Help! Starter won't turn over. Thinking it's fuse-related.

[Grec]

Had a problem with my parking lights. Found the culprit. The cigarette lightet was disconnected and grounding out on the dash. Problsm solved.

Not so fast.

I went to start the car.... nothing.

Nothing from the starter at all.

This car is seriously pissing me off.   

[Chryco Psycho]

check the yellow ire at the starter relay for power whne the key is turned to the start position

[Grec]

Forgive my ignorance, but how do I determine if it's getting current?

Bear with me. In a few months you won't be getting elementary questions like this from me. :-)

[Chryco Psycho]

test light or volt meter

[Grec]

Yep. As I was on my way to go get a cigar and some new bulbs, I remembered.... volt meter.

Hey I have one of those!  :-)

Well... as it turns out, my Challenger was feeling a bit more cooperative when I got home because she fired right up.

 

This is almost scarier than before as nothing was changed so she could pull this crap when I'm in a much more inconvienient place than my driveway.

Actually, one thing changed. I replaced some bulbs although I can't see that causing her change in attitude.

The one thing that I take comfort in is that the starter doesn't seem to have gone tits up. She started multiple time on the 1st crank.

Any idea what would have caused this?

[Chryco Psycho]

intermittent contact in the starter relay usually

[Grec]

I'll check it out.

Thanks.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

If it isn't the starter relay, it might be the starter. Did you hear a click when it wouldn't turn? If yes, then it's the starter. My starter would turn when it felt like it. When it wouldn't, I would wack it with a big screw-driver. This also could be caused by a bad connection, or bad ground too.

  Mike

[Grec]

Nope. No clicking. When she wasn't starting I heard nothing.

[RedLine]

just another idea:  try starting in neutral- if it starts then its shifter adjustment for Park or the neutral safety switch or harness bad

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Nope. No clicking. When she wasn't starting I heard nothing.

OK, that means the starter relay isn't working, or you have a bad connection somewhere.

  Mike

[Grec]

I'm going to name this car "Christine".

Didn't start yesterday. No sound. Nothing.

An hour later she fires right up, multiple times, on the 1st crank.

This morning?

Clicking and a sound that can only be described as a "springy" sound. Think guitar string snapping but not as high pitched or sharp. Of course, she refused to start.

This is starting to sound more like a starter that has gone bad, no?

I'm seeing starters for a Chrysler 440 listed on the Kragen site for around $40. Is this correct? They're that cheap?

[422STROKER]

Yup sounds like a starter sounds good on the price bring yours back for the core charge!

Tom

[ShelbyDogg]

Grec,
to see if it's your starter or your key wiring, do this.

The next time you're out there, take a screwdriver and touch these two terminals together on your starter relay.  The starter should crank. If it doesn't, it is a bad starter or one of the connections is loose on the smaller of these two wires on the starter.  Make sure you are in neutral if a 4-speed or park if an auto. (don't want to hurt anybody)

Gotta make that mopar reliable. I've had alot of bad old style rebuilt starters because they don't change the armatures.  Get a new style SMALL STARTER for a 318 or 360 and get away from that big old beast.
Rob

[Grec]

I'll go out there and do the test when I have a few.

As to the smaller starter, I had been reading about that on the site.

Is that something they would have at Kragen, etc.?

If I had to give them a year/make/model to get that particular starter, what would I ask for?

Smaller is definitely better as things are pretty crammed in there with that big 'ol 440!

I really need it to be something that I can get quickly as I have time to work in the next couple of days, but not alot after. This thing needs to be running.

If not, I may just have to get the big one again.  :-(

P.S. Nice diagram by the way.