My 1965 Plymouth Valiant occasionally won’t start. It doesn’t crank. The battery and starter are good. The radio comes on when you turn the key, but nothing at all happens with the engine. It has happened three times in three months. Each time the car eventually started and it would be weeks before it happened again. Any ideas what might be wrong?

 

Welcome.

Bad connections or start relay.

 

I’ve worked pretty hard on checking/fixing possible problem wires but have not done anything with start relay. Thanks.

 

relay had me baffled as well on an old ramcharger i had. it's a good place to check out.

 

Getting a new relay tomorrow morning. Thing that had me confused was the intermittent part. I wasn’t aware a relay could be failing without being totally broken. I guess we’ll see.

 

Check the Neutral safety switch and or Clutch switch.

 

Check.

 

Not saying its not the start relay... Just a few other things to check on these old gals...

 

What I was wondering, though, is if the clutch safety switch was broken, wouldn’t the car fail to start every time? The not starting problem has happened intermittently.

 

More like the switch hanging up intermittently.... That was my thoughts..

 

Well, I bypassed the clutch switch and replaced starter relay. Will see how that goes. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Keep us posted...