Ignition Help!

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71plumdemon360

71plumdemon360

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Good Morning! My 1971 Demon will not start by using the key, but will start if jumped under the hood. When the key is turned the power comes on but the car does not crank. The interior lights dim when I attempt to start the car but nothing turns over.

I have been using a screwdriver under the hood to jump the car, starts up fine like this. The problem was a slow progression, for about a year it would start with the key about 50/50. Occasionally I would have the key twisted and nothing would happen, then after about 10 seconds of holding the key in the start position it would begin to turn over. Finally the key just stopped working completely.

Any ideas what this could be? Thank you in advance!
 
I had a similar problem with my Dart. Turned out to be fried wiring from the starter relay to the firewall bulkhead connector. The bulkhead terminal was melted and the PO had also spliced the wire with a poorly crimped butt connector where the harness routes along the firewall. Next time it happens, use a voltmeter or test light to check the 10 ga wire from the starter solenoid to the bulkhead connector.
 
Get under the hood with a test lamp, a clip lead, and possibly a multimeter.

Look at the starter relay. There is two small "push on" connections. One of those is power "in start" from the key. Check that you are getting that power.

The second wire goes to the neutral safety switch if you have auto trans, or back through the firewall to the clutch safety switch on a stick.

Pull that wire off and try grounding that relay terminal with a clip lead. Then see if it cranks using the key. BE CAREFUL it is not in gear
 
I am getting power to the plug in and it did not crank when I grounded the other plug in. I also jumped over the neutral safety switch strait to the starter and still no crank. Is the only other possibility the ignition lock assembly in the steering column? Any other ideas? Thanks!
 
This is a dumb question-You replaced the relay, right?
 
Not a dumb question at all! Just replaced the relay and started right up. I thought that because I was able to jump the car using the relay meant the relay was ok...I was wrong. Thank you for all the help guys, CAR FIXED! :prayer:
 
YUP - I HAD SAME ISSUE

my starter wire was dead, corroded, old.

i replaced it and also replaced the relay.

good as new.
 
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