Recently my 1970 cuda will just stall while driving. If I put it in neutral, turn the key off and then try to restart the car while just coasting, it will start back up. Sometimes all will be good for weeks, then, like this weekend, it stalled 5 times while driving home. Where do I even start to look?
Car just stalls while driving.
- Thread starter Raycuda
- Start date
Deathproofcuda
Well-Known Member
Does it actually just stall while you are in a steady cruise situation, or is it more like when you let off the gas and the rpms drop, like when coasting to a stop?
Does it happen when the car is fully warmed up, like after 10 minutes of running, or only during the transition period when the car is warming up to full operating temp?
Does it happen when the car is fully warmed up, like after 10 minutes of running, or only during the transition period when the car is warming up to full operating temp?
Steve340
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a wiring problem - a connection or the ignition switch perhaps.
Start by checking all the multi plugs and wiring connections.
These types of problem can be tricky. Good luck.
Start by checking all the multi plugs and wiring connections.
These types of problem can be tricky. Good luck.
Intermittents are a PITA.
Basics-all grounds
Engine ground to chassis.
ECU ground to chassis
Column ground, etc..
Points (condenser failing or shorting out) or electronic ignition (loose female barrel connector in plug)?
Ballast resistor continuity and connections.
Fusible link and bulkhead connection.
mymopar.com
Last August the male terminal connector crimp went intermittent on my '69s fusible link. Just a slight bend was all it took to change state.....
Basics-all grounds
Engine ground to chassis.
ECU ground to chassis
Column ground, etc..
Points (condenser failing or shorting out) or electronic ignition (loose female barrel connector in plug)?
Ballast resistor continuity and connections.
Fusible link and bulkhead connection.
Service Manuals – MyMopar
mymopar.com
Last August the male terminal connector crimp went intermittent on my '69s fusible link. Just a slight bend was all it took to change state.....
Challenger RTA
Well-Known Member
Question: Dead in the water? Does everything go off? Such as light, gauges or other components. Just the engine dies?
I could be going 70 mph, and the engine just shuts off. I could be stopped at a light, and the car just shuts off. It never does it after a cold start, only after I've been driving for a while.
Thanks.
Everything electrical goes dead.
Steve340
Well-Known Member
That may be a fault in the fusible link or under hood wiring.
Get the engine running and start wiggling the connections - you may get lucky.
Sometimes gently stretching the wires works also.
Get the engine running and start wiggling the connections - you may get lucky.
Sometimes gently stretching the wires works also.
Deathproofcuda
Well-Known Member
Agreed, that's where I would start. Make sure it is good and hot since you said it only happens after you have been driving for a while. Resistance in electrical circuits increases with heat, so you may have a connection on the hairy edge just on the verge of making/breaking contact.
Challenger RTA
Well-Known Member
It could be a few things. In short check the battery terminals. Clean both of them. I say this so you know what it's not. Clean the wires on the starter relay. Clean the chassis ground in front of the battery. Then clean the motor ground. If you don't go through the process of elimination. You will be chasing you tail. It's maintenance that should be done anyhow. You might see something in the process. Fuse able link swollen.
Next I would inspect and clean the bulkhead connectors. Connector 16 red is the battery feed to the amp gauge and splice one. All loads are feed from splice one. If there is no power going to the ing sw the engine will stop but there will be other things working. If the alt feed connector 18 black is not good. It will not feed power to the alt. The alternator won't charge and you loose it all. So inspect and clean. I think you are going to find them melted. When it's cold there is contact. When it heats up it expands and breaks the connection. Let us know what you find. I will continue in the next post what to check next.
Next I would inspect and clean the bulkhead connectors. Connector 16 red is the battery feed to the amp gauge and splice one. All loads are feed from splice one. If there is no power going to the ing sw the engine will stop but there will be other things working. If the alt feed connector 18 black is not good. It will not feed power to the alt. The alternator won't charge and you loose it all. So inspect and clean. I think you are going to find them melted. When it's cold there is contact. When it heats up it expands and breaks the connection. Let us know what you find. I will continue in the next post what to check next.
Last edited:
Chryco Psycho
Well-Known Member
BIg Block ? fuel pump pushrod can wear down & not supply enough fuel to the carb
MoparCarGuy
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Ray's car is a 1970 Cuda 340 Automatic with Standard Instrument Cluster.
I agree with those who are checking electrical/charging system issues. Loss of Alternator/Battery power to the electrical system and ignition.
The 1970 Barracuda full electrical diagram is helpful for troubleshooting.
I agree with those who are checking electrical/charging system issues. Loss of Alternator/Battery power to the electrical system and ignition.
The 1970 Barracuda full electrical diagram is helpful for troubleshooting.
i had engine shutting off along with the radio . first i noticed while driving the radio went off and then on right away the car wouldn;t stall unless i was stopped. turned out to be the ignition switch . it sounds like electrical as others have said check connections do the wiggle test . best of luck
I had the same issue and I started with my ignition module and ballast resistor. Not it!! Came down to my coil was breaking down. That killed it instantly. Put a new on and haven’t had any issues.
pschlosser
Well-Known Member
This may sound like a pain in the butt, but your symptoms seem indeed electrical. Start with the fusible link. If you had a short of some type, you would be popping fuses, or burning harnesses, and things would progress from bad to worse quickly. So I suspect you simply of an intermittent connection issue.
The connections at the various places where one wiring harness plugs into another is often the culprit. after 50 years, these cars have long outlived their design lifetime. for those tearing apart their vehicles for restoration, this is a must-do task. that is, going through and cleaning, inspecting, repairing, lubricating each of these connection points. one need only do this once, for another 50 years of life.
that said, another issue is brittle wires. the PVC insulation on most of the wires has dried after 50 years, and handling can not only crack the insulation, but also break the wires themselves. so handle harnesses with care.
if you want to save time, and presuming your electrical issue occurs at only one location in the system, you can attempt to find ONLY the harness affected. as others have suggested, with the car idling in your driveway, begin vigorously jiggling and moving the wiring harnesses, from ignition key, through the fuse box and cowl, to distributor and ballast resistor. you may get lucky and find the source. once you find it, the car will just die, or at the least, hiccup in a way that tell you you're getting close.
be sure to jiggle all the wiring harnesses from the bulk head connectors in the engine compartment to the various locations through out. in my experience, the heat of the engine over the years makes these engine compartment wires more brittle than the interior.
But again, start with the fusible link.
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