I have installed new points, condenser, plugs,Ballast resistor and Cleaned up the cap and rotor.

Any Ideas would be great. The car runs great I just hate having to open the hood every time I want to start the dang car.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

I've been working on the same problem, so here is my 2 cents. I believe it's your ignition switch or ignition wiring. Your ign switch energizes two circuits, "start" and "run". I believe the "start" circuit bypasses the ballast resistor. If your jumping the ballast resistor works, it suggests that the "start" circuit is not operating properly.
 
Iginition switch seems like a likeley suspect, as it's the only part left in the ignition system that i have yet to change.

I love electrical problems....Actually I'd rather stick a screwdriver in my eye.

On a brighter note I just got off the phone with a guy who is gonna delver a 360 to my house tomorrow for 80 bucks!
It has a spun rod bearing but for the price i couldn't pass it up.

Back to the switch, Is there any way to jump it out and test if that is the problem?

Thanks again.
 
Sorry for all the questions, but can someone give me the firing order? May hap I screwed the pooch on the wire install...
 
Turn on the switch to run-check voltage at ballast. Put switch in start- same, but should have 12v
 
i,ve always remembered the firing order of v8s with this little saying. I like women from 18 to 43 not 65 to 72
 
Green1 can you please clarify your statement.

Daredevel

Nice, I think I can remember that!

Can anyone tell me where the #1 plug wire is on the cap? I did the blow my finger off trick and point the rotor to the wire, but I still cant get it to fire. Yes I checked it at both blow spots with the timing mark lined up.

I tried yelling at it but that didn't work either...Kicking it is next.
 
Cope said:
Iginition switch seems like a likeley suspect, as it's the only part left in the ignition system that i have yet to change.

I love electrical problems....Actually I'd rather stick a screwdriver in my eye.

On a brighter note I just got off the phone with a guy who is gonna delver a 360 to my house tomorrow for 80 bucks!
It has a spun rod bearing but for the price i couldn't pass it up.

Back to the switch, Is there any way to jump it out and test if that is the problem?

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

hehe. the whole idea of the ballast resistor is to have an extra boost when startup.. misunderstand me right. the coil is originaly ment to run on 6-8 V.. u have the ballast resistor in there to make a current resistance that will take down the 12V from battery U = R * I... if the current to coil was 1 amp the resistance should need to be 7 - 8 ohms... ok the idea behind all this is that when you are cranking the engine the ignition switch give 12V directly to the coil as a startup boost.. (this aint directly truth since the starter wil draw the voltage down to maybe 10V)

Ok back to your question, u just have to hotvire a cable directly from the starter relay and to the coil.. this wil give u the same voltage under cranking as the battery have. (i beleave its the same output on the ignition svitch as originaly used but a different wire)
 
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