Starts in any gear

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Dennis Gerard

Dennis Gerard

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1968 Barracuda 318 auto:

Car will start in any gear, new safety switch , new starter and relay, wires under hood look ok hard to tell under the dash.
checked plug it's new also . had this trouble since I bought it

IMG_1861.jpg
 
Car looks fine.
Lets see the starter relay.
Do you own a multimeter?
 
Odds are the NSS wire is pinched somewhere.
 
Look at your starter relay and see if the G terminal is grounded to the side of the relay housing (blue arrow)

Screenshot_20230105-141117.png

It should not be grounded there it should look like red arrow
Screenshot_20230105-141146.png


If the relay looks like the red arrow.

Disconnect the wire attached to the post and check it for a connection to ground.

If it is grounded you will need to trace out where it goes ( clutch switch -manual or NSS automatic) and find where it is grounding
 
SIMPLE problem but you might have to get dirty. Need a multimeter or 12v test lamp, maybe an alligator clip jumper wire.

Circuit is simple Look at photo of starter relay with red arrow

The two small "push on" flag terminals are the relay coil. One gets power from the ignition switch when twisted to "start" the remaining terminal is grounded by the CENTER terminal of the neutral safety/ reverse light switch, which is mounted on the transmission

THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC, IS THAT RIGHT?

So disconnect the dark wire from the relay, the one which runs down the firewall, along the transmission. See if it starts. If not, the wire/ NSS switch has a problem. If so, the relay has a problem

From there, check the wire for shorts to ground. Disconnect the switch connector at the transmission, as well as the wire from the relay. That wire should be open. If not, it is pinched / shorted somewhere.

If this is not so, block the car safely, and put the transmission into ANY gear EXCEPT park or neutral. Check continuity of center pin of NSS to ground. Should be open. If not, either switch is bad, or something wrong with mounting/ internal rooster comb, use your judgement
 
Dennis Gerard said:
Yes it's grounded and when unplugged no start in any gear
Click to expand...
Plug it back into the relay and unplug it from the NSS on the trans.

If it starts the wire is shorted somewhere.

If it doesn't start the NSS might be the issue. Or as 67dart273 said the internals of the transmission might be at fault.
 
un-plugged from transmission, and starts in any gear.. wire going to transmission is grounded .. now can I just run a new wire from relay direct to trans?
 
Repair or replace.
Routing
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1672958571829.png

www.forabodiesonly.com

Incredibly dumb question..Trans pig tail

Hi everybody: We completely rebuilt a 340 but don't have a clue where the none transmission end of the neutral safety switch wire/pig tail goes. I can't find a picture anywhere. The car never did have one when I bought it. Just a picture would be awesome. 1969 Dart 340 727 Edit...Sorry...
www.forabodiesonly.com www.forabodiesonly.com
 
Sounds like something is wrong. That's just a guess though.
 
'68 was a split year for neutral safety switch wiring. Early used one wire and has a separate backup light switch. Late '68 used the 3 wire switch which incorporated the backup light wiring in the switch. As mentioned, it looks like the wire down to the switch is grounded somewhere along it's route. I've seen those wires get pinched between the bell housing and engine block many times, but, exhaust burns and chafed through insulation is also common.
 
I ran a temp wire from the transmission to starter relay starts only in park now, next trip to parts store for wire and ends
 
Should start in neutral too

I would still trace out the wire to see where it is making contact, other wires might be ready to short!
 
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