Dodge Dynasty engine locked

91 Dodge dynasty. Has small transmisson alignment issue but works. Started car fine, went back in office for a few. 5 minutes later came out and just get the clicking sound when trying to restart. Changed the starter and full charge on the battery, still just loud click. Would this be from the misaligned tranny or did the engine lock on me. Has good oil and fluids. Battery shows 12 to 13 v. Is there a way to unlock or some other test to see what the problem is? Very limited on funds so most of the work i will have to do.

PS. Oh yeah, when i run the ac i get cooland on the passenger side. Woudl i have to replace the whole heater/ac module in the car or just have the heater and ac lines flushed/pressured out?

Reply to
dm23805
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This mean solenoid do mesh but starter doesn't cranking? So you changed starter one time. Have you checked main connection from the battery to the solenoid switch?

Regards,

Ralf

Reply to
Ralf Ballis

Generally, hows about this engine, is it possible to crank it?

Regards,

Ralf

Reply to
Ralf Ballis

Put a socket on the front of the crankshaft and try to turn the engine. That will tell you if it is frozen.

Reply to
Robbie and Laura Reynolds

Reply to
dm23805

Whats the reason for this miss alignment and does shift control lever match to the indicator? If it's sure that you are able to bring it in neutral or park position, you should be able to crank it. Check neutral start switch for a closing contact in park and neutral position of shift control lever, use a control lamp or an ohm meter, a faulty or incorrect adjusted neutral start switch could be a case. You should check this loud click, is it only from a relays or is it the starter solenoid. Check does solenoid mesh to the flywheel.

Neutral position have to match at the shift control lever and the shift control at the transmission. A shop manual would be an important help to locate mechanical arrangements for adjustment especially of this model.

Regards,

Ralf

Reply to
Ralf Ballis

Great idea!

OP, we really don't have any idea whether your engine is locked up or not, because we're not there. You should be able to tell an obvious difference if your engine is locked up with the starter drawing NO AMPS Whatsoever vs. the engine locked up with the starter drawing ALL THE AMPS it can. If it the NO AMPS version, then you don't need to worry about the engine. Just worry about getting some electicity through that starter. We cannot tell the difference because you are there where the car is and we are not.

This is the kind of thing that is horribly difficult to troubleshoot by ASCII. All we can do is guess.

Here's a test for seeing whether your starter is drawing amps. Go out at night, turn your headlamps on, and hit the starter. If the starter draws full amperage, they'll dim quite a bit. You could also use voltage drop as indication, or the starter getting warm would be a third possibility.

Reply to
Joe

That would also tell you if the problem is a dead battery.

Reply to
Robbie and Laura Reynolds

Battery has full charge. pulling 12.77v, the starter shows 12.54. Replaced the starter, checked all wires. Everything seems fine. Still get loud click. No missing teeth on the flywheel. Can turn the flywheel manually. Really lost now....

Robbie and Laura Reynolds wrote:

Reply to
dm23805

Hi...

Not a mechanic, not even close. Just an old retired electrical guy. Worse, on my first ever lifetime Chrysler product, so don't know them yet either. :)

However, 2 cents worth, take it for just what it's worth.

From the facts that you give, I have no choice but to assume that Chrysler starters must be changeable without changing the solenoid. If that's the case, the solenoid is bad.

If that's not the case, then consider giving this a shot:

Put your meter across the battery, read the voltage, and leave it connected. Have someone else try to crank the engine while you watch the meter, and...

if the meter drops waaay down, less than let's say 10 volts, then the battery and/or connections/and or cable is bad.

if the meter drops only a tiny bit, just a little, and you don't hear the starter motor free spinning then the solenoid is bad and/or the connection to the starter is bad and/or the cable to the starter is bad.

if the meter drops only a tiny bit and you do hear the starter motor free spinning, then the solenoid is bad.

I'd betcha a dollar against a stale donut that the solenoid is bad, and needs changing.

If dollars are tight, and you're a bit handy, there's a good chance that you can "rebuild" the solenoid yourself. There will be a contact (or two) in the solenoid that makes connection to the starter motor when it engages. I think you can probably clean up those contacts and be good to go.

Good luck, and take care.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Weitzel

Check the ground at the block for a good tight connection and make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

Reply to
maxpower

The Chrysler starters I've seen from the early 90s all have the solenoid right on the starter. "Replacing the starter" generally involves getting one from the parts store with the solenoid attached.

If he meant that he put the starter back on, but not a replacement starter, it could be that the contacts at the end of the solenoid plunger have burned off. This is not uncommon. I've had to rebuild a couple of Chrysler solenoids with this problem. Most shops don't want to help out with this type of job, but if you have a rebuilder in your area you may be able to get the parts for under 5 bucks.

Reply to
Robbie and Laura Reynolds

OK, I see now that you said that you changed the starter. Sounds like a bad connection somewhere possibly. How about dirty battery terminals? Or maybe your cables are making a bad connection with the terminals. I've fixed that problem a few times with acid flux and solder.

Reply to
Robbie and Laura Reynolds

If you're showing 12.54 at the starter when trying to crank, obviously the solenoid isn't providing a current path to the motor windings.

This problem shows up frequently on Nippondenso clutch drive starters, which are in fact a near copy of Chrysler's "Hamtramck Hummingbird".

Reply to
DeserTBoB

there's no such thing as a "slight" transmission alignment problem- it has to be in within a few thousandths of an inch !! If it's not straight, you are in trouble.

You have a seized engine- if that is an automatic car, it sounds like the torque converter splines are stuck on input shaft of the transmission- and bound up- when you hit the key it will just click- because it's seized solid

that happens quite often when a newbie puts his own transmission on, and "jams the pump"- the converter has to be rotated and pushed all the way into the transmission FIRST, before the transmission is bolted up- then slide the converter forward slightly to bolt it up to the flexplate

if you put the converter on the engine first, you'll never get it splined correctly- and if you draw the transmission into the engine, it jams the pump in the converter

there are (2) sets of splines that must be meshed inside the converter, you have to rotate it and push in at the same time, until it fully seats in the trans

Reply to
duty-honor-country

considering this thread rec'd no more replies, is it safe to assume that this OP had a jammed converter as I suspected ?

the key to learning how to be a good mechanic is not posting on the internet- it's wrenching on the cars, reading the manuals carefully for each procedure, and talking to other mechanics with experience in the repairs. posting on the net is about the worst way to try to fix a car. the machine is just to complicated to diagnose in that manner.

Reply to
duty-honor-country

Oh really, shall I provide a link to your post on that Gilson lawn tractor that got stuck in your driveway? That's a whole lot less complicated than a car and you didn't have a clue how to get in going and ran right to the internet crying for help.

Reply to
bicycle, The Fifth Wheel King

Found it, notice how Charlie is posting as "DesertBob Jr."? Now who's the troll? Check the IP, right back to Charlie Nudo. Gee Charlie, why would you post as DesertBob Jr. if you're the vicitm here? To bad that account was canceled for ABUSE and you can't go back and delete your trolling past.

Reply to
bicycle, The Fifth Wheel King

No, you moron. If you'd have READ the thread, you'd see that the starter motor isn't getting current. Dumbass.

Reply to
DeserTBoB

"Help! I can't figure out how to put transmission fluid into the fluid coupling of my lawn tractor, and I have snow to plow!"

Big-time mechanic Charlie Nudo...stumped by a lawn tractor.

Reply to
DeserTBoB

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