Need major help, Chrysler Newport

Biggredd2069

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I have a fresh rebuilt 383, almost everything new seemingly. Fitech fuel injection which I hate. Anyways, I took it out yesterday and drove it just fine. Got ten miles from home to a park and dropped my kid off for a party. When I went to leave it wanted to start but wouldn't. Even had jumpers to try a couple extra times after the battery died. I ended up having to call roadside. Because I was in a remote area I had to try for an hour to get an uber or Lyft and while waiting my phone started to get low on juice. I have a pertronix flame thrower 2 ignition which should have a feature to let you turn your car on and not fry anything. Well I tried to turn my car on for just a minute to get my charger to work and all of a sudden there was some smoke and I don't know from where. Maybe the cigarette lighter? Maybe the fuse box? I got the car towed home and charged the battery while I went to work. Got home, nothing seems loose. Went to start the car and as soon as i turn the key on it wants to start the engine.Just in the first on position. What the hell? I hate this car with a passion and I can't seem to sell it unless I take an extra unreasonable loss. Every Damn day it's something new. More than anyone should ever expect, even with a classic car knowing what their getting into. It's cursed. And this is one more roadblock to selling it. Anyone know why it wants to start when though I'm not turning the key?
 
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Smoke is the first clue. You probably have a short in the harness under the dash.. Try wiggling the harness to see if you can locate the source, be careful if there is a direct short, the harness may try to fry itself. Have a helper ready to unhook a battery cable just in case.

Dave
 
The smoke was after the fact. But yeah, I'll check the harness. It didn't smoke today but I didn't leave it on long enough to even find out. The auto starting is kinda scary and I wonder if it did start if it would just try to keep turning the starter?
 
The smoke was after the fact. But yeah, I'll check the harness. It didn't smoke today but I didn't leave it on long enough to even find out. The auto starting is kinda scary and I wonder if it did start if it would just try to keep turning the starter?
The starter drive would disengage if the engine started, but the starter motor would continue to turn and try to reengage, not good for the starter or the flex plate/ring gear. You need to find the short. If the harness appears ok, next likely culprit is the ignition switch itself if it has broken internals.

Dave
 
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You might want to think about just getting a new ignition switch (NOS MoPar would be best). While you're behind it take a real good look at the dash harness, and anything that has been spliced into it. Same with the top side of the fuse box.
The passenger compartment side of the bulkhead connector should be examined as well.
 
I'll take a look tomorrow at the fuse box and probably buy a new ignition. Relatively easy fix there
 
OTHER than the smoke issue, you need to determine why it would only turn over without starting. With modern amenities as EFI, if it does not start quickly, it's probably not going to. Unless the fuel pump is weak and takes a while to build enough pressure for the injectors to fire. Which can take 2 minutes or so, sometimes. In some cases, the ign control box can take more than OEM voltage to fire the plugs, so with a weak battery, jumper cables can help in that situation.

To me, owning an older vehicle's "joy" comes in not only driving it, but also knowing how to work on it and diagnose what might be wrong when it will not run. This can be a learning experience, for sure, but can also bring good feelings when these things have been mastered. THEN, also including any upgrades into the mix, too.

If you "killed the battery" trying to start it, you may have overheated some wiring which is designed for intermittent use only, not to mention the starter itself and the harnesses that go to it. Do make sure the electric fuel pump is operational, too. And the entire electronic ignition system. Go back and double-check the wiring added to support the new things you added to the car's electric grid. You could well find a connection that has failed, for some reason. Or was compromised by the attempts to start the vehicle. Be deliberate and methodical in these things. Not unlike being on a "big game hunt" stalking that prize animal, for example.

AFTER you get that issue repaired . . . THEN do the ammeter bypass procedure. There are several threads in here on that. One thing at a time.

Please keep us updated on your progress and findings,
CBODY67
 
That burnt wire odor should hang for quite awhile. If its still detectable, it should get you in right area without powering up.
 
I hate this car with a passion

Cars can sense these things.

If the relay is fused as mentioned above, replace the solenoid contacts or the whole starter.

If you turn the key on to pos 1 and the solenoid wire - which engages the starter - is instantly powered, your ignition switch is defective.

Would a shorted starter relay do the same thing?

Not enough coffee yet to think it through.
 
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Had this happen on my charger, short story;
Driving along, noticed ammeter went to full charge. Pulled over finally when a parking lot came up. Shut the car down and it was turning over to beat the band. Ripped the pos cable off. Unhooked the VR. Seemed ok. Proceeded to my buddies place and put in an electronic reg. When I got home I checked it out , what happened was the alt wire burnt in the bulk head, and melted to the yellow start wire in the harness. Causing random starter initiation .
That's where I would look.
 
All good stuff. Gonna order a new ignition switch tomorrow. I'll be checking the fuses and going over the wires as I can the next few days. I conveniently won a hundred bucks at work for nfl pick em this week. Good timing.
 
All good stuff. Gonna order a new ignition switch tomorrow. I'll be checking the fuses and going over the wires as I can the next few days. I conveniently won a hundred bucks at work for nfl pick em this week. Good timing.

I had such a debacle decades ago w a Mach 1 Disgustang. 'Twas the solenoid, and some Baby Hawaiian Woodrose seeds we ate earlier. The solenoid DID fry, as did my battery hot cable, some jumper cables and some adolescent brain cells. Cars DO sense negative vibes, or perhaps their resident demons do. Lucked out and got a new solenoid cheap, but this was early 1980 like....

If you REALLY hate this rod, you can transport me up there some weekend. I used to deal with problems like that for folks too, though nowadaze, gasoline and beer bottles might not be sophisticated enough..... I "retired" from that life long long ago anyway. Good luck to you.
 
I despise taking it to shops. Would much rather get someone over who knows what their doing. Why you gotta be way down in Tucson? Lol.
 
This was me all my life.
DITTO! The recent **** w the Chebbie Chimp underscores the point. He sealed the heads up decently, which was the sole reason we hired him; we wanted a legal whipping boy if the job went bad there. 'Twas the only thing he got right, as it turned out. C Minus passing grade. Wife better understands my aversion to hiring "Pros" now more than ever. We had unlikely good luck with an octogenarian transmission mechanic some years ago, may his soul rest in God's Eternal Light now.
 
I despise taking it to shops. Would much rather get someone over who knows what their doing. Why you gotta be way down in Tucson? Lol.

Toostoned is close to the Border bro. That appealed 34 years ago. Alas, its close to being run out of WATER now too, so we're looking to relocate closer to the Great Lakes. Place USED TO ABOUND in old Mopars, but the damned flippers came in 2017-2020 and cleaned the damned State OUT! Place used to abound in Old Mopar cognoscenti too, but they done died. Hell, I wish I COULD come fix your wiring blues man, that's the one area of automotive repair and restoration I'm actually over-qualified at. Once I repair my machines' wiring, it STAYS repaired. Finding what needs work sometimes is the trick though, with the old stuff. Brittle vinyl insulation can just break away from the copper sometimes, when minimally stressed.

Buena Fortuna Amigo!
 
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