• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

No clue, please help

Aeronet said:
It gets hot in that engine compartment. Could the distributor pickup get hot and fail and then cool down and be good?
Click to expand...

That's one thing that can happen.

I like to get out and take off the air cleaner, give the throttle a pull and see if it gives a good squirt of gas. If it does, you've got gas.

Then I'll see if it has spark. Pull the coil wire and find a good place to lay it where you can see the end of it while cranking the engine. Of course you need to have the end at but not touching a bolt head or a bare spot on the manifold, and look for a good spark. Then you can go from there.

Your symptoms sounds like the pickup. If you have a ohms meter you could test it for continuity when it stops on you next time. If you have a spare you could swap it and see if it does it again next time you take it out.

Normally the ballast works or it doesn't. Having a ohms meter along can help check this too. Also helps with checking where you have voltage or not.
 
I will not take credit for this check as it came from BigJohn on a roadrunner forum for the same problem. Goes like this:

Get out your digital multi meter and when this happens, with the key "on" check for voltage at the plus side of the coil primary. If no voltage, start checking back to the ballast resistor and back to the ignition switch from there.

If you have voltage, key off, unplug the distributor and check resistance (ohms) between the two terminals on the distributor side. You should have 150-900 ohms resistance between those two connections. If you have more, the pickup is shot.

You can check the coil by disconnecting the wires and checking resistance across the primary. You should have about .75 ohms resistance there. Check resistance from either primary terminal to the center and you should have 10,000 ohms resistance or so. Those are really generic readings... and not for specific coils... and it can be argued that it's not the best test in the world, so don't discount that it might still be the coil even if those two readings are OK.

My money is on the distributor pick up or the coil.... That is assuming that this is an electrical problem and you checked and there was no spark.
 
Do you have a metal fuel filter? is it touching the heater hoses? That was my issue with similar symptoms.
 
Khryslerkid, Builderguy, I think you are right, and I will check those things next time. I normally carry a multi-meter with me, but I left in the garage. It's going into the car right now.
I'm driving straight home tomorrow and I'll check everything when I get home and let you know the results.
First two times it happened last week I'd been working 12 hour shifts. I did some work on it over the weekend, but foolishly didn't check the dist. pickup. I worked 8 hours yesterday and today. Funny thing is, it didn't do it yesterday. I made three stops after work and the car fired everytime.
 
dadalis said:
Do you have a metal fuel filter? is it touching the heater hoses? That was my issue with similar symptoms.
Click to expand...
Yes, metal fuel filter but it doesn't touch anything. I checked it when it wouldn't start today and it felt cool to the touch; it was about 50 degrees F today. Fuel line felt cool too.
 
You using non-oxy premium gas?

Warm it up then let it sit. Pull air cleaner and see if you have a good accelerater pump shot. If not, it's boiling off ( cheap gas) or vapor locking
 
Moparnocar said:
You using non-oxy premium gas?

Warm it up then let it sit. Pull air cleaner and see if you have a good accelerater pump shot. If not, it's boiling off ( cheap gas) or vapor locking
Click to expand...
Nope. Cheap E10 87. It is Phillips 66.
 
Moparnocar said:
That honestly COULD be part of it. That stuff boils of fast, and vapor locks easily. I cringe when I have to put it in
Click to expand...
I've always used it. Maybe the formulation has changed recently? But, a '72 400 with a "Street Hemi" cam isn't really hurting for octane. Hurting for compression, yes.
 
Fuel, air, spark. You need to figure out which one you’re not getting first, like @khryslerkid said. Troubleshoot the system once you know which one is not working.

Don’t fall for the banana in the tailpipe trick.
69EAD4E8-CBBE-49C9-B265-96E44D404691.jpeg
 
Aeronet said:
Khryslerkid, Builderguy, I think you are right, and I will check those things next time. I normally carry a multi-meter with me, but I left in the garage. It's going into the car right now.
I'm driving straight home tomorrow and I'll check everything when I get home and let you know the results.
First two times it happened last week I'd been working 12 hour shifts. I did some work on it over the weekend, but foolishly didn't check the dist. pickup. I worked 8 hours yesterday and today. Funny thing is, it didn't do it yesterday. I made three stops after work and the car fired everytime.
Click to expand...

It's just like going to the dentist. You walk in and your tooth stops hurting! :D
 
One thing I just thought of. The battery is a six year old sealed type. I'm surprised it's still good. In the past I usually only got 3 years out of these kinds of batterys. I wonder if the battery is the culprit.
 
Aeronet said:
One thing I just thought of. The battery is a six year old sealed type. I'm surprised it's still good. In the past I usually only got 3 years out of these kinds of batterys. I wonder if the battery is the culprit.
Click to expand...

As long as it's cranking the engine over normally it should be good.
 
Mechanical fuel pump ? Check the fuel pump PUSH ROD length. If worn excessively this could be a fuel delivery issue.. I had similar symptoms and went through much frustration till I discovered my push rod was extremely worn to point where it was barely stroking the fuel pump lever.
 
Last edited:
Run out that E10 garbage and find a station that sells ethanol free gas. Here we have Wawa's that sells it as well as marinas. You could also try a local airport or racetrack. I wanted to get 100 octane ethanol free Avgas but they will only dispense into an airplane or swamp boat:mad::mad::mad:
 
Carry with you a spark plug and a can of carb cleaner. When she won’t start pull plug wire ground plug crank does it spark? If no help jump starter relay to crank.
If no spark spray carb cleaner crank does it try to fire
Report back I am stuck at home need diversion lol
 
I drove straight home today. Caught a ride and ran some errands. Car sat for about an hour. Checked distributor pickup resistance and couldn't get a reading. Decided to try starting it and it fired. I ordered a new dist. pickup. I'll get it tomorrow. I don't work Fri., Sat., or Sun. I'll do extensive testing over the weekend and report back.
I've never had an old Chrysler do this before. And as I've mentioned, I've owned this car 20 years and it's never done this.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Mopewbie
Another NO SPARK thread...
2
Replies
28
Views
1K
RJRENTON
RJRENTON
A
Wire ID help
Replies
16
Views
378
pnora
pnora
mrmolding
No crank, no start, no accessories but headlights work.
2
Replies
25
Views
3K
mrmolding
mrmolding
G
Not the ballast resistor?
2
Replies
24
Views
2K
ynst
ynst
P
Mechanical advance help needed.
Replies
16
Views
1K
Geoff 2
G
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top