GTA88

My car died while driving. Had to have it towed back to my place.



Here are the symptoms :

Turning key to "on" results in absolutely nothing : No guages, no fuel pump sound.

Turning key to "start" results in absolutley nothing. No crank.

Only things that work are :

Dome light. Parking lights. Horn. Electric side mirror adjuster. When I turn on the parking lights, the dash lights come on. I can move the gear selector around when the key is in "on" position".

Things that don't work are :

No brake lights.
No headlights.
No turn signals.
No radio.
No power windows.
No power locks. (Makes click sound only)

I checked all fuses in fuse box. All are OK.

I posted before about this, and everyone said fusible link, but I checked all (?) the fusible links and they look great. 2 on the battery cable, and 3 right near the starter.

Could something be fried inside the alt which would cause all these other electrical parts to not work, even when the engine isn't on ?

Thanks

ChevTech84

I have had cars towed in that had the battery so drained from the alternator going bad that NOTHING worked.

GTA88

Well, the battery tests at about 12 volts. My analog voltmeter isn't too accurate, but it is definitely over 10 volts, and looks like 12 volts. And the battery is only 3 months old.

Vader

An alternator with a failed rectifier coulr discharge teh battery, but that would affect teh entire electrical system, not just some parts of it. If you want to eliminiate that as a possibility, disconnect the wire from the output stud of the alternator and isolate it from ground (tape is good). You can also disconnect the field connector for the alternator, just to be certain.

I'd suggest checking the fusible links near the starter and battery. It sounds like you may have opened one of them. It's better than watching your car go up in flames...

Test them under load, and meter for voltage drop along the wiring harness.

GTA88

Vader,

Thanks for replying. Yes, everyone is suggesting the fusible links. But they look fine. The 2 by the battery are in some hard plastic tube that disconnects, right? Nothing looks melted in there.
How do I test these links by the battery?


Also, I got under the car to look at the starter , and saw the 3 fusible links, each looked perfect and felt perfect.

Is there any way to test the links without piercing the wires?
It's so awkward in there, I'm not sure I can even do it. I can only get one hand in at a time.

Any chance it's the computer or the prom ? I had to have the computer replaced 2 years ago.


Thanks

TJQIROC

iTrader: (1)

I assume you at least tried jumper cables. ChevTech84 is correct that a dead battery would do what you are saying. I have had this happen to me where the alternator goes bad and the battery gets so dead, the engine shuts down and nothing works. If the car works with jumper cables, the test to tell if it is the alternator is that when you remove the cables, the car dies within seconds. If the car dies, replace the alternator. If the car does not start, it is either blown links, or a combination of things. If you think the battery is ok, jump the solenoid at the starter. If it cranks, the fusible links are bad somewhere.

89RsPower!

take a dvom and measure the resistance of the fuseible links from end to end.. not really sure what the resistance of a good one is though.. maybe someone else does?

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

i'd start with the easiest.....

you checked all the fuses and they are good correct?

replace the battery with one out of a working car.

check battery terminal connections if it doesn't work.

check alternator and starter connections. (make sure nothing is loose)

check grounds to the engine.


if all wiring and fuseable links are good as well as a known working battery won't help then start taking things apart. have your alternator checked out and go from there. always look at the easiest first though. good luck.

TJQIROC

iTrader: (1)

What Kandied91z wrote is the way to go. You can substitute jumper cables for the battery for testing purposes. If it still won't crank with the key, put a remote starter on the solenoid. If that makes it crank, you know you have power to the starter/ solenoid. One more thing, if you put in a new battery/jumper cables, the car should come to life, as in the horn will work, headlights work, etc. If not, then check what Kandied91z said.

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

also just as an idea if you have an alarm on the car disconnect it as well. sometimes alarms themselves cause the problems or when they are installed some installers hook them up to points that can cause problems.

86Z

iTrader: (4)

you cant really tell if the fusible links are bad by looking at them, and that is your problem, i've had it before.

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

i agree that he should definately check them but that's what everyone told me as well and it was a ground. after i spent a week having the alternator, starter, and battery checked.

point is check the easiest stuff. they aren't too hard to check so i would definately put them on the list.

H3rdgen

check the small wires to the starter make shure they arent missing there coatings and are grounding to the starter or engine
Had the same prob with my old 84 z dont remember witch wire it was though, had the exact same symptoms

GTA88

Hey, thanks, everyone. I looked at the wires to the starter again, and I realized that one of them IS fried. It had some copper wire poking out of it at the junction with the ring connector, and I had assumed it was just some excess wire, but after feeling the wires some more (there is no room to get a good look at the whole wire) I discovered that the wire was split down the middle and hollow.

So now I have to replace the 3-pack fusible link, and hope it doesn't just blow out again. I'll look thru the archives to see how to replace the fusible link 3-pack, unless someone wants to let me know how.

86Z

iTrader: (4)

told you so

CamaroStud1988

if that doesnt fix it,which it should,you should also check the ignition switch.

GTA88

CamaroStud,

Well, I put in a new fusible link, but it fried after about 10 minutes of driving. Where is the ignition switch ?

Thanks,
GTA88

CamaroStud1988

im pretty sure its in the steering column.

Vader

The switch is on the outside of the column, mounted to the top of the column outer tube:

GTA88

Vader, CamaroStud, thanks.

Vader, thanks for the diagram.

What I found today when looking under the steering column was that a large orange wire, must be a 10 awg, had the insulation melted off off it. It was coming out of the loom by the steering column, and was plugged into what looks like a connector on top of the steering column. Is this connector maybe attached to the ignition switch ? On the diagram, the most similar thing I can find to this connector would be the "dimmer switch". What now? I hope I am close to finding the short circuit !

GTA88

Vader

Yes. It sounds like you are closer. Now all you need to do is replace the failes wire and find what device is creating the excessive load.

CamaroStud1988

replace that wire,or the melted area.. my amp kept blowin its fuse cause a part of the wire was melted and was touching the frame,so it kepy shorting out,it sonds like your orange wire does the same thing,after driving it hits something and makes a ground and fries your fuse.

GTA88

OK, thanks, guys. Sorry to be so clueless, but should I drop the steering column, and/or remove the dash to get at this orange wire? It goes into a loom right next to the column. Where does the loom go? I can't trace it very far. It disappears into the car.

Also, could the ignition switch be the cause of the overload ? Can I take out the ign switch and have it tested at AutoZone ?

I hate to ask so many questions, but I don't want to waste time doing the wrong thing.


GTA88

CamaroStud1988

im not sure about the column,as much as ive taken offa my cars,i havent touched that,lol. i dont think the switch could overload it,but i could be wrong,just cut the messed up part of the wire out and put in some new wire in w/ wire connectors,it should work