What is minimum electrical required to start my car?

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12 volts and around 300 amps.
 
OK LISTEN UP

74 's had the "deadly" "seat belt interlock." Look around under the hood for a box that resembles a horn relay that has a RED RESET button. Try resetting that and see if the key cranks it.

NOTICE I see the box in the photo, the red reset is down there below your ignition box. To bypass that permanently, find the two large yellow wires going to it, and splice them together


Later you will want to bypass it, but DON'T WORRY about it for now

You likely aware that this is your starter relay. If the car won't crank with the key, make certain the transmission is not in gear, and short the two large exposed terminals with a screwdriver, it should crank right over

1019181826a-jpg.jpg


Below:

Did you get a multimeter or test lamp? See the terminals on the ballast towards the left, the upper and lower are jumpered together. This is the power TO the resistor/ ignition FROM the ignition switch. Those two terminals should have "same as battery" when the key is in the "run" position. IF THEY DO NOT jumper them to a battery source, jumper the starter relay and see if you have spark out of the coil

1019181826-jpg.jpg
 
Last edited:
It does "crank" with screw driver at relay... thats how i checked the distributor to make sure pick up was ok

also already have multimeter and test light... thats how i checked to make sure ballast was ok olso

gonna try the jumper at ballast ty
 
67Dart273 said:
OK LISTEN UP

74 's had the "deadly" "seat belt interlock." Look around under the hood for a box that resembles a horn relay that has a RED RESET button. Try resetting that and see if the key cranks it.

NOTICE I see the box in the photo, the red reset is down there below your ignition box. To bypass that permanently, find the two large yellow wires going to it, and splice them together


Later you will want to bypass it, but DON'T WORRY about it for now

You likely aware that this is your starter relay. If the car won't crank with the key, make certain the transmission is not in gear, and short the two large exposed terminals with a screwdriver, it should crank right over

View attachment 1715237708

Below:

Did you get a multimeter or test lamp? See the terminals on the ballast towards the left, the upper and lower are jumpered together. This is the power TO the resistor/ ignition FROM the ignition switch. Those two terminals should have "same as battery" when the key is in the "run" position. IF THEY DO NOT jumper them to a battery source, jumper the starter relay and see if you have spark out of the coil

View attachment 1715237709
Click to expand...
ok... i "*** U ME D" since I cranked on the car ignition for a few days, then removed the battery and reinstalled battery and the key did not crank the car - it wasn't the seat belt interlock "because it worked for a few days in a row and ONLY removed and then reinstalled battery" that wasn't the problem -----
1020181405.jpg
Jumpered across it with aligator clips - waaalaaa it cranks from the key.... still no fire but at least it turns over by the key... back to where I was before battery removed n put back... still no fire...

But I did do this.... <with the key OFF>
I hooked multimeter from (hot on battery) - (to the top left condenser) then (bottom left of condenser) then (top right condenser) then (bottom right condenser) ---- every time the reading said 12.46 volts
THEN
<with key ON/RUN POSITION>
ALL 4 positions registered 1.76 volts
<with key START>
top left cond - 4.38....top right 1.35 .... bottom left and bottom right - 4.57

didn't hook 12v from battery directly cause it might blow something if I did with these readings
can you tell from these reading might might be the problem???
 
I didn't read all, but your problem is you started out trying to sound "in the know", throwing around squishy terms like "engine doesn't get fire", as if that means something. Sounds like "starter doesn't turn engine over" was the initial problem. Also, always describe year, model, engine and such when asking. When you get to verifying spark, have a $5 in-line spark tester from Harbor Freight (or better).
 
AnswerBook said:
ok... i "*** U ME D" since I cranked on the car ignition for a few days, then removed the battery and reinstalled battery and the key did not crank the car - it wasn't the seat belt interlock "because it worked for a few days in a row and ONLY removed and then reinstalled battery" that wasn't the problem -----View attachment 1715237939 Jumpered across it with aligator clips - waaalaaa it cranks from the key.... still no fire but at least it turns over by the key... back to where I was before battery removed n put back... still no fire...

