Posted by Josh on Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 2:34PM :
In Reply to: I give up!?!?! Need Help Still Won't Start posted by Tyler on Wednesday, May 05, 2004 at 11:34PM :
I don't know much of your story here. But I have a 76 W200 that the aftermarket Tachometer shorted out internally. Which caused ALL of the electrical components to operate fine when there wasn't a significant temperature change. As soon as the weather changed the truck wouldn't start for a week. It had 12 volts to the coil with key on...
The kicker was when you would crank the engine coil (positive side) voltage dropped to right about 6.5 just enough to make it almost but not quite start. The Tachometer reads the voltage off the coil so there is a black lead and a red lead off of the coil that lead back through the firewall to the tach. That's where my problem ended up being. Took me two years of intermittent problems to figure it out. I was sitting in the truck one night and thinking it over in the truck and I cranked it and the Tach went bonkers, and then I shut it off did it again. Same thing. Pulled the Tachometer off and haven't had another problem with it in heat 100 + degrees and negative temps. Fires first try everytime. I rebuilt the engine wiring harness, replaced ballast resistor multiple times, new coils, new distributors, new ignition modules, new starter solenoids, batteries, you name it I replaced or rebuilt it. I've got two or three of everyting!!!
Good luck to you it's very frustrating. I got stranded many many times due to a Japanese tachometer that the previous owner so graciously installed for me. Make sure that there are no foreign made autoparts on your Dodge, my truck seems to reject them with a vengeance!!!