1991 dodge stealth only starts when...

[jake1er]

My 1991 dodge stealth has recently had some trouble starting.. I can only get it to start if i hit the little flap to move your steering wheel up and down and push the steering column all the way down. Sometimes I have to play with it for quite a while before it will go.

Anybody have any idea what to look for?

[Sentry]

Continuity in ignition wires.

Sounds like there's a sketchy connection that only completes the circuit when you jiggle it just right.

[Kloubek]

Yeah - clearly it is the ignition wiring.

[revelations]

Consider yourself very lucky that you found the likely problem so soon.... intermittent faults are the absolute worst things ever.

[TE4MFaint]

Take off the steering wheel surround ensure all plugs are 100% plugged in correctly. Seems like something is loose.

[MrSector9]

could also be a broken wire in the harness that runs up the steering column

[RickDaTuner]

Problems like this are almost always a broken wire.
Copper by nature hardens every time it is flexed after a while it becomes very brittle and eventually snaps.

there should be a connector right at the ignition switch, and if not there should be some soldered wire joints. take a multi and place one probe on the connector or solder mound, then find the next connector further down the harness. it should be somewhere under the dash, or connecting directly into a fuse/powe junction box.

if at first they have continuity, then wiggle the wires until you find the one which is broken.

you wont need to replace the harness if it broken. just a little solder and some shrink wrapping will take care of the issue. I don't recommend crimp connectors here as the current passing through these wires can sometimes reach 80amps, that is far to much for crimp connectors

[jake1er]

sorry to bump an old thread but i opened up the steering column and it was a broken wire, easy fix! thanks guys!

[revelations]