73 Plymouth Duster
Well-Known Member
So i couldn't really find a thread that matched my problems. 73 Duster, new ballast resistor new voltage regulator, new (2 years ago stater relay), new ignition switch and I just had o'reilly bench test my alternator and it is fine. So here are the symptoms
1st symptom:
Car normally starts right up but occasionally when you'd turn the key the starter would start to engage and then nothing once I pass about the halfway point in the key. Its like it will try to start on the run circuit and not the start circuit of the switch. But this can be fixed by backing the key back off or turning it off and on again normally the starter will engage at all angles of the key turn. After all that though it will sometimes sit there and crank for 10 sec before it will start like there is no spark for a little while? (but the tach still jumps around reading little impulses while I'm cranking). I've noted this problem seems to occur when the battery is way low on juice, read below.
2nd symptom:
The car battery would show like 12.6 volts while running and after driving it for 30min it could barely start/ someone had to jump me since the battery read like 11 something volts, so it wasn't charging. I had the alternator bench tested, it was fine and I just replaced the voltage regulator yesterday which seemed to fix it. When I try and start after driving for a while it fires right up but has started doing the funky key thing where it wont engage past halfway sometimes. AND it still only reads 12.6 volts while its running...so it isn't charging? or it is a little? Because Ive driven it for more than an hour and the battery is still fully charged...but will only read 12.6 while the car is running? shouldn't it read more? My ammeter inside also never shows a charge.
So any ideas on what my problem could be? ive checked wire connections and ohm tested between them, all checks fine.
Thanks in advance for the help!
1st symptom:
Car normally starts right up but occasionally when you'd turn the key the starter would start to engage and then nothing once I pass about the halfway point in the key. Its like it will try to start on the run circuit and not the start circuit of the switch. But this can be fixed by backing the key back off or turning it off and on again normally the starter will engage at all angles of the key turn. After all that though it will sometimes sit there and crank for 10 sec before it will start like there is no spark for a little while? (but the tach still jumps around reading little impulses while I'm cranking). I've noted this problem seems to occur when the battery is way low on juice, read below.
2nd symptom:
The car battery would show like 12.6 volts while running and after driving it for 30min it could barely start/ someone had to jump me since the battery read like 11 something volts, so it wasn't charging. I had the alternator bench tested, it was fine and I just replaced the voltage regulator yesterday which seemed to fix it. When I try and start after driving for a while it fires right up but has started doing the funky key thing where it wont engage past halfway sometimes. AND it still only reads 12.6 volts while its running...so it isn't charging? or it is a little? Because Ive driven it for more than an hour and the battery is still fully charged...but will only read 12.6 while the car is running? shouldn't it read more? My ammeter inside also never shows a charge.
So any ideas on what my problem could be? ive checked wire connections and ohm tested between them, all checks fine.
Thanks in advance for the help!