Turn the key - Nothing happens ** SOLVED**

First of all:

1969 Dodge Coronet / stock 225 cid Slant Six / 904 Auto Trans

OK, I tried to start my car today. I have owned it for a year and I have never tried to start it before. I decided to take a break from doing bodywork and see if I could get it running. Just to do some mechanical work.

I get nothing. When I turn the key to the start position nothing happens. Nothing at all.

I put 5 gallons of gas in the tank. I bought a new battery. When I turn the key to the run position, the OIL light comes on and the needle on the factory ALTERNATOR gauge goes down (toward the "D") slightly. When I turn the key to the start position the red OIL light dims but nothing else happens. Nothing at all.

I replaced the starter relay. Without any reason except that it looked about 8,000 years old so I figured I should replace it anyway. Tomorrow I will pick up a multimeter and start working my way through the service manual to start diagnosing the problem. I figured I would take the ignition switch out of the dash and test if it is sending current in the start position. I should have 12 volts coming in and 12 volts going out, correct? I should have current going out through the RUN position, correct?

It’s been a while since I’ve done any electrical work and I appreciate all the help I can get. I bought this car to get into a restoration hobby so I’m looking forward to re-learning all this stuff.

If someone could start steering me in which direction I should be looking and what I should be trying I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

~Angel

Move the shifter around while you hold the key in start. It sounds like a neutral saftey switch problem. Or try shorting across the starter relay. If it turns over then you do have a neutral swicth problem.

i agree gound the wire going to the nss and try again also you can bridge the power lug to the wire from the starter solinoid both ways should start the car unless your ignition switch is bad too.

Charge the battery. Put a charger on it for a few hours, or better yet trickle charge it over night.

my 83 D 250 occasoinally does the same thing; wiggle the harness that goes to the NSS and itll start. or jump the little (10-12ga) wire that goes to teh starter to "HOT"with the key on and itll start right up.

OK. With the key in the run position, I jumped across the starter relay and she cranks like a champ! I also jumped across the starter solenoid and it still cranks very strong.

So how do I bypass the NSS so I can see if it will start at all? I would like to know if the engine is any good before going further.

Do I just stick a jumper in the connector or do I run the dark/black wire to ground? I need to eliminate the switch and see if it will turn over with the key.

Thanks.

~Angel

Did you make sure that your N switch is hooked up (on both ends)?? If you want to bypass it just run a ground from the NNSS terminal on the relay to ground. ( a short wire from the terminal to a relay mounting screw will work) Make sure that the vehicle is in neutral though cause it will start in any gear this way.

Take the NSS connector off of it's male lug on the starter relay & jump the MALE LUG to ground. I think it's the one with the angled connector on it & it will say "grn" on the brown fiber face next to it. A 4" jumper wire with the appropriate terminals on each end works fine, one under the starter relay mounting bolt(clean the base) & the other end to the male lug.

Yeah, the connection was good. The switch must be bad.

I ran the connector on the starter relay to ground on the relay mounting bolt like you said an I can crank the engine from the key now!

Thanks to everyone. I'll see if I can get her to start later tonight. I have a ton of work to do right now. Then it will be time to play!

Thanks again. I'll get a new switch ASAP. Hopefully I'll get the car running today.

~Angel

What Stumpy said, you might move the shifter linkage back & forth a bit while holding the key on "crank" & see if it's just a slight linkage adjustment(shortening or lengthening the rod) needed rather than a new NSS switch.