car dosnt seem to be getting power?

[ironmonkey]

I went out to start my 73 duster 318 after it snowed. It started right up and idled like normal i went inside to get something and i heard the car just turn off. I then tried to turn the car on again but car has no power? starter doesnt turn, lights dont come on i checked the battery it was bad (dead cell) replaced the battery and still nothing? any one know what i can check?

Thanks for the help
William

 

[memike]

Ya think it could have burnt something out in the Starter relay ?
The alternator was working hard all the time I bet.

 

[67Dart273]

Ya think it could have burnt something out in the Starter relay ?
The alternator was working hard all the time I bet.

The above won't cause the problem

If you have NOTHING and you just changed the battery, that's where I'd start.

Start with the BASICS

Take a test lamp or meter, and hook to the battery block. Turn on the headlight switch, turn the key to run and turn on the heater blower. THESE WILL CAUSE A LOAD which will help you find the problem

Hook the hot lead of the lamp / meter to the hot cable clamp. It should light. If not, you have a battery/ cable problem

If not, probe to the battery hot post. If not, you have a battery or GROUND cable problem

Hook the test lamp DIRECTLY to the two battery posts. It should light. If not, you have a battery problem

Hook the test lamp back to the engine block, hook the hot lead DIRECTLY to the battery NEGATIVE post. If it lights, you have a bad ground cable.

BACK TO START

Hook the lamp to block, probe to hot battery cable clamp at battery. If it lights, so far, so good.

Move the probe to the hot cable eyelet end, wherever it goes (starter?) It should light. If not, you have a cable / connection problem

Move up to the big stud on the starter relay. Lamp should light. If so, you probably have lost the fuse link and or the main feed through the bulkhead.

 

[nothingbutdarts]

move up to the big stud on the starter relay. Lamp should light. If so, you probably have lost the fuse link and or the main feed through the bulkhead.

x2

 

[ironmonkey]

thanks guys i will try this stuff out is weekend

thanks for the help

 

[waggin]

if that ain't it ,try the amp gauge...........just sayin

 

[ironmonkey]

ok so i found a broke wire fixed it now it trys to crank but dosent start like it is not gettting spark? anyone know what i can check now?

thanks for all the help

 

[nothingbutdarts]

Where was thwe broken wire?

See if you have battery voltage to the ballast resistor.

 

[ironmonkey]

the three big plugs that plug into the firewall it went to the middle plug the wire had a fuseable link and the wire had cancer and finally fell apart oh the other end went to the starter relay. i put a inline fuse link back in.

the ballest resistor that is the square ceramic box with 2 plug going to it Correct? what should it read?

i put a meter to the coil and nothing is getting to it?

thank you for all the help guys

 

[67Dart273]

I would guess that either you have further problems with the bulkhead connection, or that you somehow did not get it back together quite correctly, and now the ignition feed is not getting power.

Diagrams:

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1973/73ValiantA.jpg

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1973/73ValiantB.jpg

Because it cranks--does it crank OK with the key, or are you "jumping" the relay?

If it cranks OK with the key, this indicates that the ign switch is getting power

The only real possibility is that the contacts in the switch are bad for "ignition"

or the short wiring from there to the bulkhead

or the bulkhead itself

or the short harness form the bulkhead to the resistor.

 

[ironmonkey]

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1973/73ValiantA.jpg

on this digram the dk blue that goes from the battery to the starter relay to J is the wire that was bad

and it turns over by the key just doesnt fire?

Thanks for the help guys

 

[ironmonkey]

what size fuse is the fuseable link that runs from the starter relay to the plug on the bulkhead