i'm pretty sure now that my no-start issue is a blown fusible link. i shorted out the battery when installing it long ago. it cranks but no juice to the coil. which fusible link is the prime suspect and where is it located?

 

can anyone help me locate the fusible link that sends power to my ignition coil? where can i buy fusible links?

 

There is no fusible link that does that.

The fusible links protect the BIG RED wires of the car; that is, the ones that are the main battery feeds to LOTS of the things in it. Most of our cars have 2: about half of the total load of the car is fed through each. One might feed the headlight switch (and from there, the headlights, tail lights, dash lights, etc.) and the Courtesy light circuit; and the other the ign sw (which includes the starter solenoid, the ign coil, accessories like the blower motor & radio, gauges, and so on). Other loads like power seats, rear window defogger, etc. might be split up between them. I don't know the details for your specific vehicle but it works basically in that way in all cars.

They're at the starter, that being the most convenient place to hook "the car" up to the battery. Since the batt cable already has to go there, "the car" (fusible links) attach to the same post where the batt cable goes, which of course is electrically the same point as the batt itself.

If the car cranks, then batt is making it all the way to the ign sw, and from there, onwards toward the starter solenoid. The coil gets power from the ign sw as well. If one thing fed off the ign sw gets power, but something else doesn't, then the cause can't be the batt feed going TO the ign sw.

Your problem therefore is probably not a fusible link. But of course they're always a good thing to check.

You can get new ones at {gasp} the auto parts store, if you need them.

I'd suggest checking the voltage at each of the BIG RED wires that plug into the ign sw, and make sure there's 12V on them; then make sure there's 12V on the pink one where it also plugs into the sw when you turn the key to On.

"Shorting out the battery long ago" is highly unlikely to damage fusible links.

 

thanks for the lengthy reply.... to get to that ignition switch do i have to remove the steering wheel? i have no power at the wires to the coil.

 

The ignition switch is screwed to the steering column under the dash.

The red wire is 12v going into the ignition switch.

The pink wire coming from the ignition switch feeds 12v to the coil with the key in the START/RUN position.

 

ok, thanks, will check it as you described tomorrow.

 

ok, i got under there and poked around but i don't know what is what. the manual says that the switch is on the brake mount and that i MUST drop the steering column but that doesn't look right. here's a pic of what i'm looking at.

THANKS!

 

Did you ever figure out what the issue was for this dragsta? I have the exact same issue where I am not getting 12V to the ignition coil. I took a look at my fusible links and they appear to look okay (not burnt or melted).

EDIT: I wasn't getting 12V to the pink wire that goes to the ignition coil because the purple wire on the small pole of the starter solenoid was loose. Once I tightened that up I was getting the 12V to the pink wire at the ignition coil.

Thanks!