74 dart can’t get a spark

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Don't work yourself into confusion. Think about what is common. If the headlights work, you are getting battery power through the bulkhead, through the ammeter, and into the passenger compartment. If anything works in the key "accessory" position, the key switch is at least "receiving" power from the ammeter circuit/ bulkhead.

Does anything work with key "in run"? Gauges? warning lights on the cluster? If so, power is at least getting that far. Next see if power is making it out through the bulkhead to the ballast resistor. That wire splits and feeds the blue wire going to the alternator field (There are two, green and blue)
If nothing powers on with the key in run where do I go from there? The ballast resistor does not get warm at all. Headlights work but no turn signals no brake lights no dash lights no radio that is tapped into one of the sources from the fuse box.

No warning lights. Like my second brake or e brake and no oil pressure warning light like before

The key is really hard to put in and take out but I can’t imagine that has anything to do it it
 
If the headlights work that means there is power to the welded splice. It is LIKELY between there and the key switch. --Or at the key switch/ connector itself. Might be the splice itself is bad but that is RARE. DOUBLE check at the ignition switch connector. You can unplug the connector and take the harness end. There is ONE wire that should be hot at all times, which is the feed from the ammeter circuit/ welded splice. Another thing you can check is anything that should be hot at all times, such as brake lights or hazard flashers, or dome lamps. All of that is feed off the "hot" buss in the fuse panel and it also comes from the welded splice
 
Also check that stupid "the only white connector" in the engine bay leading between the firewall area harness and the engine. This is a white multi pin Molex style connector and they fail. If it is damaged, best to eliminate it, and splice the wireing direct across / bypass the connector. It was used to facilitate factory engine install
 
Here are some outtakes from the factory manual, may help

74ignswitch.jpg

Below, the switch wiring is not quite correct. The yellow and brown are not connected. They come from separate switch contacts.
The large RED should be hot at all times, is the feed to the switch.
Yellow is the "start" wire
Brown "acts same" as the start wire, feeds full battery to the coil to the coil + side of the ballast during cranking
Dark blue is the "run" wire feeds the ballast and branches off to feed the IGN box, the blue field wire to the alternator and the VR power and possibly elsewhere
Large black is the accessory feed to the buss in the fuse panel
74ign_sw.jpg

Below is the bulkhead connector. Check carefully that this is not a "mirror" (reversed) image. "N" J2, dark blue is your "run" feed. "P" R6A no 12BK, is the wire coming from the ammeter back out to the alternator output. Should be hot at all times.

Terminal J--A1C---no 16 Dark Blue is the fuse link feeding the battery IN to the pass compartment TO the ammeter RED wire
74bulkhead.jpg
 
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If the headlights work that means there is power to the welded splice. It is LIKELY between there and the key switch. --Or at the key switch/ connector itself. Might be the splice itself is bad but that is RARE. DOUBLE check at the ignition switch connector. You can unplug the connector and take the harness end. There is ONE wire that should be hot at all times, which is the feed from the ammeter circuit/ welded splice. Another thing you can check is anything that should be hot at all times, such as brake lights or hazard flashers, or dome lamps. All of that is feed off the "hot" buss in the fuse panel and it also comes from the welded splice
I checked every wire in this connector I’m assuming this is the ignition switch connector you are talking about (attached image) and I did not get any glowing light on my circuit tester Only thing that is on is my dome light. Flashers don’t work neither does the brake lights.

Where would that white wire be at? From the bull head to the engine? I appreciate your time explaining this over the internet I’m just learning so if I sound green it is because I am.

277FD545-36DF-4913-8379-3D5AC3B1A7F9.jpeg
 
White? Don't know what you are referring to unless you mis- read the white CONNECTOR. This is a troublesome connector in the engine bay that separates the engine connections harness from the firewall harness. Part of the reason it fails is the main alternator output wire goes through it before it goes through the firewall.

This is starting to sound like the welded splice is bad. Make CERTAIN your test lamp is working and grounded. There is only one wire that is hot going to the ignition switch connector--the large red
 
You ARE checking for power on the harness end and not the end feeding the ignition switch itself, eh?
 
You ARE checking for power on the harness end and not the end feeding the ignition switch itself, eh?
Hahahaha well **** I didn’t even think to check the male side. Yes I have power. Jesus Christ I’ve been poking and checking so many wires I’m going crazy… I reconnected the harness and brake lights and four ways work. I’m sorry about that. So now what’s next? Replace ignition switch? Or do you still think it would be the welded splice
 
If you have power to the ignition switch connector probley the splice is OK. Failure of them is rare. I would reconnect the switch and start looking at output. The blue run of course for sure. See, it's common for the switches to wear internally and the contacts "waltz around" inside the switch."

There's a very good writeup around this site somewhere on how to service the ts switch and ignition switch
 
Hahahaha well **** I didn’t even think to check the male side. Yes I have power. Jesus Christ I’ve been poking and checking so many wires I’m going crazy… I reconnected the harness and brake lights and four ways work. I’m sorry about that. So now what’s next? Replace ignition switch? Or do you still think it would be the welded splice
So you ended up checking the harness side and have power at the steering column connector.
I didn’t reply until now because Del has you going in the right direction, and I don’t want to add confusion.
He’s damn good at this stuff.
(The white connector he referred to is between the firewall and the passenger side cylinder head on my 73)
I had to fix that on mine.
 
Connect a jumper wire from coil + to batt + terminal & see if you get spark. If you get spark, coil & ECU are ok. You have a wiring problem that supplies either/both.
If no spark, it could be the coil, wiring or ECU. Process of elimination. Assuming ECU is properly grounded, it becomes a process of elimination
 
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