70 charger starting and electrical issues

[Charger_70]

I found the 3 prong sticking from trans but no wires to it. What does a neutral safety switch do?

[Charger_70]

Also were it has 3 prongs and only 1 wire coming from relay ?

[Charger_70]

I went looking through the stuff that was in the trunk and actually found the connector that plugs in the trans and it has 3 wires coming out not sure bout other 2 wires

[Pete in NH]

Some one has really hacked up that wiring system! I have no idea what they were thinking.

The neutral safety switch on an automatic transmission car does two things. One, as wired from the factory it will only allow the car to start if the transmission is in neutral or park. Two, as wired from the factory it operates the back up lights when the transmission is in reverse gear. I suspect the way your car is wired now it would start in any gear which is not safe.

Good to hear you found the connector  because we want to put it back on. If you look at the wires on the connector the one going to the center pin should be what is left of that end of the Brown-yellow wire from the starter relay. The two outer pins are fro the back up lights and we'll try dealing with them later after the car is running.

From the pictures you sent, it looks like the brown-yellow wire goes to the starter relay terminal in the lower right corner. If there is enough of the brown -yellow wire connect it from that relay terminal to the center pin of the neutral safety  and plug the connector back on the transmission.Then use your test light, put one end of the light on the positive battery stud on the starter relay (the one the fuses are on) and the other end of the light on the brown-yellow wire terminal. The light should only come on if the shift lever in in park or neutral.

We can get some of the basic stuff working on the car but, the more you find with the present wiring is telling me you are going to need to start saving up for some new wiring harnesses. This car has been badly hacked up and it's wiring is never going to be something you can really trust.

[Charger_70]

Ok will do 1st thing in morn. I also saw were the other 2 wires go ill have the switch hooked up 1st thing.

[crj1968]

Pete and B5/ You guys are saints of some sort.
I've been following this thread since it started and um.....     

[fy469rtse]

Nacho , there's probably a reason they removed trans start switch wiring, maybe bad switch, lead the young fella to test that for ground or you will just frustrate him with more issues,
You need to buy multi meter to test circuits properly ,
Starting to understand myself to the reasons it was hacked, all about starting issues and could have just been bad trans switch

[Charger_70]

Ok ive hooked up the neutral safety switch and i tested it and the light came on while it was in park. I talked to the old man i bought the car from he said before he had a stroke the car ran great and that he was fixing it up like interior ect ... and then after his stroke he was unable to work on it anymore. Then his boy done whatever he has done to it said his boy was gonna race it??? But he did say everything worked when he was driving it. But switch is hooked up and working.

[Pete in NH]

David,

Okay, progress !

Next, put one end of your test light on ground and the other end on the yellow wire on the starter relay. From the pictures it looks like the yellow wire is in the lower left corner of the relay. When you use the key ignition switch and turn it to the start position the light should come on.

WARNING- The car may crank, start and run or it may not. If you don't want the surprise of it starting up pull the coil wire out of the center of the distributor cap. This test will tell us if the key ignition switch is good or if it is still wired in the circuit.

It makes sense that some one was building a race car. They don't care what the wiring is as long as it starts and runs. Building a race car often results in really cut up wiring because they don't care if all the normal stuff we like to  have working in a passenger car works or not. But, it sure makes a mess for someone trying to make it back into a normal car.   

[Charger_70]

Ok i will check as soon as storm passes

[Charger_70]

I checked and no light no crank or anything

[Charger_70]

I also checked the connector that the yellow wire runs too that is connected to the ignition switch. On ignition switch only wire that lit up was the black 1 and the connector that it connects too the only wire that lit up was the red 1 thats the connector coming from firewall

[Pete in NH]

Okay, I'm not surprised the yellow wire to the relay has no power. Neal and I thought from the beginning there was a good chance the ignition switch was bad or not wired in.

On the ignition switch connector wire harness that plugs into the steering column, on one end of the connector there are two red wires side by side- do you have power on either one of them? Unplug the connector and use your test light on the connector that comes from the dash wiring.

The second red wire in from the end of the connector comes from the fuse block- are all the proper fuses in place?

We are really getting into where that test meter would be a big help, but, we'll see how far we can go with the light

[Charger_70]

Yes sir the 2nd red wire does have power and the connector it connects too the only thing showed power is the black wire.

[Pete in NH]

Okay, I was afraid of that. It is likely the ignition switch in the steering column is bad. At this point we really need that meter to see if the switch is bad or you can just replace the switch which is going to be a bit of work.

Do you have the factory service manual for your car? If not I can scan the page on replacing the ignition switch form my 71 manual and Email it to you. It is likely the same. You will need a steering wheel puller. maybe your local auto parts place can lend or rent  you one.

