Starter Clicks When Using...

[SpeedThrills]

...key switch, but works fine when I use a remote starter button.

What should I look for?

1974 Dart Sport, was slant, manual trans, now 360 727.

Key switch worked fine before I pulled the slant 10 years ago. Just put the 360 in. Car has been in a dry, heated garage.

It'll start if the key is on.

I had the wiring harnesses out of the car. Maybe in the bulkhead?

 

[dukeboy440]

...key switch, but works fine when I use a remote starter button.

What should I look for?

1974 Dart Sport, was slant, manual trans, now 360 727.

Key switch worked fine before I pulled the slant 10 years ago. Just put the 360 in. Car has been in a dry, heated garage.

It'll start if the key is on.

I had the wiring harnesses out of the car. Maybe in the bulkhead?

sounds like the relay may be bad. I don't know which remote starter you're using, but they normally work by essentially jumping the terminals between the relay and the starter, thus bypassing the relay.

 

[SpeedThrills]

It's a home made remote, but yes, thinking about it, I'm bypassing it. I'm using the large stud and the connector in the middle of the relay. Thanks. Me and electricity, not good partners.
EDIT: Actually, I don't know if I'm bypassing it or maybe getting around a bad connection feeding it 12v. I'll have to see if I can figure out where the 12v is coming from to actuate it.

 

[dukeboy440]

It's a home made remote, but yes, thinking about it, I'm bypassing it. I'm using the large stud and the connector in the middle of the relay. Thanks. Me and electricity, not good partners.
EDIT: Actually, I don't know if I'm bypassing it or maybe getting around a bad connection feeding it 12v. I'll have to see if I can figure out where the 12v is coming from to actuate it.

Yep... you are bypassing it doing it as you described.

 

[SpeedThrills]

I ordered a new relay. Thanks!

 

[67Dart273]

****!!! Why didn't you do some troubleshooting

NINE TEEN SEV EN TY FOUR The year of the dreaded seat belt interlock

Did you actually TEST that the relay is getting voltage? Or that the neutral safety switch is grounding?

HERE IS HOW THIS WORKS

The functional path for the starter relay/ starter is:

From the ignition switch, the S contact (yellow) goes out through the bulkhead and to one of the "push on" flag terminals of the starter relay EXCEPT FOR 1974!!!!!

In '74, the yellow goes out through the bulkhead, all right, but then goes to the SEAT BELT INTERLOCK device under the hood, which has a RESET button on one side.

From the reset device, the yellow(ish? stripe?) continues to the starter relay.

BUT THE RELAY NEEDS A GROUND. So there is a second flag/ push on terminal, and this goes down to the neutral safety switch (center terminal) on an automatic, and to the clutch safety switch on a stick. In park or neutral, or with the clutch depressed, that wire is grounded, so the relay can operate.

The seat belt interlock can be tripped or bad

The relay coil can be bad

The relay contacts can be bad

The relay might not be getting 'start' voltage due to a bad ignition switch

or a bad connection at the switch connector, or through the bulkhead, or any other wiring terminal

 

[67Dart273]

HOW to bypass the dreaded seat belt interlock? Simple. Find the two yellow/ yellow stripe "larger" wires at the interlock and permanently splice them together.

 

[SpeedThrills]

A verbal beating well deserved, 67Dart273. I threw money at the problem, and was wrong.

After reading your post, I grounded the wire that previously went to the clutch interlock switch, and presto, it cranks with the key!

I thought it wouldn't crank at all if that weren't connected. Without your advice, I wouldn't have known where to connect, other than I knew it would be related to the neutral safety switch that I now have with the 727.

I just tried to cancel my order, but i think I'll have a spare.


Now to figure out the resistor issue with my ignition...Unilite Work With Stock ECU? ;-) ;-)

Oh, my car doesn't have the seatbelt interlock. I had everything removed under the hood, didn't see it when I put it all back a couple weeks ago.