WTH!

[tbm3fan]

I just finished spending 2 1/2 hours washing the Dodge. Started right up to move into a better location for washing only. When done started the car again to warm up so I could check the transmission oil which I knew would be a little low. While running the engine shut itself off twice during idle. Now done with that so let's check the tire pressure before taking the car down for some gas.

Get in the car to start and first thing that jumps out at me is that the oil light did not come on in run. Bad omen?! Sure enough the engine will turn over but refuses to start. Not only that but it is now blocking five cars from moving. Of course it is 9:15 at night.

 

[commando1]

The next six replies will show extremely clever Eating Popcorn Animated Gifs

 

[Big_John]

To get it running, I would run a jumper wire from the battery (maybe the starter relay) to the ballast resistor. Basically "hot wiring" it.

 

[tbm3fan]

Another bad omen. Was just out at the car and now no system in the car has power. Not lights in or out, not the radio and not the starter. Utterly dead as a rock. Before being asked the battery is one week old and has a full charge as expected since I always disconnect after running the car. Power in the battery and that is where it seems to be staying.

Hmm, with the battery cable going rear to the relay and yet no power going elsewhere am I to assume my relay went bad? Well, I'll need light in order to see anything.

 

[saforwardlook]

Another bad omen. Was just out at the car and now no system in the car has power. Not lights in or out, not the radio and not the starter. Utterly dead as a rock. Before being asked the battery is one week old and has a full charge as expected since I always disconnect after running the car. Power in the battery and that is where it seems to be staying.

Hmm, with the battery cable going rear to the relay and yet no power going elsewhere am I to assume my relay went bad? Well, I'll need light in order to see anything.

Check to make sure your fuseable link is securely connected. Loss of all power suggests that as a culprit. I assume your battery cables and terminals are clean and secure. The fuseable link is just downstream of the positive battery cable.

 

[cantflip]

Check to make sure your fuseable link is securely connected. Loss of all power suggests that as a culprit. I assume your battery cables and terminals are clean and secure. The fuseable link is just downstream of the positive battery cable.

What he said... don't overlook the magic of just wiggling the wires near the terminals... you may have burned, loose or corroded connection that will allow you to move the car back out of the way, and give you another much needed project to repair.

 

[mr. fix it]

i helped a fellow out with a 69 charger last year and he had the amp gauge feed wire come loose under the dash too.
So wiggle away!

 

[67Monaco]

As a precaution for when you return to it, brine one of each of the following;

 

[Big_John]

Since you've developed more issues, I'd say you have a problem with a battery cable or fusible link. Since it was cranking at first, then dead, I wouldn't rule out the battery or the battery being dead from some electrical draw.

One thing though... when this started happening, the car wouldn't crank over if the fusible link was blown. If you look at a wiring diagram, you'll see that there is one wire to the starter and one wire, with the fusible link in it, that runs to the starter relay. The starter relay wouldn't work, which wouldn't work the starter solenoid on the starter, if there was a blown fusible link.

That doesn't mean it's not bad, just if it is, there may be other issues.

 

[Yatzee]

I just finished spending 2 1/2 hours washing the Dodge. Started right up to move into a better location for washing only. When done started the car again to warm up so I could check the transmission oil which I knew would be a little low. While running the engine shut itself off twice during idle. Now done with that so let's check the tire pressure before taking the car down for some gas.

Just washing the car eh? Well I'd suspect water got in or around the bulkhead connector and the contacts are finally oxidized enough to not carry the amperage to anywhere. Try unplugging the two connectors ( if you have two) and spray both sides of the connector with electro-clean. If this solves the issue, unplug them again and work some dielectric grease into the female side of the connector. Barring this as the issue you'll have to start at the battery and check to each live voltage battery connection to see where your 12 volts quits.

Get in the car to start and first thing that jumps out at me is that the oil light did not come on in run. Bad omen?! Sure enough the engine will turn over but refuses to start. Not only that but it is now blocking five cars from moving. Of course it is 9:15 at night.

 

[MYSINBIN]

i helped a fellow out with a 69 charger last year and he had the amp gauge feed wire come loose under the dash too.
So wiggle away!

FWIW, I had a similar issue with my black 2DHT. It ended up being loose posts on the ammeter.

After I removed it, I twisted the posts tighter into the housing and had continuity again.

Hope the input helps.

John

 

[commando1]

Bad connection at the firewall shut me down cold.

