Fellow Hambers, I have no electrical power whatsoever in the daily. It's not the coolest car. It's a 66 Ltd with the 390. Here's the deal. I was coming off of the 5 fwy the other night. The car dies at the stop light at the offramp. I flicked the light switch... no lights. The car started right back up and I had lights, no prob. The immediate moment I was tripping out about it, the car dies again. This time, no lights, no crank, no nothing. When we got out of the car the dome light was dim. I immediately checked the battery and connections. All good and tight. I had just replaced them. Alternator belt was tight. So after the tow driver tried to jump it, we towed her home. After I got home I tested all the connections. Solenoid was fine, car would crank. Voltage regulator, fuses, and coil were good as well. Even if they were bad I figured I would still have lights. The only wire that didn't register was the power wire connection on the inside of the fire wall...? We replaced the connection, and made sure it was nice and tight. I replaced the ignition, the old one looked as if there was some arc on the inside of it. Still no luck. This is driving me nuts! I checked for a fusable link, but did not find one. Is there one I don't know about? Am I overlooking something?! Any help or suggestions would be appreciated before I light this car on fire.
Did you have your battery tested for a short? I had that happen in a late model, battery was kerzonked...
gotta test light? Somewhere between your battree and probably your ignition switch, your loosing voltage/current. Need a test light.
You might want to pull the battery cables and see if there's a black coating on the battery posts and inside the cabel terminals. It happens now and then and if you don't start with the basics you can drive yourself crazy. Not that I've ever done that.... Clean the terminals and posts with battery brush, emery paper - wipe clean with clean rag or paper towel when done - and coat the post and cable terminal with vaseline. See . . . and you thought there was only one use for vaseline...
There should be about a 10ga wire on the battery side of the solenoid that takes the power inside check the connectors on this wire at the solenoid and bulk head connector in the firewall they tend to get corroded in the bulk head plug........ If it is spray it with WD40 to clean it out Good Luck MM64
I checked the terminals, and gave them a light sanding. I just replaced the cables about a month ago...I put a test light on every wire. I suspected a ground out somewher under the dash maybe? The one that raised my eyebrows was the power wire coming off the voltage regulator and connecting right at the firewall. Tested good to the connection. Once inside the firewall. No good. So I replaced the connection made sure it was solid, and still no good! Very frustrating.
Checked the ignition switch? One went out on my '66 Galaxie. And I've had cables go bad before I ever installed them. Solenoids as well. I think all '66 Fords are cursed.
Check the ground side of the circuit. I have had more recent headaches with this problem than you can shake a stick at, and the solution is really simple.
Another thing to look at is the wires on the back of the amp gauge.... If it has one.... The hot wire comming in to the dash goes thru the amp gauge before it goes anywhere else MM64
There should be a ground wire between the engine and the Chassis sometimes they corrode or break. Dawg
[QUOTE Solenoid kicks over when i jump it.[/QUOTE] Where are you hooking battery to jump it? Doesn't it turn over without jumper? Does it start when you jump it?
Let me clarify....When I tried to jump it conventionally...No dice. So I tried Putting a positive cable on the solenoid. The car cranked when I did this. Also ran a test on the coil. Even if all of these things were out. I know I would still at least have lights...(right?!)
bad neutral safety switch maybe? The battery did not hit the fan and explode into the radiator did it? So my photo cd is toast the bitchin cds(including mucho juero) are toast. I am sad and sorry. Fred meyer should be able to redo the cd with the claim number if your feeling neighborly.
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