I drove my ‘72 Cutlass Convertible today and several things happened that have me baffled. When I first started it I noticed the generator light was on. I checked the battery voltage and it was ~11.75 volts with the car idling which I know is low. I put a 10 amp charge on it for about 30 minutes and then drove it about 8 miles, the light was off at highway speed. I stopped at a convenience store for about 10 minutes and when I started it it was a little sluggish turning over but cranked up anyway. I drove it 8 miles home and was in my parking lot when it knocked off and would not restart. I coasted into a parking space, put it in Park and tried to start it again but got nothing. I tried to put it in neutral but the column shifter would not move out of Park, yes I moved the steering wheel to be sure it was free of the wheel lock out. The last time it knocked off like this I found the Accel electronic ignition module had loosened up and appeared damaged. I replaced it with another one and have not had a problem till today. Does the Accel unit require a minimum amount of voltage? Or maybe it came loose again. What could cause the gear shift to be locked in Park? Thanks for your advice!

 

Cant help you with the ignition.

As far as the shifter not wanting to move it could be anything from the steering column through the linkage to the transmission. You could try disconnecting the linkage under the hood if you can get to it and see if it moves. Or get the car on a lift and disconnect it at the transmission. It is just going to be a process of elimination.

 

Thanks! I went back later and got the steering wheel and shifter to move properly. I must have jammed it in Park when it knocked off. I then jumped it off and got it started. I think the ignition module has loosened up. I’ll check Monday.

 

There is a collar that moves around the steering column. This aligns the neutral safety switch. If the collar has some play the NSS can be misaligned resulting in no start. You can simply grab the collar and turn it slightly w your hand to get it to work correctly

 

Ok, that's good to know. I got it restarted. I must have jammed it in Park when it knocked of. I think it's a low battery issue.

 

Check your alternator for charging voltage..

 

Yep, that’s where I’m taking it tomorrow. I had the battery checked this morning it checked out good. The alternator was replaced within the past year but... something is wrong with either alternator or voltage regulator. Thanks!