 

[tbm3fan]

Ok, onto the car after work. Now if this was a Ford, where the 12" battery cable goes to the starter solenoid, I would check to see if there was 12+V at that particular terminal which I would find. So I went to check the battery terminal on the relay and got 0V. I pulled the fusible link from the relay side of the battery cable and got 12+V at that end though. Hmm, one way says yes and the other says no where it counts. Pull out a jumper cable to connect both sides of the battery cable and now there is 12+V at the starter relay. Didn't try to start just wanted to see. Alright let's assume the link is toast somehow.

Now I have a new red cable for some years but it had the wrong connection for the fusible link being a spade. Reading around I came about the idea of putting in a ATM fuse in that position instead of the typical fusible link or standard in-line glass fuse. Only I can't use it now as I can't get under the car with the engine over soft grass. So I take off to the store anyway to get an ATM fuse holder, some ATM fuses, and some heat shrink butt end connectors. I have a 14 gauge fusible link at home. So I will splice the standard fusible link into the original cable and hope that is it. If so when over solid ground I will raise up the car to put the new battery cable in with ATM fuse.

Two questions. One, is what I am doing seem plausible as to the zero power problem. If so then two is what rating should I use for the ATM fuse holder? A 20 or 30 amp blade?

 

[Big_John]

The fuse holder you show isn't made for that much current. You are probably looking at having to use a 50 amp fuse at minimum.

I don't like the idea of using a fuse in that line. I would rather see you put a fusible link in the line like the factory did. A fuse and a fusible link are both designed to melt if there is too much current passing through them, but the fusible link is much more forgiving of spikes. The fuse will just blow... and what you end up doing is sizing up the fuse until it doesn't and then you really aren't protecting the circuit.

Any good parts store should have a 16 gauge fusible link in stock. It doesn't have to say "Mopar" on it, just 16 gauge. Butt connector that to the new wire (or even the old one to get you home) and you're done.

 

[Big_John]

BTW, I have that same floor in my kitchen.

 

[Big_John]

Fusible Link

Note the comment in post #60 by Gerald Morris. He is an electrical engineer.

STICK WITH FUSIBLE LINKS! Slow-blow (or Slo-Blo) breakers are a distant second choice for automotive overcurrent protection, but for critical need circuits, fusible links offer both protection against overcurrent AND protection against MOMENTARY TRANSIENT SURGES caused by NORMAL OPERATION.

 

[tbm3fan]

The fuse holder you show isn't made for that much current. You are probably looking at having to use a 50 amp fuse at minimum.

I don't like the idea of using a fuse in that line. I would rather see you put a fusible link in the line like the factory did. A fuse and a fusible link are both designed to melt if there is too much current passing through them, but the fusible link is much more forgiving of spikes. The fuse will just blow... and what you end up doing is sizing up the fuse until it doesn't and then you really aren't protecting the circuit.

Any good parts store should have a 16 gauge fusible link in stock. It doesn't have to say "Mopar" on it, just 16 gauge. Butt connector that to the new wire (or even the old one to get you home) and you're done.

Ok, good enough and easy enough to do. Only my wiring diagram labels that link A1-14R*. Doesn't that mean a 14 gauge fusible?

 

[Big_John]

Ok, good enough and easy enough to do. Only my wiring diagram labels that link A1-14R*. Doesn't that mean a 14 gauge fusible?

Yes, it does.
A1 is the circuit number, 14 is the wire size and R* means red with a white tracer.

Fusible links are 4 sizes smaller than the rest of the circuit.

For some reason, I was thinking it was 16 gauge. Sorry if I caused any confusion.

 

[tbm3fan]

One other thought. Since I need to cut out the factory connector on the battery cable, at both ends, I will lose maybe 3/8" on each side. If one uses butt connectors, and there are other failures, then I could see those two ends being short one day. Would it be better to use male-female connections so you could just unplug a burned fusible without shortening your battery cable? Much like Chrysler except not exactly their connectors.

 

[Big_John]

One other thought. Since I need to cut out the factory connector on the battery cable, at both ends, I will lose maybe 3/8" on each side. If one uses butt connectors, and there are other failures, then I could see those two ends being short one day. Would it be better to use male-female connections so you could just unplug a burned fusible without shortening your battery cable? Much like Chrysler except not exactly their connectors.

I don't see as that would be a problem. As long as it's a good connection.

If you wanted to... You could get some of the Packard 56 type terminals and reuse the insulators from your existing wire.