I've got a '83 Ram D350 with a transplanted 318 (previous owner's doing) that has developed an ignition problem. I can get it to start, but once I've released the key, she dies. With the key in the run position, she has no power to anything- no radio, turn signals. But in the Accessory position the radio works fine.

Before I noticed the turn signals were dead, I thought it was strictly the ignition circuit, and was able to get her running by hooking the coil directly to the battery through a seperate ballast resistor, but the charging circuit was also dead, so I was able to move around the yard and that was it.

My second thought was the ignition switch, so I swapped that out with a known good one, no change. I've tried three different ballast resistors, no change. Brand new ECU, no change. I've checked all the wires, all the connections, can't find anything amiss. I even swapped out the little relay box on the left front fender that I don't know the name of (I think it might be the run-start relay, but I'm not sure) with a known good one, no change. I'm out of ideas.

Any suggestions you can offer would be appreciated.

Scott
66PowerWagon

'06 Dodge Magnum R/T
'83 Dodge Ram D350
'66 Fargo Power Wagon

 

did it run when you got it?
i would be checking for power at your 40 way disconnect.

 

Yup, it was running last fall. I've had it running since I got it, about 7 years ago. I had just finished doing the timing on it, had backed it out of the shop and was driving in the yard when it died.

 

I just checked the firewall connector. Everything looked good, nice shiny terminals, no rust, little dust, no burnt wires, on either side of the connector. Could there be another relay that I'm overlooking?

 

I think I found it. I started following the #4 position line, and the fusible link was broken, but the insulation around it was not. I'll know once I get back from the parts store.