I'll do a little more research on testing the switch and let you know what I come up with.

[Pete in NH]

i just had a thought on a simple way to check if the switch is bad. Take about an 8 inch piece of wire and strip a 1/2" of insulation on each end. Poke one end of that wire into the yellow wire position on the dash board side of the ignition switch connector. Poke the other end into that 2nd red wire position. If the engine starter cranks the wiring and starter relay are okay and the switch is bad.

I found out your 70 and my 71 use the same ignition switch so the procedure to change it should be the same . The switch and switch wire harness is all one assembly.

[Charger_70]

i just had a thought on a simple way to check if the switch is bad. Take about an 8 inch piece of wire and strip a 1/2" of insulation on each end. Poke one end of that wire into the yellow wire position on the dash board side of the ignition switch connector. Poke the other end into that 2nd red wire position. If the engine starter cranks the wiring and starter relay are okay and the switch is bad.

I found out your 70 and my 71 use the same ignition switch so the procedure to change it should be the same . The switch and switch wire harness is all one assembly.

Ok sorry for taking so long the weather has been horrible. I have not tried this yet but I checked the yellow wire on starter relay and it had a bad connection i fixed the wire and now the light comes on so I didnt try this cause the light came on. I also noticed now after i fixed the wire that when i turn the key i hear 2 clicks instead of 1. I hear the 1st click jus turning key then another click when i turn the key like im goin to start.

[Pete in NH]

David,

I've heard about all that bad weather to the south, so I understand.

That is really great news about fixing the connection on the yellow wire.  That second click may be the starter solenoid pulling in. Does the engine crank on that second click? I would try going into that second start position on the key ignition switch and seeing if the engine will crank.

I will be away from my computer tomorrow and Saturday but back Sunday. I should be around the rest of today if you get a chance to try cranking the engine.

[Charger_70]

David,

I've heard about all that bad weather to the south, so I understand.

That is really great news about fixing the connection on the yellow wire.  That second click may be the starter solenoid pulling in. Does the engine crank on that second click? I would try going into that second start position on the key ignition switch and seeing if the engine will crank.

I will be away from my computer tomorrow and Saturday but back Sunday. I should be around the rest of today if you get a chance to try cranking the engine.

No sir jus clicks. When i turn key over it jus clicks 2 times

[Charger_70]

Also I was wondering after I unhooked that wire that was hooked from the push button to the starter makin the push button not to work can I go ahead and take it out? It had another wire that went to starter relay that I added the 15 amp fuseable link is it ok to do away with all of that now anything that goes to that push button ?

[Pete in NH]

Yes, you can remove anything that has to do with that push button.

Put your test light right across the yellow wire and brown-yellow wire, if it lights when you turn the key to the start position next, put from the battery stud on the starter rely to a ground point. If it lights again the starter relay is very likely bad and I would replace it.

[Charger_70]

I checked yellow wire again and light came on. I also checked battery stud on starter relay and touched a ground and light came on. I thought with a test light if it was connected to a ground and you touched something positive that the light would turn on but also the light would turn on if you connected to positive and touched a negative that the light would turn on

[Charger_70]

Yes, you can remove anything that has to do with that push button.

Put your test light right across the yellow wire and brown-yellow wire, if it lights when you turn the key to the start position next, put from the battery stud on the starter rely to a ground point. If it lights again the starter relay is very likely bad and I would replace it.

Ok i think i miss understood. Do I check each wire individualy with test light hooked to a ground? I did check the battery stud on starter relay and touched a ground and light came on but thats were i thought it would anyways. Not 100% sure just wanted to make sure before i tried anything.

[Pete in NH]

Put one side of the test light on the yellow wire right at the starter relay. Put the other end of the test light on the brown-yellow wire right at the starter relay. When you put the key ignition switch in the start position the light should come on and the engine should crank. The positive side of the light is coming from the yellow wire and the ground side of the light is coming through the brown-yellow wire from the transmission neutral safety switch. If the light comes on but the engine does not crank the relay is likely bad and I would replace it.

[Charger_70]

Put one side of the test light on the yellow wire right at the starter relay. Put the other end of the test light on the brown-yellow wire right at the starter relay. When you put the key ignition switch in the start position the light should come on and the engine should crank. The positive side of the light is coming from the yellow wire and the ground side of the light is coming through the brown-yellow wire from the transmission neutral safety switch. If the light comes on but the engine does not crank the relay is likely bad and I would replace it.

The light did not come on. When i hook the test light to neg post on battery and test each wire the light comes on with key turned to start.