• 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.

69 Imperial Won't Crank Over

W

Wizard

Well-Known Member
Local time
10:00 PM
Joined
Jan 24, 2012
Messages
745
Reaction score
91
Location
Dillsburg, PA
My 69 imperial will not crank over. It has been sitting for about a year without me starting it up. Normally it cranks right over and no problems. Today was different. I have a fresh charged battery as I confirmed this by firing up my 73 Imperial right up using same battery. The 73 sat for about a year also. All the 69 does when you turn the key is it makes a sound like "boing, boing, boing" every time you turn key to start it. Starter does not turn over. I tried moving the column shifter many, many times to see if safety switch was disengaged so it will start in either P or N. No luck. I did the old screwdriver trick sticking it down on starter terminals to bump the starter. It bumped once and all the other times it just showered sparks and did not here it engage/ move. Tried starting few times with key after doing this. No luck.

Anyone have any ideas? It always fired up every year. Not this time.
 
Can you get a socket on the front crank bolt? See if she'll turn for you. If it does, it might be the starter.
 
Yeah, Its pretty much in the starter/solenoid I figure that's what it has to be
 
Boing and no clunk @ the starter is oxidized contacts inside the starter relay with the large and medium size wires.
Have someone turn the key while you whack that relay.
 
Darthomas said:
Boing and no clunk @ the starter is oxidized contacts inside the starter relay with the large and medium size wires.
Have someone turn the key while you whack that relay.
Click to expand...

Will give it a try.

Thnks
 
Clean battery connections too.
 
Suggest you check the starter relay, and wiring. If it's okay...starter solenoid is probably burnt, and hanging up. It's been quite awhile since I've fooled with one, if the starter armature is good, you can either replace, or repair the solenoid.
Remember a large copper washer being in there, that makes the contact. That washer can get carbonized, blocking contact. Have either cleaned it up...or flipped it over, to make it act right.
 
I did bang on the starter pretty good all over as I have the car now up on jackstands and can get under it easily. I had someone turn the key a bunch of times trying to start it while I was underneath with a test light. The large terminal is always getting 12v with the light with or without the key on. The smaller terminal beside it on the starter is not getting any voltage when the key is turned on or trying to start it. I constantly here a "boing, boing, boing" noise behind the dashboard and believe it is starter relay making it on outside of firewall. Basically, getting no voltage to the small terminal which is the problem for the starter not engaging or cranking over. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this or where to check?

Wizard
 
The small wire coming up from the starter to the starter relay, (on the fire wall), should be the brown wire. On the starter relay there is another set of small wires, probably yellow. That's the ignition side of the relay coming from the ignition switch. Have your assistant hold the key in the start position and see if you have voltage there.
 
khryslerkid said:
The small wire coming up from the starter to the starter relay, (on the fire wall), should be the brown wire. On the starter relay there is another set of small wires, probably yellow. That's the ignition side of the relay coming from the ignition switch. Have your assistant hold the key in the start position and see if you have voltage there.
Click to expand...

Right. Have to find someone again. Any ideas on how to do this if I can't find a assistant this time?
 
Wizard said:
Right. Have to find someone again. Any ideas on how to do this if I can't find a assistant this time?
Click to expand...
If you have a multi meter, you can clip one lead to ground, the other to what you are checking, and lay the meter up to the windshield to watch it when you turn the key.

If using a test light, rig up a long wire between the probe and what you are checking. Lay it where you can see it, without making any unwanted contact with ground.

If you have voltage there when you hold the key to start, then your starter relay is bad. Call around to your local parts houses to see if they have one. One relay can cover a lot of years and models. They are around twenty bucks.
 
