So my 82 has developed a no power issue. I think the ignition switch is not getting power and I cant figure out where its supposed to get it from.

All the wiring diagrams I have just say "hot at all times" and lacks any kind of pin-in for the ignition switch.

Where does the ignition switch get its power from? Any suggestions on where to look?

Here is what I have diagnosed and done:

• When they key is turned to any position there is no power to keyed components (radio, fans, etc)
• There is power constantly to non-key items (headlights, dome lights, etc)
• I changed the ignition switch on the column with no change
• voltmeter on purple wire in blue plug show not +voltage. However, if I apply ground probe to this wire and positive to a 12x source I get 12+. This i thought odd since one diagram did indicate purple as the key+ and that's the only purple.
• both the blue and black plugs have a red or pinkish colored wire. both show 12v+

I assume its no power to the ignition switch since no sub systems power on even after the switch was replaced.

Im stuck.. any ideas or suggestions are most welcome right now.

 

Fusible link

Hot at all times = big fat red wire

If one or both of those (one in each plug) has no power, then that's the cause of the issue.

The fusible links are at the starter, at the end of the battery cable where it hooks up to the solenoid. There are probably 2 in your car. They are the point where the entire car connects to the battery. Each powers about half of the total load in the car, including the ign sw, headlight sw, accessories like PW PS PDL PM etc.

You can get pre-made fusible links at most parts stores. Resist the temptation to put in an in-line fuse: that is GUARANTEED to produce intermittent connections and other weirdness, sooner than later. Solder, heat-shrink, & tape to connect the new link to the big red wire. They are color-coded according to the size of wire they protect (i.e. their amp rating and their own wire gauge); the size you will need is called "rust", a sort of orange-brown color.

 

Thats what I originally thought. trouble is from what I can see there is only one wire coming off the starter to feed the car.

Batt cable runs to Starter post. On the same Post is another smaller cable running up that tube alongside the block. from there I cant tell where it goes or where it splits.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is the fusible link is located at the starter. So if that were the case none of the car would have power.

So im still not clear where the hot first branches off.

 

For any of you watching this post...

Due to the limited visibility I decided to not just visually inspect, but pull the starter wiring harness out to get a better inspection. As Sofakindom suggested, there was in fact two fat red wires going to the starter.

visually installed it looked like a single black wire with one eyelet connector. once I got it out i could actually see that it was the two red wires wrapped and using a shared terminator.

What I found was that one of the red wires had a butt connector on it. It looks like heat+years destroyed that connector and it fell apart.

Its too late now to finish and check but that's probably where my problem is. I will over the next week replace the wires in the loom correctly and see if that brings the car back to life.

 

The connected you found was the fusible link. You can repair it with a butt connector and a piece of fusiable link wire.

 

The wire is in really bad shape. A fair length needs to be replaced so im going to be buying some wire. Its in bad enough shape that I can't tell what gauge it should be. I am also having some trouble finding that gauge in search.

Does anyone know the correct gauge fusible link to put in between the starter and the key?

 

It's "rust"... they're color-coded so you don't need to know the gauge.

That said, it's either 14 or 16; can't recall for sure.

 

18 gauge wire = 5-8 amps
16 gauge wire = 10-12 amps
14 gauge wire = 15-17 amps
12 gauge wire = 20-25 amps
10 gauge wire = 30-40 amps
8 gauge wire = 50-60 amps.
Fusible link colors
Link Gauge Color
20 Gauge Blue
18 Gauge Brown or Red
16 Gauge Black or Orange
14 Gauge Green
12 Gauge Gray

 

Just to follow up...

I pulled as much of the original wire out as I could and cut it off near where it runs behind the block.

Better inspection revealed that the fusible links had not failed yet. instead it was indeed a butt connector that separated from an old repair sometime in its life.

Regardless i replaced the wire. I used some new 12 and some 16 fusible link.

everything is back to running now. For those watching, don't be fooled by the wrapping. mine was done well enough that it looked like a single black wire instead of two red wires there.