Re: Ignition switch jerry rigged and will not turn off

Posted by Mr.Pushbutton  On 2008/2/19 10:56:54

Gads, this sounds like another case of an old car where some BillyBob/Cooter team who have a passing knowledge of electricity/auto electronics "improved" the car by adapting it over to their limited base of knowledge (i.e. "like a Chevy/Ford/Mopar?) rather than getting a wiring diagram and figuring out what is really happening, or is supposed to be happening. In addition to all of the excellent advice offered here, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to get an OE wiring diagram and start by putting everything BACK the way Packard wanted it, checking for continuity in all wires while doing so and ascertaining the integrity of the charging system and its individual components, the battery cables (as previously suggested--a common component monkeyed up by backyard butchers) and the starter motor.
If they "converted" it to negative ground you may have to re-polarize the voltage regulator, no big deal.
Some of the worst second-guess monkey work of all is committed on old car wiring and electrics. Very few people want to figure out the "why" of the original manufacturer--they just want to bring it down to the level they (think they) understand.
If someone was very competent and changed everything over to a more mainstream (12V negative ground with GM alternator in most cases) system AND they did a clean, reliable job of it (no blue crimp connector hell, no orange wire nut hell) AND they drew up a new wiring diagram so that the next owner would have something to go on (rarely happens) it might be OK.
But that is rarely the case. Instead, this case of "a thousand monkeys with a thousand wiring harnesses" is what we typically find.
I have never regretted putting everything back to square one and making sure that all systems have good, functional components and adequate wire gauges.