Dodge Starter Solenoid

So...
My starter solenoid is on the inner fender. After chasing down the "trigger" wire, I found it goes to the transmission. And then it seems to go to the brake pressure switch. Why? And why can't I start it with the key/ignition? Does the system need to see brake pressure in order to start???

 

It would help to know a little about your car. What is it? Does it have the 6 volt positive ground or 12 volt negative ground? Is it original or modified? Automatic or manual trans? Gene

 

54 Royal. 6V negative. 2 speed auto.

 

Oops....6V positive ground is what I meant.

 

Sounds like you have neutral safety switch on the transmission, and the brake energises it when the pedal is down, especially if you do not have a starter button, or a start position on you keyy switch. My guess is put in park, push brake pedal hit stater button or key switch car cranks just a guess

 

That's kind of what I figured. Time to see if the brake system leaks or not!

 

Probably needs to be in park with your foot on the brake to start.

 

The brakes shouldn't have anything to do with the starter or transmission. The wire that goes to the neutral safety switch is a ground wire. The switch grounds the wire when the trans is in neutral or park.

 

Normally no it wouldn't but if you read what he wrote in the first post in the thread closely the exciter wire to the solenoid is wired through both a switch on the trans (neutral switch) and the brake switch meaning that either the factory or a previous owner wired it though the brake switch as a secondary safety procedure.

 

Everything looks original....and dirty.
The shifter/transmission has no park. Just RNDL. I'm assuming it's a safety feature so there's no way you can accidentally try and start the car if it's in D.
I'm gonna fill the brake system up today and see what happens. Worst case scenario, I'll just temporarily wire in a momentary switch as a bypass.