1977 Dodge Van won’t turn over since parking it yesterday?!?
Posted: July 31st, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Q & A | Tags: 1977, DODGE, over, Parking, since, turn, won't, yesterday | 5 Comments »Hi all, just a quick question…we got home from 4 wonderful days of camping yesterday afternoon. We parked in front of the door so we could un-load…now, the RV won’t crank to start so I can go park it.
I was trying to boost it all morning and then I remembered I bought a battery tester last week and the battery charge is just fine (12.54). Now, last time I had this problem they installed a new battery isolator between the front and the back as well as a new alternator. When I turn the key nothing, no click…nothing. I have a battery switch installed but when I test that the charge is getting past the switch, no problems, the power goes through.
I would be appreciative to get some ideas as to what my problem could be? Where do I check to see if power is getting to where it needs to go? Thanks ahead of time for your input.
on that year dodge the positive cable goes to the starter it may be loosing contact at the starter it could also be the ground it goes to the block trace where it goes and check the conections always go for the most inexpensive fix first problems that just happen are usualy simple
Put It In Park Have Someone Beat On The Starter While Another Tries To Start It ..It Also Has Fusible Links And Fuses If I Remember Right The Positive Battery Cable Has A Fuse
Call the junk yard. They will give your $50 and haul your american pos away. Take the deal and dont buy an american pos again.
did they still have what used to be called a ballast resistor in 1977,dont remember.that was a common dodge problem.check with service dept.on this.placement was on the firewall and was a ceramic holder with a copper wire coil on it
I am glad you had some fine camping. If some of these guys went camping maybe they wouldn’t be so uptight as to want to tell you to junk a fine ride. 1977 was back when things were simple.
First off you checked to see you had enough fire in the battery. Sounds like you have plenty.
Second Pull the shifter into park and hold it up. (this is what I am suspecting bigtime here) If it cranks then your neutral safety switch needs adjusting. If it doesn’t try pulling it into neutral as well and crank it. If it turns over then again you have a neutral safety switch issue.
Third which you may want to check first is to make sure your cables are good and tight both at battery and where it is grounded and on the starter solenoid. Turn your headlights on and have someone try to crank it. If they stay on and go dim you have battery issues. If they go out for a few seconds or minutes but come back on bright you have connection problems somewhere. If they stay on bright and you tried the neutral safety switch trial then we must go to the starter and short out the hot wire or the wire coming straight from the battery. There should be two additional small wires connected to the solenoid. One is the wire that the key energizes to start the engine cranking. The other wire goes to the coil to ensure there is spark at the plugs. There is one other wire large like the positive cable and it goes into the starter. Absolutely make darn sure the vehicle is in park and the parking brake is engaged. Wheels chocked for good measure. Now take a screwdriver and cross between the positive cable and one of the small wires. If it is the one going to the coil it will do nothing. If it is the one to engage the starter hopefully it will turn the engine over. If it does then you possibly have more troubles than can be diagnosed in this section. If it doesn’t do anything as a last resort cross between the two big posts. This will turn the starter provided there is enough juice in the battery. if it turns and it did not turn with the cross on the small wire then you have a bad solenoid/starter and needs replacing…
Good luck and I hope you get to put in more time camping this summer. I envy you that!!!