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  #1  
Old 10-24-2001, 07:08 PM
Peterpiper Peterpiper is offline
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Default Car won't start !!

72 Duster 318. I turn the key and nothing happens, no click or any other sound. All gauges, lights and radio work fine. What to do?
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  #2  
Old 10-24-2001, 07:49 PM
warlockpowerwagon warlockpowerwagon is offline
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Check the neutral safety switch.
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  #3  
Old 10-24-2001, 07:56 PM
Peterpiper Peterpiper is offline
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Where is the Neutral Safety Switch ?
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  #4  
Old 10-24-2001, 09:28 PM
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Hammer 74 Hammer 74 is offline
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Make sure the car is in park or neutral. If it is not in either of these it will do as you describe. The switch is on the drivers side of the trans and has a round 2 wire connector. It goes up the trans into the engine compartment and hooks up to the starter relay next to the battery on the inner fender near the front drivers side of the car. Hope this helps. It sounds like this is the problem.
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Old 10-24-2001, 09:35 PM
Peterpiper Peterpiper is offline
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Thanks Guys, It is too dark now, but tomorrow I shall locate and replace the switch. If possible, I will just bypass it. Who is stupid enough to try to start their car in Drive or Reverse anyway?
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  #6  
Old 10-24-2001, 09:43 PM
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Hammer 74 Hammer 74 is offline
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I did not mean to insult you, its just that if the shifter is a little bit out of adjustment it may be in drive at the shifter but at the trans it may not be. Fiddle with the shifter while trying to crank her over. I have seen this happen before. Also check the wiring from the switch to the starter relay. A corroded connection could be the problem. It is the one with overhang ; brown I think.
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  #7  
Old 10-24-2001, 09:48 PM
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Hammer 74 Hammer 74 is offline
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Here is a pick of my relay. The neutral switch wire is on the lower right.
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File Type: jpg starter relay.jpg (24.1 KB, 24 views)
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  #8  
Old 10-24-2001, 10:08 PM
6pakman 6pakman is offline
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dont do what i did, remove the switch and not put it back. i did that and my kid was in the car and knocked the shifter in reverseand i started the car. needless to say with him in the car, in the drivers seat,the car jerked back and almost took down a wall!!! god i had nightmares of my challenger rear end smashed to bits with pecies of cement all over the car. whew!!! it could happen to anyone. be safe, or be sorry.
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  #9  
Old 10-24-2001, 11:05 PM
Peterpiper Peterpiper is offline
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Hammer, Thanks for your help. You in no way offended me. What I meant was ........Why would car makers put such a thing on cars in the first place? In my case, it served no purpose, but succeeded in stranding me away from home. I would rather the car never had it in the first place. Cheers !
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  #10  
Old 10-25-2001, 10:02 AM
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ehostler ehostler is offline
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Alot of times you may just need to go back to N and then firmly bring it back to P. I've had this happen in a couple of different MOPARs. A friend of my tried to mess with me once by gently placing the shifter into P, so that it would not start. He was suprised when I cleared the problem.

The safety switch is there, to save the hides of the auto manufacturers. Do you know how many stupid people drive cars? And how many of these people would sue the auto makers if the safety switch were not there and allowed them to cause an accident.

How about the Jeep 'defect' a couple of years ago? These Jeeps would accelerate for no reason and cause accidents. The harder the driver pressed on the brakes, the faster the Jeep went. What was the 'defect'? The drivers didn't know that they were pressing the gas pedal instead of the break pedal. The pedals were close together.
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Old 10-25-2001, 12:48 PM
70Ted 70Ted is offline
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bad starter relay
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  #12  
Old 10-25-2001, 05:34 PM
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tsteiner61 tsteiner61 is offline
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Almost everytime I pick up a new Mopar, it's not running (I get em cheaper that way). Here are a couple of quick tests that I do to tell why no start.

TEST 1. Ground the neutral safety terminal on the relay.

On most Mopars I have, this terminal is the one with the dark green wire attached. Disconnect that wire and jump that terminal directly to either the engine block or the neg. battery post.

IF CAR STARTS, you have a bad neutral safety switch. If the NSS is bad, it is many times due to no contact between the terminal and the rooster comb on the valve body of the trans. If this is the case, drain trans. pull pan and visually check that metal touches metal between the rooster comb and the switch when the shifter is in Park and Neutral.
IF IT DOESN'T TOUCH adjust the switch or rooster (sometimes bending it slightly will do the trick).
IF IT DOES TOUCH, replace switch.

WARNING, if you pull out the NSS without first draining the trans. you will have a big mess on your hands. (Another one for don't drink & wrench, I've got plenty.)

IF NO START. TEST 2.

TEST 2. Hotwire it...

Leave the jumper wire there and bridge the two big wires on the relay together with a heavy jumper wire, sometimes I use an insulated handle screwdriver. Wear gloves as it will spark somewhat.

IF IT STARTS, bad starter relay..replace.
IF NO START, bad starter..replace.

All done.
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