Strange issue once in a while.

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Mr.FT

Mr.FT

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It seems that once in a while ( once every outer month or so ) I'll park my 72 Demon 340 get out hang out for a few hours or so. When I get back in to start I turn the Key and nothing. Everything else works fine radio, lights ect. I'll wait a while longer, nothing else changes and it starts just fine. Like I said once every two months or so, any Ideas? I'm leaning towards the starter relay, any other opinions?
 
May not be the relay per se but probably in that circuit.

Learn some test points and then "try and catch it."

For one, get a 12V test lamp and multimeter and clip leads. Learn which wire (normally yellowish) at the starter relay is the "start wire."

I assume you have an automatic? The remaining "push on" terminal should lead down the firewall, over the top of the transmission, to the neutral safety switch

FIRST thing to try, is to hold the key to start with one hand, and work the shifter "wiggle" from park neutral, and back. See if it starts to crank or at least clicks.

Speaking of clicks to you hear any during the time it won't crank?

A "small click" indicates the starter relay is engaging. Still could be a bad relay, or starter solenoid, or the wire between the two
 
I guess the first place I would look is a white harness connector under the steering column. Makes ignition switch to car harness. These connectors overheat to melting.
Then again... my bro-in-law had similar problem with his c10 pickup. The wire to neutral safety switch was hacked and pieced with wire nuts. 3 pieces of wire. Easy enough to test that. Route that relay terminal directly to ground for a time. Beware that starter would activate while trans is in gear.
 
Thanks for the fast reply, It is an automatic and I never thought of the neutral safety switch. As far as a click I heard nothing from the relay, now I'll wait till it does it again and try (wiggling) the shift lever.
 
Mr.FT said:
It seems that once in a while ( once every outer month or so ) I'll park my 72 Demon 340 get out hang out for a few hours or so. When I get back in to start I turn the Key and nothing. Everything else works fine radio, lights ect. I'll wait a while longer, nothing else changes and it starts just fine. Like I said once every two months or so, any Ideas? I'm leaning towards the starter relay, any other opinions?
Click to expand...
Well, I would say Gear shift not going in to park good sometimes, but you put "wait a while longer & it starts fine" steal, next time it happens put in N & see!
 
And while you are moving the shifter around, keep the key-switch in the crank position.
But I would clean the battery terminals and the engine ground, just because. And if your battery cable-clamps are the clamp-on repair parts, I would take those apart too and clean the gunk out,just because.
 
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