Won't start

[happyhardcore19]

hey ,
I have a problem , I just bought a 1975 dodge dart swinger and yesterday it was running fine, now today i go to start it up, it turns over once and stops because i didnt pump the gas enough and then everytime i try to start it , it makes a click click click sound and the alternator gauge which has been sitting comfortably in the middle is ticking , plus the lighting mounted on the hood of the car 1 on either side is flashing, but eventually stops. The headlights are still able to come on and so are the windsheld wipers. I'm extremley worried . Any help would be so great!

-matt

[abodyjoe]

check the sterter relay on the fenderwell by the battery...

[happyhardcore19]

Do you think it could be a dead battery? and what would the stater relay do?

[happyhardcore19]

the horn stopped working too

[abodyjoe]

  are the headlights brite???  could be a dirty connection on the battery...


  the relay is what sends the power to the starter when you turn the key..

[happyhardcore19]

so i couldnt really tell, they looked sorta dim i guess. If it was the alternator than the lights wouldnt come on at all would they. Sometimes when i started it up the gas gauge would move up to half a tank because thats how much gas i have in the car now. What else could it be?

[abodyjoe]

guess your best bet it to see what voltage the battery has.... do you have anytype of tester??

[happyhardcore19]

get one at walmart, or radio shack. Is there any forseeable problem that you think could be the cause of all this trouble. Wires , ect i mean do you think i'd have to replace anything at all? Would i have known if my starter just burnt out?

[happyhardcore19]

There is a switch on the steering colum sometimes its lights up blue and then it goes off. i dont know what this switch is, you can pull it out or push it in. Could that have anything to do with it?

[abodyjoe]

could be almost anything...  where is the clicking sound coming from when you try to start it??


where on the column is the switch??  sound like the light for the key.

[happyhardcore19]

the switch is right next the ignition, anyway i'm not sure where its coming from , it clicks for a bit then i try to start it up again and then nothing, i leave it for a little while and then start it up again and it clicks some more. What are those lights mounted on the hood? they were flashing .

[allblknblue]

I drive my car everyday with either a shot alternator or a bad voltage regulator.  My car does the "clicking" noise whenever it dies.  The battery usually goes for about....2 hours of driving time before it dies so the guy who sold it to you could have just charged it up before you bought it.  I'm definitely not an expert though.  Before my car dies the headlights go dim and the blinkers stop lighting up.  Then the brakes sound like they're breaking and the engine starts wanting to turn off.  This is all while driving it though so not sure if you'd see those symptoms.

[happyhardcore19]

They still light, so i don't think its the battery , although the horn stopped working maybe its just funny on these old cars. Maybe your right and i need a new battery, the mechanic said it just might need gas because he doesnt know how well the gas gauge is working, i hope to god he is right.

[allblknblue]

If it were gas, the car would still turn over just wouldn't run.  All I know is that when I have no power it makes the clicking noise.

[Ed]

You will be chasing your tail or just dropping money if you don't have a voltmeter.  You can try a fully charged battery, easy to pull one from another car you know works.  If the car now starts, I'd guess a alternator / voltage regulator/ wiring problem.  If the battery is more then 5 yrs old, it might be bad.  Also make sure the battery cables and battery posts are perfect.

[86DodgeRam360]

a very similar thing happened to me shortly after buying my truck, turned out the wiring in the starter relay were really loose.

[happyhardcore19]

i wouldve checked it before then but iv'e been out of the house for a couple days. Good news is i bought oil and anti-freeze fluid and and i picked up a brand new roll of black carpet from walmart. Its gonna look hot. I have 3 months till my drivers test so I'll have all the time in the world to fix her up and make her mint. The apolstry and interior is great except for some rust on the floor which i need to scrape out. the tubing that feeds into the ac is cracked so i can replace that or just duck tape it. The floor of the trunk is kinda rusted, but if i scrape it and put some rustoleum on it, it should be great. It a creme color and like i said its a 1975 dodge dart swinger. I got it for 1500 but now im worried that the guy who sold it too me at the garage didnt tell me everything that was wrong with it. Anyway ill post pictures later and when im done fixing it up and retouching the paint ill post more pictures.

[strokin_408_duster]

i would check the battery first for loose or corroded cables . why look for the worst thing it could be when it is probaly something simple !!!!!!!!  but thats just my thoughts.   good luck 

[kawazuki8097]

Yup, like eveyone else said, check the cable connections and the battery. Get a voltmeter too - it'll save you headaches and mony by being able to check things yourself instead of taking it to a garage.

The flashing light on the left side of the hood is goofy economy light they used in 74/75. It is a vac operated switch that will light up the left fendertop turnsignal when you step on it. The switches will get funky and do strange things as they get older. The switch / diaphram assy should be sitting on the drivers side inner fender. Check your manual to see how to check or disconnect it.

[happyhardcore19]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all your help, it was just a dead battery i got a new one today. Anyway I really appreciate everything .

-matt