1968 New Yorker wont turn over

blue88

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Little background here...Been driving this car all summer long.. Occasionally, the gas gauge and power windows wont work but everything else will. If i would giggle the key in the ignition .. the gas gauge and windows would start working again. Fast forward to Saturday. Let the oldest use it to go to work. He comes home and parks in driveway. I go to move it and i get an barely audible click when trying to start... back and forth a few times.. nothing. I checked voltage across battery terminals with battery tester.. registers about 12.9 volts and no issue..put load on the tester and it shows good. This battery is about 2 months old. Any ideas about where to start testing tonight after work? Thanks in advance.
 
Is there power anywhere? Dome light, headlights, map light...? If you've lost everything I would check the connections on the back of the amp gauge to see if they have loosened. This means pulling the cluster.

Here's my experience. No power

Since, I've also done an amp meter bypass, but I wouldn't do that until you solve this issue.
 
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Thanks for the information. I will review the above post.
Also, i have not had interior, dome, map, trunk llight for few years. Long before the no start issue. I was hoping to tackle that one along with the 2 rear power windows this winter. But looks like i am getting the schedule made for me. First.. need to figure out the no start issue. Thanks again for the link.
 
Let me tell you a story about the OLD days! When my dad first got his '68 New Yorker, which was around 1971, it would occasionally have the problem of which you speak. Not all the time, but every once in a while, turn the key and nothing. For some unknown reason, my dad's preferred place to take this car for repairs was the local Chevy/Cadillac/Mercedes-Benz dealer. He would never take it to the Chrysler dealer, but I really don't know why. Anyway, after several failed attempts at repairs, my old Pop-Pop, farmer and all-around old-school mechanical genius discovered that the problem was a bad ignition switch. So, I would be sure to check that.
 
Aside from my story, other things to check of course are the starter relay, all connections including the bulkhead connector, transmission safety switch, and starter.
 
Update....
I took apart all the lines going to the battery and cleaned and reassembled. I now have power to all accessories.. minus the original interior/map/trunk light. It turns over just fine now but wont start. I have fuel and am currently waiting for my wife to arrive home to check spark at the plug. No spark at the plugs....
 
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Plan on taking another crack at it tonight after work. Starting with seeing if any power to the coil at rest and in the key run position.
 
It will turn over... and if i quickly turn to run position.. it will catch and fire. But in the start position.. motor rolling over.. it does not have spark. Only in the run position. I have another ignition switch from a 69.. i figured out how to get tumblers out... but 69 is a one year only switch that is not compatible with 68. So i ordered a new switch and will have to wait until next Wednesday to replace.

On a side note, i discovered why the interior and map/trunk lights did not work... the brown wire on the ignition switch is broken. How do you get the clip out of the plastic end connector so i can rewire it? Do they make a special tool for removing?
ignition receiptical.jpg
broken brown wire.jpg
 
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Still haven't figured out how to remove the broken terminal from the ignition switch connector.... any help would be appreciated.
 
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