I put it into gear and it dies.
- Thread starter shittyslant6
- Start date
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What year is the tranny. If it’s a lock up that will be your problem. The converter clutch is Locke up. Probably a valve body problem. Kim
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
if i am correct, it is out of a 1973 van or truck or something like that.
But I got it out of a 1970 satellite.
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
ok, so this time I ACTUALLY bypassed the ballast resistor and the problem still exists. only fires in crank.
My question is, when I gave 12 volts to the "coil" end of the ballast and made it run, would that mean the problem is before the ballast resistor?
Ok cool. We have progress. Now you need to see "where" in that circuit it's losing power. You got a test light?
....and are you 100% SURE you bypassed the ballast? What I'd do at this point is check voltage before and after the ballast. You can use a test light or a meter. good and bright going into the ballast and a bit dimmer coming out. Or close to battery voltage going in and maybe 7-8 going out. The ballast drops voltage some. You've checked the ignition itself out going right to the coil +, so it does run. Now you need to double check your own work bypassing the ballast. A meter will help here.
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
is this while cranking?
I just went out and tried it with the key in run and there is no voltage going in or out of the ballast. both test light and meter verified.
Ok good....well bad. lol Now you need to find out WHERE it's losing that signal. I would probe the connection at the firewall where the ignition run wire is and see if it has power "there". Is there any way you can wedge a test light on that circuit going into the ballast so you can see it through the windshield? Then you could go in and put the key in run and wiggle it around some and see if the test light comes on or flashes. That would verify a bad ignition switch.
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
Ok, I just rigged this up real quick and there was no light anywhere except one VERY specific spot in the crank position right before the starter kicked in where the light was super bright on the "input" side of the ballast and dimmer on the "output" side. Other than that, nothing.
Ok cool. You verified you have a full 12v in crank at least and that's correct. Now you need to start back probing until you find power in the run circuit and see "where" that break is occurring. Kudos for that rig. That was smart.
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
ok, I just probed the yellow igniton wire terminal at the bulkhead with the key in run and nothing. Then i went to the inside of the car and checked it and still nothing.
Keep going. lol It's beginning to sound like the switch might be shot.
If you get ALL THE WAY to the switch and still no power, here's what "I" would do I would find power and verify it coming INTO the switch. At that point, DISCONNECT the battery. Then jump that power wire TO the run circuit wire and check with the meter continuity AT the ballast IN connector. If you have continuity there, check at the ballast OUT. Understand if you're checking with ohms, your reading will be LESS at the ballast out. if you get "something" at the ballast out, then check it at coil positive. You should have real close to the same that you got at the ballast out. All this with the battery DISCONNECTED as you're checking resistance, not voltage. If you get the same or about the same resistance at the coil as ballast out, you've pretty much verified a bad ignition switch and verified the wiring between it and the coil is good.
that's correct. Yellow is starter circuit.
Run is usually blue or blue w/ trace.
Use the shop manual so you're probing in the correct hole.
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
i wish karl was here for that one
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
and yes, i will ckeck those too.
See the ballast resistor?
Follow J2A back to the splice.
Then follow wire J2 dark blue with trace to the connector.
Looks like N
Its going to be a corner position on the same side as the bump.
Drawing orientation doesn't always match the way we are looking at it.
The little bumpouts are the clues.
On that connector the fusible link (A1B) is another good reference. Its the opposite corner J
Follow J2A back to the splice.
Then follow wire J2 dark blue with trace to the connector.
Looks like N
Its going to be a corner position on the same side as the bump.
Drawing orientation doesn't always match the way we are looking at it.
The little bumpouts are the clues.
On that connector the fusible link (A1B) is another good reference. Its the opposite corner J
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shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
Ok so before when I was checking voltage at the ballast with that rigging above, the test light only lit up in the specific spot in crank. NOW, after only unplugging the connector before the switch and plugging it back in, the ballast has power.
Specifically, 5.8v (and 5.2v at the coil) on the side with the brown and the blue on it. and 10.78v on the side with only the blue wire. and the test light lights up at both sides of the bulkhead and there is power going into the switch.
WHAT.
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
should I try and start it to see if it miraculously fixed itself?
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
oh, and after I checked all that I touched the ballast resistor and it burned my fingers. i know it can get hot when just sitting in run for a long time, but is that normal?
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Sounds like the "run" circuit either has an intermittent or the switch itself
IT IS important to understand how this circuit works:
RUN--(dark blue) When the key is in "run" the key supplies 12V to one end of the ballast and that line is also branched off to feed the VR and depending on year, "couple of other things.
START--(yellow) Hot ONLY in start, it ONLY goes one place---to the start relay
BYPASS--(usually brown)--this is also hot in "start" BUT IS A different set of switch contacts....it goes to the coil+ end of the ballast and supplies full battery power to the coil in "start."
So if you do not have power in 'run' this goes through the bulkhead, to the ignition switch. Wiggle the bulkhead, check for power, pull the key connector or key switch out and check there. Wiggle stuff. Work the connectors in/ out and check for "tightness"
IT IS important to understand how this circuit works:
RUN--(dark blue) When the key is in "run" the key supplies 12V to one end of the ballast and that line is also branched off to feed the VR and depending on year, "couple of other things.
START--(yellow) Hot ONLY in start, it ONLY goes one place---to the start relay
BYPASS--(usually brown)--this is also hot in "start" BUT IS A different set of switch contacts....it goes to the coil+ end of the ballast and supplies full battery power to the coil in "start."
So if you do not have power in 'run' this goes through the bulkhead, to the ignition switch. Wiggle the bulkhead, check for power, pull the key connector or key switch out and check there. Wiggle stuff. Work the connectors in/ out and check for "tightness"
Any chance a bad connection or bad switch was causing it to die when you put it in gear. Is it a column shift?
Yes. Ballast is taking battery voltage down to whatever it is at the coil so it will be hot. If it now miraculously now runs, you had a dirty firewall connector. I would remove it and clean it as best you can.
shittyslant6
Well-Known Member
ok, it must have been a dirty connection or a loose one or something because I just cranked it up and it sat and idled fine. it fixed itelf
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