I am having an electrical problem with my 73 dart. What happened today is typical of what is happening with the car. I got in and tried to start it and it made a clicking noise like the battery was dead. I checked the battery cables and got in the car and it fired right up. I let it idle and got in to back it out of the garage and it died. After that everything went completely dead, no lights, no nothing.

I thought that i had solved the problem one day because i was messing with the light switch and noticed it was loose. It was having an episode when it had no juice at all and i tightened up the headlight switch and the lights came on. I drove it a few times since then and thought that i had solved the problem.

I know this is probably just a short somewhere that i will have to hunt down but thought someone might have some advice or have had the problem and it was a simple fix. Thanks for any help.

if you wiggled the batery cables and everything started working then i would guess you you have corrosion at your battery connections. are cable ends the clamp on style or are they crimped or molded on? make sure there's no corrosion between the battery post and cable terminal. next time this happens, have someone watch the dash as you wiggle the connections and see if that gets everything working.

zedpapa

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1970 dodge dart w/225 /6 bored .040" over, holley 390cfm w/vac. sec., compcams 252s, clifford shorty headers w/2.5" exhaust w/flowmaster, f-body 11" front discs, aluminum A-833OD, 8 1/4 w/3.21 SG
soon to have 5 gears!!!

I am 99% sure it is not the battery or battery cables. It was just coincidence that it started after that. It is very unpredictable about when it will and will not start, so i really can't drive it.

This morning i went out to the car and turn the key on and could see the needle on the ammeter just barely move. I tried to turn the radio on and it had no juice. I turned the key to try and start it just for kicks. I did nothing but as I let go of the key to return to the "on" position from the "start" position, I could hear a faint clicking noise that i guess was the starter? So it seems like it is getting some juice this morning, just not enough to do anything.

I really need to get this solved so I can start driving the car again.

You almost certainly just have a poor connection somewhere, or more possibly in multiple locations.
It doesn't take much of an oxide layer to stop 12V.

After the battery clamps, the next point to check is right at the starter relay BAT terminal; remove and clean everything and put it back. All power runs through that point.

Next, unplug, inspect, & clean as required the bulkhead connections. They unplug easily -look for corrosion and signs of overheating and melting.

If that doesn't fix it, look at the switch connections - the larger of two flat connectors near the steering column. It is not uncommon for the BAT pin to oxidize a little, get hot, and melt the housing enough to let it fall out of place.

I'd be very surprised if your problem is in one of those places.

Your ign switch could be going bad too; turn your lights on and observe them when you see the symptoms; if they go very dim or out, the problem is not with the switch, since headlight power doesn't go through it.

When i turn the key, the ammeter moves very slightly. When i turn on the running lights, the ammeter moves slightly, and moves slightly more when i turn the headlights all the way on. Its like it is getting some juice but not enough to do anything. This is driving me crazy and I dont really know where to start. Any advice?

Pull your battery cables off, and I'll bet you a cup of coffee there is a hard coating on both the post and inside the clamp. If you don't have a cleaning brush made for that purpose, take a jacknife and cut away the hard layer of oxidation until you have a shiny surface on both.

When you put it back together, I'll bet another cup that your problem is gone.

Ill meet your 2 coffees and raise a glass of ale....

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....