About to punch this car in the face

[Rocket]

Alot of details only to aid in if my dumb ass missed something. Had it running before I dropped it off at the muffler shop. They put the exhaust on (3") and I really wanted to hear it run. So I got my gas can dipped my fuel line in it (like I have been for over a month). I noticed my buddy who helped me with the wires mixed up #s 5 and 3? WTF! I also bought a a new connector for the positive cable because it came out of the hole on the new one from YearOne (chinese I guess).

Anyway, fixed that and it started right up. It sounded like it was running out of fuel(there was only 2 inches left in the can) so I shut her down. Went to start her again and I got nothing when I turned the key . So I checked to see if the small red wire became disconnected again and it was good. I got it to turn over from the starter relay but no power to coil/ecu. The ECU (FBO) has a status light and it remains off. So the ignition key no longer gives me power to start or power to run.

Ok, I am getting so sick of throwing money at this F'ing car. So do I buy a new ignition switch and cylinder and see if that is it? Is there a fuse that could have blown (fusible link is good) . I'm stumped and tired. Really thought these issues were behind me, really pissed off right now


Thanks for any help and if this thread goes unanswered it still felt good typing this out.

 

[mac]

just real quick check your bulkhead connectors and the ballast resistor if you are still running one.:cents:

 

[69hemibeep]

I agree with Mac and don't punch the car it will win.

 

[Rocket]

no ballast resistor went with the FBO. I will check the bulkhead connector.

 

[dobie]

Its the bulkhead connectors. Ive been down this road....a lot..... I recently posted a new thread on it as well. In the thread George posted a link to a fix for this. That bypasses the Ammeter gauge which is a known problem. Another fix is to solder the main power and ground wires where they come thru into the bulkhead. Over the years the wires get corroded and separate.

I've been where you're at with the frustration. Recently, I even contemplated selling my RR and using the money on a down payment on a newer Challenger. I decided against that though as these cars obviously aren't made anymore. Our Plymouth's are pretty rare, even when they were new if you go by production numbers alone. Look around at your local shows and cruise in's.... Around here, out of 200 or so cars, I can count on two hands the number of RR's, GTX's, and Satellite's present. All I see here is the GM and Ford stuff. If you're at the point of giving up, let the car sit for awhile. Even just a couple of weeks or so. As long as its not costing you anything sitting there, cover it up and walk away. In yet another recent thread of mine, you'll see that I posted my price tag on my RR. I've got well over $40k in my car.....and on a good day it's only worth $25k..... You'll never get your money back on these, unless it's a Hemi, A12, or something else unique. It's a love for the car and the experience as a whole that makes it worthwhile.

Here's that thread:

http://www.69roadrunner.net/mopar/showthread.php?9779-No-Power-Start-Rears-its-Ugly-Head-Again

 

[Rocket]

That's great advice dobie, I think I may take it. Is the bulkhead connector issue intermittent? I get power to my ecu, and can turn the key but the %$#&^ still won't start.

 

[69hemibeep]

I cleaned my bulkhead with a small brass brush and used a cleaner to burnish or shine the contacts up and then added dielectric grease and plugged it together. I bet Jim S. will knows the name of the chemical. I didn't want to cut my harness up.

 

[moparstuart]

I cleaned my bulkhead with a small brass brush and used a cleaner to burnish or shine the contacts up and then added dielectric grease and plugged it together. I bet Jim S. will knows the name of the chemical. I didn't want to cut my harness up.

yes for sure use dielectric grease after cleaning its the bulk heads best friend , water gets funneled down on there right off the cowl

 

[Jim S.]

I cleaned my bulkhead with a small brass brush and used a cleaner to burnish or shine the contacts up and then added dielectric grease and plugged it together. I bet Jim S. will knows the name of the chemical. I didn't want to cut my harness up.

Well like everything else the real good stuff is outlawed. That would have been Trichloroethylene. I used to be up to my elbows in that stuff at work. Now if anyone hears you have any in the house, big brother comes wearing hazmat suits. As mentioned before I replaced all mine with new. 725145 female and 725147 male from Napa. Other than that, any decent contact cleaner will work. Spray some in a paper cup, cue tip it on and burnish with something. A dental cleaning tool works great. Then of course dielectric grease.....

Damn it another one of my fingers just fell off again.

 

[69hemibeep]

Trichloroethylene. That's the stuff, used it at work years ago. I'm all thumbs :lmao:

 

[Basketcase]

new Challenger Steve? glad you came to your senses.:jester:

yeah it sounds like the bulkhead onnector.

 

[dobie]

new Challenger Steve? glad you came to your senses.:jester:

yeah yeah....We'll see after tomorrow's hopeful trip down to Heath...

 

[Basketcase]

even if you're broke down in Heath...you'll be having more fun than me!

 

[Rocket]

I did the mad electrical conversion, cleaned up all the terminals on the bulkhead connector and I have good voltage everywhere. Now onto the carbs running rich (popping in the exhaust ) and getting the idle down.