Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Hi folks: My 1955 400 is having starter issues.. Each time I turn the key to the start position, I hear a single click coming from up behind the instrument panel; it is not the sound of the solenoid engaging its gear into the flywheel ring. At the same time, the ammeter swings full into the discharge sector. The first time this happened, I replaced the battery and cleaned the cable ends. It worked properly once. Since then, it has been in click-only mode. Is there a circuit breaker somewhere in the starter key to solenoid circuit that isn't shown in the wiring diagram? I will jack the car up and pull the starter if I must but I figure I'd ask first. Thanks

The only under dash circuit breakers would be on the headlight switch and on the back of the instrument cluster. Those are all self resetting and will click on and off should there be a short in a circuit. The cycle will repeat until the short is fixed or the breaker fails. If one were making the noise it would be clicking on and off every few seconds and there should be other symptoms.

In 55, there is nothing stock in the starter wire between the ignition switch and solenoid except the neutral safety switch. The 54-6 key start ignition switch was found to be somewhat weak when used with the large solenoids used on the senior starters. To relieve some load there might have been a relay installed to carry the high current of the solenoid. There have been mixed reports as to whether this was a factory suggested change by Stude service or something that was just done as needed. I personally have never seen any factory documentation calling for the change but that doesn't say there wasn't a bulletin to dealers.

For grins, I would have a look at the rear of the ignition switch and see what if anything might be attached or mounted nearby. Stock wiring would be a brown wire on the center terminal going into the loom but if there has been a relay installed there might be something else connected to the center terminal. Typically the mod would have the starter contact in the ign switch operate the relay and the relay would do the actual connection between an added wire attached to the battery terminal on ign switch and the original wire going to the solenoid.

If it were done by a dealer or added in those S-P years the relay would probably be a black rectangle mounted somewhere on the under dash sheetmetal or dash edge and similar in size and looks to the power window relay which is mounted in front of the driver on the engine side of the firewall..

If no extra relay is found, the typical problems with the ign switch were the heavy current caused the starter contacts to burn and pit becoming very intermittent. Sometimes it would take several tries or else the switch would stick and stay in the start position when the key was released. Another issue was when many accessories were added and run thru the ignition switch the current out of the aux terminal exceeded the rating of the switch causing it to overheat.