Car won't start

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erafuse

erafuse

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Have a 1973 Dart Swinger won't start. Oil pressure light doesn't come on when key is on. If you hold the key on a bit it will start and stay running. When you let of the key it will stop. Any ideas????
 
Exact thing happened to me before Carlisle. The problem was the connection in the bulkhead that runs to the ballast resistor from the ignition switch.
 
A ballast resistor would not effect the oil lamp or other hot in run circuits. I'll go with ignition switch also. I would first look under the column for the white color harness connector from/to ignition switch. It might be melted.
 
It's easy to check the ignition switch if you can remove it from the column. It takes about a minute to remove from a 68 Dart dash.
 
domdart said:
It's easy to check the ignition switch if you can remove it from the column. It takes about a minute to remove from a 68 Dart dash.
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You wont pull the column mounted switch in a minute.
 
Thanks for all the replays. Will have to take it to a higher authority not much of a mechanic. It will run if you hold the key on a bit. What is confusing me is the oil light doesn't come on untill I start turning it over it starts but soon as you let of key it stops!
 
erafuse said:
Thanks for all the repleys. Will have to take it to a higher authority not much of a mechanic. It will run if you hold the key on a bit. What is confusing me is the oil light doesn't come on untill I start turning it over it starts but soon as you let of key it stops!
Click to expand...
 
Since you're taking it in, no worries. But when troubleshooting you only do ONE thing at a time..... when these cars don't run in the run position, it usually is ballast resistor, like 9.9 times out of ten.
 
Louie70Dart said:
Since you're taking it in, no worries. But when troubleshooting you only do ONE thing at a time..... when these cars don't run in the run position, it usually is ballast resistor, like 9.9 times out of ten.
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Changed the ballast resister still the same. If it was the resistor shouldn't affect the oil light which won't come on untill I try to start it and goes out once it starts if I hold the key on a bit it will run but shuts of when I let the key go.
 
So if/when you determine the ignition switch is the fault ( brown and yellow hot in start, blue or both blue and black not hot in run ), You'll need to source a new switch ( some part stores have them ) and do the research on the R&R procedure.
Beyond the disassembly of the steering column, Aftermarkets replacement switches have a extra smaller gauge black wire poked into the wrong connector port and not used in your model. That complicates things a little, thus the research suggested. Several relative threads here.
Meanwhile... If you really need to drive the car, a toggle switch linking red to blue would temporary patch the failed portion of the OEM switch. I'm not a advocate of cut/spliced wiring but... in some cases we're forced to do what we have to do.
 
Last edited:
RedFish said:
So if/when you determine the ignition switch is the fault ( brown and yellow hot in start, blue not hot in run ), You'll need to source a new switch ( some part stores have them ) and do the research on the R&R procedure.
Aftermarkets replacement switches have a extra smaller gauge black wire poked into the wrong connector port and not used in your model. That complicates things a little, thus the research suggested. Several relative threads here.
Meanwhile... If you really need to drive the car, a toggle switch linking red to blue would temporary patch the failed portion of the OEM switch. I'm not a advocate of cut/spliced wiring but... in some cases we're forced to do what we have to do.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. Not much of a mechanic. So going to take it to a shop and have them look at it. Hope they can figure it out.
 
erafuse said:
Thanks for the info. Not much of a mechanic. So going to take it to a shop and have them look at it. Hope they can figure it out.
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Mechanics have to eat too. This "sitting in the drivers seat" job is gravy to them.
 
TrailBeast said:
Yea, if they can do it without screwing something else up or breaking something.
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I hear you don't like taking to a shop but don't have much choice. Last time I had it in a shop came out with a dent in the fender. Said they didn't do it but it wasn't there when I took it in. A guy with paintless dent repair was able to get it out cost me $75.00.
 
If they are not a Mopar orientated shop good luck. They will probably start replacing parts.
If I were you, I would check all the pertinent wires out, in the bulkhead connector. Sounds like it could be in the connectors their. Get a factory wiring diagram, they are most help full.
barracudadave67
 
barracudadave67 said:
If they are not a Mopar orientated shop good luck. They will probably start replacing parts.
If I were you, I would check all the pertinent wires out, in the bulkhead connector. Sounds like it could be in the connectors their. Get a factory wiring diagram, they are most help full.
barracudadave67
Click to expand...
They aren't to bad going to start with ignition switch and go from there. It's 2 brothers and they are into old cars one has. Charger and the other is building a truck. They did work for me before.
 
Dart Swinger is running again! It was the ignition switch. Of to a cruise in tomorrow. Thanks fir the info.
 
Glad you got it running.
 
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