I have a dodge ram 1986 5 speed. my truck was running great an hour latter i went out to go somewhere and it would not start .It will turn over and run if i hold the key on .I was told it was the voltage regulater but i have replaced it.Any ideas to what the problem is would be great .dead in the water doug.
Sounds like a problem in the ignition bypass circuit. Take a look at the wiring at the starter and see if one is broken or disconnected. It runs when you have the key in the start position it allows full power to the coil and it will run. Could also be a burned out ballast resistor element. The external version is a ceramic unit usually bolted to the firewall and one wire will connect to the + side of the coil. It may also have a resistance wire inline. It will be between the + side of the coil and the ignition switch. It gets bypassed when you turn the key. If you cannot find it inline you could make a new circuit by using an external resistor and connecting it to a 12 volt switched source.
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