Car Won't Start
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,008
Likes: 169
From: Grand Harbor in South Carolina
Car Won't Start
OK , here is what we got. 1961 w/ base engine. Drove car in garage 2 weeks ago and shut it down.All was fine. Tried to start car about a week later and it would not start. It will crank and ALMOST start but as soon as it sounds like it is starting and I release the key to start position... it dies.
All connections at back of ignition switch have been changed and are making good contact. Voltage regulator has been changed. Only other thing I can think of is I originally thought it may be low on gas and in my haste to add gas , got the wrong fuel tank and put about a half gallon of oil mix gas for my lawnmower in the tank. However it did not start before that incident so what ideas have any of you got. Thanks
All connections at back of ignition switch have been changed and are making good contact. Voltage regulator has been changed. Only other thing I can think of is I originally thought it may be low on gas and in my haste to add gas , got the wrong fuel tank and put about a half gallon of oil mix gas for my lawnmower in the tank. However it did not start before that incident so what ideas have any of you got. Thanks
Platinum Supporting Dealership
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,582
Likes: 13
From: St. Marys Ohio
Ballast resistor was my guess. 
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Tom Hendricks tom@budschevy.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buds-Chevrolet-Buick-Corvette/176730955684255?ref=hl
Corvette Specialist Since 1993
BUDS CHEVROLET
St. Marys, Ohio
800-688-2837
WEBSITE WWW.BUDSCHEVY.COM
HOURS MON-WED 7:00AM - 5:00PM
FFRIDAY AND SATURDAY BY APPT.
OFF THURSDAYS
NCRS # 23758 Miami Valley Chapter ( Ohio )
NCM Founding Member #1143
NADA Classic Car Guide Advisiory Board Member
C5/C6 Registry Corporate Member # 5
My Corvettes. 63, 71, 73, 78.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 8,897
Likes: 1,357
From: Santa Ana CA
Just use a piece of wire to "jumper" over the ballast resistor and try it. (Easy to do with alligator clips on the ends.) If it runs, the resistor is your problem, and it doesn't cost anything to test it this way. Just don't run like this for long though. (A few minutes won't hurt anything). If it still doesn't run, your problem is elsewhere.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 796
Likes: 1
From: Georgetown Texas
It is there to reduce voltage (or is it current) to the points while the car is running. Turning the key to the start position temporarily "bypasses" the resistor and provides full voltage to the distributor for easier starting.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 38,897
Likes: 1,926
From: Washington Michigan
