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Hey guys, thanks for the helpful advice on the car.. It ended up being something really stupid.. Just didn't have a good enough light source to see it the other night.. The wire that goes from the positive battery cable to the junction block up on the rad support got torn out somehow and hence-- car got nothing.. This is after the starter got pulled twice (forgot to check the starter to see if it was good.. hehe).. Good thing, though, because the thin black wire that goes up there snapped off at the ring terminal because it was so old and nasty.. A quick fix with some crimpers and a ring terminal.. Now all I have to do is track down that pesky grounding issue in the dash or column wiring that makes all my guages read wacky and all the instrument lights black out.. It goes away when I pull the shifter back all the way or when I push the steeringwheel up really hard.. Go fig.. Freakin' loose wire up in there.. Probably the same one that clicks my horn relay... so much so that if I don't drive my car ever 2 days or so it kills the battery.. doh.. That's later, though.. First I gotta get my daily drivin' 67 barracuda back on the road.. That's a whole 'nother story.. :) Raj ...I love the smell of 30 weight in the morning... It smells... like victory! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cecil "Steve" Martin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2001 3:12 AM Subject: RE: [Chevelle-List] Car's electrical system is 100% dead.. Any ideas? > > Replies to this message are sent to The Chevelle Mailing List > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > > I am NOT an expert in this area, but know a little. Correct me if I > screw up guys, but here's how I would troubleshoot this: > > 1. Make sure all fuses are good. > > 2. Remove all wires at the solenoid and inspect. I think there is a good > chance you will find the problem right here in one form or another. Probably > a broken wire or bad connection in a terminal. Possibly just a bad/dirty > connection. Possibly the solenoid broken or loose connections inside it. > > 3. In most Chevys there is a wire that connects to the same terminal that > the positive battery cable connects to. This carries the positive voltage to > the eletrical system. If this wire is broke almost nothing will happen. Use > an ohm meter to test from the wire that goes from the solenoid to whevever > it connects at (after you disconnect it from the solenoid). You may need an > experienced person here or a wiring guide to tell you where that is, but > ultimately it will get to the starter switch. > > 4. Remove the fuse block and look in the back. I think I remember some bad > stuff going on for one problem I had in back where the wires connect in. > > 5. Make sure the ground connection from the battery to the block is clean. > Wire brush it even if it looks good, then tighten well by putting a nut on > the other side of the mount to tighten the bolt to since it's stripped. > > 6. Use a wire brush ( preferably round battery terminal cleaner) and clean > the battery cables. If the cables are cheap ones or appear to have corrsion > inside the insulation on the wires ( usually a green color ) replace them > with good heavy duty ones. Use Baking soda to help clean acid away from > battery terminals and anyplace that is corroded. Tighten battery terminals > well. If you can't, replace the terminals. > > I have seen people (Japanese mechanics) use grease on major electrical > connections to prevent corrosion. While the trained electronics guy in me > said "no way! clean connections only!" I guess there are some metalurgy > electrolisis stuff going on that can prevent good electrical connections in > many cases after a while. > > Also, I have seen some batteries that measure 12 volts on a meter, but the > second you put any kind of load on them they go to hell. A modern meter puts > very little load on a battery and is not a good test. Have the battery > tested if all else fails. > > Good luck! > Steve > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Raj R. > Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2001 6:34 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Chevelle-List] Car's electrical system is 100% dead.. Any > ideas? > > > > Replies to this message are sent to The Chevelle Mailing List > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > Hey guys, my 71 SS is rather tempermental when it comes to electrical stuff > but its never been this bad.. Even with a brand new battery and newly > stripped-back-and-re-attached battery cables I get zero electrical.. No > headlights, emergency flashers, or anything.. The fusible link between the > body and the negative battery cable is good.. The negative battery cable's > mount to the alternator bracket is a little loose (stripped out threads, it > appears) but it is receiving metal/metal contact.. The battery definately > has charge.. The only thing that preceeded this is a starter that clicked > instead of turning over every few times.. One click (not multiple as when > you're running out of juice).. I was told this is probably a corroded > (negative?) cable somewhere in the starter circuit.. Well, aside from that I > have an open circuit in my steering column which tends to click the horn > relay.. Well, after 2-3 days my car will be completely dead.. i think I just > need to disconnect the horn relay since the car's horns don't work anyway.. > If the starter cable(s) is/are corroded would that take out the whole rest > of my electrical system? It seems strange that I have no electrical at all.. > I mean, not even emergency flashers.. > > Any help is greatly appreciated.. > > Raj > ...gremlin infested 71 Chevelle SS (L48 350, TH-350, 12 bolt auburn posi > 3.31's, tach & guages package, buckets, rear defroster) :) > > > > ----------------------------------------------------- > To Unsubscribe please visit www.chevelles.net/list.html > To start a new topic, send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ----------------------------------------------------- > To Unsubscribe please visit www.chevelles.net/list.html > To start a new topic, send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------- To Unsubscribe please visit www.chevelles.net/list.html To start a new topic, send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
