'59 Plymouth Forum

Hello guys. Merry Christmas!!!
I was hoping I could get some help with starting my '59 Suburban. It has been setting for about 18 months without being started. I installed a battery,added Marvel Mystery Oil & tried to start it. The dash lights come on when I turn the ignition, but there is no click or anything from the starter. I jumped a wire from the positive battery post to the starter side of the solenoid. It started to turn over. So I replaced the starter solenoid & still the same thing...... nothing.
Next I am going to check the ignition switch to see if a wire has come loose. Any other suggestions?
Thanks, Mark

Okay, so your starter is good, and your solenoid is new.
You only said it turned over, you didnt say if it "fired".
You evidently are not getting any juice to the starter via the ignition switch circuit.
I guess you'll have to use a test light to test that circuit. Oxidation of electrical contacts happens during long periods of storage. Also, rodents like to chew on wires.
A yellow wire runs from ignition switch to solenoid.

Yeah Roger, living in the country, I unfortunately know the damage field mice can do. These wires look ok, except the yellow wire at the back of the switch looks like it may be partially broken. Do you guys have an easy way of removing the ignition switch, so I can repair a wire ? There is no room to reach it from behind. Thanks.

If you can unscrew the outer chrome bezel ring that holds the ingition switch to the dash frame, you can then pull it (ignition cylinder) back away from the rear of the dash frame a little to see what wire needs to be spliced/repaired.

The wiring length of the original harness does not give you to much wiggle room to do this. If the dash is installed in the car then this will require some upside down time on your back.

Make sure the battery is disconnected too! There are 4 terminals with multiple wires going to each post, so it is very busy back there...Try not to dislodge to many of the other wires since they would be brittle too!

Then reinstall it back the same way.

Good luck!


John Q.

I certainly can relate if you don't want to or cannot hang unside down under the dark dashboard to try to repair stuff. It got tougher for me when my vision changed...I needed different glasses prescriptions depending on the distance to object. Really frustrating.
Sliding under a jacked-up car is no fun either.
If you can't get to the back of the ignition switch to make repairs, maybe you can splice the wire at the apparent break?
If you have to drive it to a repair shop, attach a wire from Battery Positive to the terminal usingwhere the yellow wire attached to the starter solenoid, and start the car s the ignition switch.
Remember that your jumper will drain the battery, so disconnect when not in use.
If you have a mouse problem, check inside the aircleaner and around the intake for nests before starting the vehicle. Mice also like to set up house in the exhaust system. Nesting material ignites easliy.

Thanks Roger, It looks like the only suspect point on the wire is right where it connects to the ignition switch. So if there isn't an easier way, it looks like I will be doing the bat thing for a while..... then to the chiropractor.

I feel for your situation.
Don't let any snow get down your neck!

I've gotten to the point where I unbolt and slide back the seat then fix whats needed. Then see the chiropractor.

Amen... I feel all your pain, fortunately I have been blessed with a massage therapist Daughter in law.

Yea Steve, I'm with you, there are only 4 nuts to remove to take the seat out. It pays when working under the dash, you can see good with a good light, no neck strain, no cursing, no wishing you had taken the damn seat out, then you can change instrument bulbs if needed, tie wires in groups and generally neaten up under there. If you are oversized like me it pays. No chiropractor!!!!
Happy New Year.
Dick

Good idea Steve, I think I will do that this Saturday, especially considering I have an underdash a/c unit as well....ouch! I can replace a bulb or two while I am there. Thanks for the input guys.