1960 Buick-electrical problem?

This might need to be moved to a different category. I went out this morning and started my 1960 Buick LeSabre. It started and idled about 10 seconds and died. I tried to start it again, it cranked a few times and then nothing. Now none of the dash lights, dome lights or anything comes on. It won't even turn the starter, but when I hook up a battery charger to the battery all the dash lights come on and the starter will click as if the battery is dead. I took the battery out and over to the local auto parts store. They tested my battery and said it's 91% charged with 12.5 volts. I'm not very good at electrical stuff so I need some suggestions at what to look at next.

 

First place I'd look is the battery cables....corrosion, looseness, etc will cause those symptoms.

 

No corrosion, cables were not loose. This car has a weird option that you push down the gas pedal to start the engine. I'm not sure if there's a relay that is out.

 

The car is losing all power, there is a problem with the main power wiring. Use a test light or volt meter to find out where the problem is.

http://autorepair.about.com/od/troubleshooting/ss/TS-circuit-tstr.htm

might get you started

 

Thanks Squirrel. I will go dig my test light out of my tool box.

 

do you got HEI or anything else going through the ign.switch?? they wont take modern loads
I replaced switch and there are 2 power leads going out of switch I put two 70 amp relays switched on by those 2 wires and hook the battery up direct to the input side of the relay and hook up the relay output to the clipped off wired fron the switch plug its work but only way to make this **** run
I also put a power post on a fender apron and run a bat cable from starter to it and take all my power off that I got about 20 wires hooked on my car to the live power

if you don't undertand electricity got good help to do this will take about 4 hr or more and some dash dis***embly

 

No HEI or anything else. The car is pretty much all original. The part that's confusing me is once I hook up a battery charger set at 2 amps the dash and dome lights turn on. Which if there was a loose connection it should't do that, at least to my limited knowledge.

 

all my wiring has been modified and engine swap and different starter ****on but it was a 60 buick and the switch are not too good
you are going to have to trace your battrey voltage and chek voltage under loads
you must have a starter switch on carb w 2 wires jump them see if that works

 

It's really hard for us to figure out what's wrong with your car, with the very limited info we have. You're gonna have to just figure it out....

 

I had a ground cable that bolted to the engine block. The bolt holding the ground cable was loose as in you could turn it with your fingers.

 

Loosen each battery connection, wire brush the battery terminals and s****e the inside of the connectors. Smear with vaseline and re-***emble.

There, that should fix it.

Cosmo

 

This could well do it. From what you have described so far the issue is the connection between the battery post and the battery cable. Battery tests good, and the dash lights up when you hook a charger to the battery (I ***ume you're putting the clamps on the battery cable ends, and not the battery posts) which indicates the cables are intact and the ignition switch is OK. A battery charger will make the solenoid click, but has nowhere near enough capacity to make the solenoid engage and spin the starter.

Electrical stuff is easy. It's women that I can't figure out.......

 

Bingo!! That did the trick. Thanks a ton for everybody's advice.