Last edited:
Okay, I determined that the starter relay is working fine. I did this by trying to start the car and there was no voltage to the second terminal nor the yellow wire had no voltage to it when trying to start it. Reason I say relay is okay is I swapped out the known working good relay from my 73 Imperial and I had the same results when testing relay. So , I took a piece of wire and touched it against the top terminal (always has voltage) and touched it against the 2nd terminal and the starter was kicking in and turning the engine fine. So we know it is not the starter relay, nor anything with starter. It is something from the starter relay back to behind the dash pad in fuse block. I confirmed this by going underneath dash and feeling and listening the relay to the right of the fuse block. I pulled the 1 single wire from this relay and the "boing, boing" noise stopped. I pulled the other wire off of this relay which connects to 3 blades on this relay and same result. So I swapped this relay with the known good same relay from my 73 Imperial. Same result. The same "boing, boing" noise coming from this relay.
Something electrical is not liking something else and killing my voltage going up to the starter relay. I looked at all fuses in fuse block and they are all good. Would a short to ground be causing this?
 
Ok Wiz, if you don't have voltage to the yellow wire on the starter solenoid (on the firewall) when holding the key in the start position, it could be the safety neutral switch.

Try holding the key in the start position, then move the shifter back and forth just a little to see if you can get it to crank. Try it in park. Try it in neutral. If it starts it might be worn or out of adjustment.

If it doesn't do anything, then you'll have to locate the safety neutral switch and bypass it to see if it is bad.

Edit: I just re read your first post and seen that you tried pulling on the shifter. You need to check out the safety neutral switch.
Also make sure the starter relay has a good ground to the firewall.
 
Last edited:
khryslerkid said:
Ok Wiz, if you don't have voltage to the yellow wire on the starter solenoid (on the firewall) when holding the key in the start position, it could be the safety neutral switch.

Try holding the key in the start position, then move the shifter back and forth just a little to see if you can get it to crank. Try it in park. Try it in neutral. If it starts it might be worn or out of adjustment.

If it doesn't do anything, then you'll have to locate the safety neutral switch and bypass it to see if it is bad.

Edit: I just re read your first post and seen that you tried pulling on the shifter. You need to check out the safety neutral switch.
Also make sure the starter relay has a good ground to the firewall.
Click to expand...

I will make sure the starter relay has a good ground on firewall first. Can you somehow trick the neutral safety switch by grounding it from the wire that plugs into the starter relay or do I have to crawl under car and do what with the neutral safety switch then?? I think this may be where the problem lies. I think about 2 years ago I remember same problem and I moved the shifter arm few times and it would start. Now it won't do that as maybe to far worn out or something else. Just want the quickest way to check the neutral safety switch.

Wizard
 
Just doing a quick parts lookup, it looks like your car would have the 3 prong switch at the transmission. I'm not sure what wires would need to be jumped to bypass it. Would need the wiring diagram.

It could be as simple as a bad connection on the switch too. Maybe the plug for it came off?
 
Quick and dirty...pull that yellow wire off the starter relay. Make a ground wire, hook it where the yellow wire goes on the relay...the other end straight to ground, just somewhere on the firewall. All under the hood stuff.
If the car will start...tells you the problem is NSS itself, it's adjustment, or that yellow wire.
 
miller said:
Quick and dirty...pull that yellow wire off the starter relay. Make a ground wire, hook it where the yellow wire goes on the relay...the other end straight to ground, just somewhere on the firewall. All under the hood stuff.
If the car will start...tells you the problem is NSS itself, it's adjustment, or that yellow wire.
Click to expand...
I will give it a try and see what happens. Will let you know.

Wizard
 
Just to be clear...that's not a fix...only a way to test that circuit. NSS is there for a reason.
Could be your shift linkage is out of adjustment.
 
Yes if it turns out you can bypass the nss and get the Imp to start just remember it will start in any gear at that point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Cranking issues
Replies
2
Views
495
Don Frelier
Don Frelier
mrmolding
No crank, no start, no accessories but headlights work.
2
Replies
25
Views
2K
mrmolding
mrmolding
Steve009
Msd 6AL key power, no crank power
Replies
8
Views
1K
Black_Sheep
Black_Sheep
Tempest 455
'69 road runner - No start
Replies
10
Views
1K
Tempest 455
Tempest 455
DAMatt
Strange crack when attempting start, then losing all power (Video)
2
Replies
21
Views
2K
kiwigtx
kiwigtx
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top