But I did do this.... <with the key OFF>
I hooked multimeter from (hot on battery) - (to the top left condenser) then (bottom left of condenser) then (top right condenser) then (bottom right condenser) ---- every time the reading said 12.46 volts
THEN
<with key ON/RUN POSITION>
ALL 4 positions registered 1.76 volts
<with key START>
top left cond - 4.38....top right 1.35 .... bottom left and bottom right - 4.57

didn't hook 12v from battery directly cause it might blow something if I did with these readings
can you tell from these reading might might be the problem???
Click to expand...

I have no idea what you are talking about here. "Condenser"

Do you mean the white object with 4 wire terminals? That is the BALLAST RESISTOR, and it is actually TWO (often called a dual ballast) resistors which are DIFFERENT from one another.

One section goes to the coil and works just exactly like older cars with breaker points, and the other section feeds power to the ECU box

This was eliminated in later years. You may sometimes hear people talking about a "4 pin ECU" or a "5 pin ECU" or a "4 pin ballast" or dual or single ballast.

The earlier (original OEM) ignition boxes were 5 pin and had to have a 4 pin ballast like yours has

The newer ignition boxes are "4 pin" and can use a single OR dual ballast

The white object at the top of the photo is your dual ballast, or ignition resistor.

https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/attachments/1019181826-jpg-jpg.1715237709/[/img

The top and bottom terminals on the left are jumpered together, and with key in the "run" position, should read "same as battery"

The terminal at bottom right feeds power to the ECU and will read some less, I'm not sure just what

The terminal at top right feeds the coil, and might read anywhere from 6--10V with key "on."

If it reads "same as battery" it means the ECU is not causing the coil to draw current or that the coil is bad


The readings we need with key in "run:"

Left two terminals should be "same as battery."

If not, post what they are, no need to read the others

If you have "same as battery" on the left two, post what you have on the other two

Then measure coil PLUS and coil MINUS and post them back
 
Seat belt relay...........did you try resetting the button?
 
67Dart273 said:
I have no idea what you are talking about here. "Condenser"

Do you mean the white object with 4 wire terminals? That is the BALLAST RESISTOR, and it is actually TWO (often called a dual ballast) resistors which are DIFFERENT from one another.

One section goes to the coil and works just exactly like older cars with breaker points, and the other section feeds power to the ECU box

This was eliminated in later years. You may sometimes hear people talking about a "4 pin ECU" or a "5 pin ECU" or a "4 pin ballast" or dual or single ballast.

The earlier (original OEM) ignition boxes were 5 pin and had to have a 4 pin ballast like yours has

The newer ignition boxes are "4 pin" and can use a single OR dual ballast

The white object at the top of the photo is your dual ballast, or ignition resistor.

https://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/attachments/1019181826-jpg-jpg.1715237709/[/img

The top and bottom terminals on the left are jumpered together, and with key in the "run" position, should read "same as battery"

The terminal at bottom right feeds power to the ECU and will read some less, I'm not sure just what

The terminal at top right feeds the coil, and might read anywhere from 6--10V with key "on."

If it reads "same as battery" it means the ECU is not causing the coil to draw current or that the coil is bad


The readings we need with key in "run:"

Left two terminals should be "same as battery."

If not, post what they are, no need to read the others

If you have "same as battery" on the left two, post what you have on the other two

Then measure coil PLUS and coil MINUS and post them back
Click to expand...
Replace the word condenser with the word ballast in my last post and the info already there
 
Just gonna pull it n back yard and forget about it... Just a piece of junk.. Time to buy a reliable foreign car.
 
Just sell it as-is. Post some pics and someone will buy it if the price is right.
 
Ya know some of us on this board actually "think" we are attempting to help some of you, and this time we spend here is not "free" so to speak. Just the time we spend here is time we spend here. Think about that.

You can either learn some things, "dig in" and maybe fix it, or you can just go **** off.
 
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