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I have a battery that keeps on dieing and will not stay charged that is brand new. To turn over the engine, takes almost every bit of the 6V battery has. Got stuck today, due to lack of gas and a dead battery! Tried to restart and there was not enough juice to turn over the engine. So had to recharge the battery. After driving around the block, I was unable to re-start it. The ignition switch appears to be bypassed and will not turn off, so I must stall the car to make stop. There is a red wire from the positive battery cable to the coil, bypassing the ignition switch. The clock in the dash sounds like it is stuck, and dims the headlights everytime it pulses. Basically, Doc has some issues. It appears the previous owner did what he had to do in order for me to buy the car. I said it had to be running or no deal. Well it runs, just will not turn off! I do not want to wreck anything and I am not really familiar with this system. Any suggestions? HELP!

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Selling a car that starts, but won't shut off shows a certain since of style! I think it's a new low in car sales?
Glad to know I am not the only one who buys a ?running car? that is full of surprises once home.

The first thing I would recommend is get the wiring diagram, and take it to Alpha Graphics, Kinko's, or where ever, and have it blown up. This makes it easier to read and trace the circuits.

The starting problem sounds like a combination of problems. #1 is the charging system is possibly non-functional. #2 hard starting with fully charged battery is often the use of lighter gauge battery cables normally used for 12-volt starting systems. 6-volt systems utilize heaver gauge cables to adequately carry the heavy current flow.

The clock is electro-mechanical. If it is obviously drawing excessive current, until you can have it reconditioned simply disconnect it.

Extra wires could certainly explain the car not shutting off. You will have to attack this in four steps. #1 try to figure out where the wire connects to and from. #2 figure out why they did this (in other words what wasn't working) and #3 what original electrical system stopped working, and why. #4 fix the original electrical circuit.

A multi-meter is certainly handy, but you can do an awful lot with a simple low cost test light.

Another helpful hint is to make sure you understand how the electrical system was supposed to function originally. The owner's manual is a good way to familiarize yourself with the original operation and function. I had a 51 200 years ago, and I remember the starting circuit involving the depression of the throttle to the floor, and a carburetor operated switch controlling the starting circuit.

Best of luck with your electrical trouble shooting!

Here is a simplified diagram of what the starting circuit in a 51-53 should look like, I hope it helps. As you can see turning off the ignition should cut the power to the coil, and stop the motor. Your car should have "Pedal Start", and not key start. So key to "On" and pedal to the floor should start it. Key to off should stop it.

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Hey Packergirl - last night in the chat I thought you mentioned that you had a neg ground system, if that is really so you may have fried your charging system too.

209Girl wrote:
"There is a red wire from the positive battery cable to the coil, bypassing the ignition switch."

**** THIS WIRE MUST be DISconnected when u are not driving the car !!!!! ****

Otherwise it will drag the battery to zero and is a FIRE HAZARD. ONLY When u are driving the car or just running the engine it is ok to have it connected. The connexion u describe is the proverbial "Hot Wire" thrick that thieves used to use to steal a car.

u can install a temprary sw. in the wire to switch off and on between uses.

209girl, are u in Tennessee????? Is that one of Joe Frraziers cars of Nashville????

You may wish to insure that you have no other unwanted current drains other than the already identified ignition "hot wire" and the clock. Turn off all the electrical accessories, remove the fuse from the clock, close the doors to shut off the courtesy lights, and remove the bulb from the trunk light if you have one. The remove and touch one of the battery cables to it's post while observing the contact; any spark, no matter how small, will indicate an unwanted current drain.

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.

Thanks guys....I guess the car was too good to be true. I am disconnecting the red wire. I have ordered the correct ignition switch. Looking at the one there really reflects a spliced replacement. I think rewiring the car with a new harness back to packard specs is the only way to go. I will blow up the diagram so I can see. Looks like this is going to take a bit longer than thought to get up an running correctly. Really want it to be done right the first time, so worth the effort. I am so glad you guys know as much as you do....helps to know where I can turn. What a mess! Poor old Doc.

I believe the expression is "jury-rigged", not jerry-rigged. Its roots are nautical, as when temporary rigging was set on a sailing ship.