Re: IML: 66LeBaron-turn the key...and nothing!

[<dansgarage@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all...I'm going to throw this out to the whole group while I am trying to troubleshoot the problem myself (as you read this I'll be checking and measuring).

Note: several times in the previous 2 months or so, after my '66 LeBaron had been running just fine and I stopped for either lunch or gas or whatever, the car wouldn't turn over at all. Turn the key and....nothing!? I found some loose wires on the battery and the starter-relay, which I fixed and thought that was that!...car ran great till Thursday afternoon...I was checking the trans fluid, letting the car warm up (in neutral) and checked the brake fluid (topped it off) all in prep to make a trip to Temecula to visit Dick Benjamin and his friend Rich (who paints cars!). I shut off the engine, waited 5 minutes to let the oil settle and measured the level which was fine!....turned the key to start the car again and...nothing! no radio no lights, but the windows and interior courtesy lights work OK. One other thing....when the car was still running I had opened the trunk twice (using the glove-box button) to get the can of brake fluid out of the trunk ...and then to replace it again. The engine was still running just fine throughout this time. After shutting the engine off and checking the oil is when the 'no start' problem started. 

Before this, the Ammeter gauge worked fine! ...now, its shows stuck at CHARGE about 1/4 way to the right! possibly the needle is stuck??......The gauge shows this same reading even with the battery disconnected!
...one other thing, the ignition had been 'loose' since I got the car last year and sometimes I have to 'jiggle' the key to get it to turn to the right to start the car or sometimes to get the key to come out of the ignition. 

..First thing I did was order a new starter-relay from Kragen Auto Parts which arrived the next day (Friday) and I installed it BUT, no change in symptoms at all!!!! Since i ordered TWO starter-relays at the time (one for a spare) I even changed to the second relay but still no change in the problem at all!  Still get nothing when turning the key! I also tried moving the trans thru different gears to be sure it was in PARK...and I also tried NEUTRAL as well, but no change.
I was trying to trace out the wires to see what might be the cause and noticed that the 'trunk lid release' button is in there associated somehow with the wires from the starter-relay (that is IF I am reading the diagram right!)....then I vaguely remembered someone on the IML, maybe last year, having a problem with the electrical system that finally was located in the trunk-release button (in the glove box, if I remember right) that caused the problem.........does anyone remember this???....was it really the trunk-release button?...or is my memory playing tricks again!?

Anyway, while I will be continuing to try and find the problem, any suggestions or hints or 'experience solving this kind of a problem' is GREATLY appreciated!!!
Right now I am going to go and check all the fuses again and then....? maybe go sacrifice a chicken so the 'gremlins' will go away!!
Thanks all!
Dan Melnik
66 convertible
66 LeBaron



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