48 Chrysler electrical problem

Hi All,

I need to pick your brains a bit, if you don't mind.

A friend has a 48 Chrysler that is having an electrical problem.

It started out that one day he went to start the car and the starter engaged and the car started but the starter kept spinning. He turned the car off and then started it again and all was normal.

A few weeks later the car was acting like it had a dead battery. So we jumped the starter and the car started but the starter stayed running.

When you turn the ignition key on there isn't that customary "click" from the solenoid and everything electrical is dead - no lights, horn, etc...

The battery is fine and he even bought a new starter but that did not solve the problem.

Checked the ground and that seemed okay.

There is voltage from the battery to the starter solenoid but that is it. No voltage anywhere else.

Where should we start looking for the problem?

Voltage regulator, coil, ignition switch ????

Thanks, Joe

If you are absolutely sure that battery connections are good. (those replacement kind where you strip some of the cable and clamp it with the two screws are famous for corroding)

I would start by looking at all of the grounds. Maybe do some temporary grounding with some jumper cables.

You need good grounds between the battery, the frame and the body.

This can be a bit confusing for those that have problems with the positive ground thing. You are working on the positive side of the battery is all.

Use two jumper cables and hook the body to the ground side of the battery, And use another cable to hook the ground side of the battery to the chassis.

A beginning to trouble shooting.

Another thing just dawned on me, You said that you have voltage at the starter but no where else. Check the smaller wire that hooks at the starter and runs everything else.

When you turn the key on, you will not here a click from the solenoid. When you turn the key on, it powers up the fuel gauge, in return, a wire from the fuel gauge feeds the starter switch, then from the switch to the starter relay. A starter the keeps going can be a couple issues going on.

1-worn starter

2-low voltage

3-power still being powered to the solenoid

4-bad connections

5- wires touching causing a feed back

At this time, I'm rewiring a 48 Chry that had the same problem plus other issues with the wiring being damaged from critters.

Thanks for the suggestions so far and the diagram..

Dave, I should have been clearer as to what solenoid you should hear that "click" from when you turn the key on. It is the solenoid that is connected to the DS inner fender, next to the voltage regulator, and it has the fuse in it. I checked the fuse and it was good.

Today I used a set of battery cables and grounded the battery to the engine block - same result - nothing works.

I tried to jump the car with another battery - still no go.

Is there a fuse or breaker on the back of the fuel guage????

The battery is supplying voltage to the starter solenoid and that is where it ends. Voltage is not getting anywhere else.

Outside of the ground issue, which I have tested, it seems as if there is an open somewhere in the circuit.

BTW, this car had a full restoration several years ago including the wiring harness.

Joe

That solenoid is for the fluid drive trans. Did you try jumping the starter and solenoid with a jump starter switch or screw driver? No fuse behind Fuel Gauge. I'll check tomorrow.

The car main power supply wire (#10 Red) connects at the same starter stud terminal as does the big battery cable. It then goes to the back of the ammeter. Check that the starter stud nuts are tight as are the 2 nuts that connect the red/black and green wires to the back of the ammeter.

The ammeter connections are critical for power feed.

Bob

Dave and Bob,

I did the jumping of the starter with a screwdriver and that worked to spin the starter.

I will check behind the amp guage to make sure all is tight.

I know that there is a circuit breaker on the headlight switch. Could that have gone bad???

Thanks for the input so far.

This problem has got to be something simple as all of the wiring is new and this happened all of a sudden.

Joe

Found the problem. Thanks Bob and Dave.

The power feed stud on the back of the ammeter spins freely which means we need to find another guage.

I was able to get power to the car but I know that it won't last unless we replace that guage.

Thanks again.

Joe

Another thing just dawned on me, You said that you have voltage at the starter but no where else. Check the smaller wire that hooks at the starter and runs everything else.

I should have remembered where that ran to.

Like when a plan comes together. I have a used amp gauge.

Bob:

I see the term (am) in your picture.

Stand for amp meter or?

How does the following function?

From starter solenoid to choke, solenoid to A on generator? See chart. Since solenoids are hard and expensive to get, (EBAY 406.00) How would you rewire to make a 2 stud solenoid work?

Found an NOS amp gauge. It should be here by the end of the week.

Thanks,

Joe

Update

Here's the update I posted Oct 1st , 2013

Found the problem. Thanks Bob and Dave.

The power feed stud on the back of the ammeter spins freely which means we need to find another guage.

I was able to get power to the car but I know that it won't last unless we replace that guage.

Thanks again.

Joe