I just finished the installation of my headers and went to fire it up and I have absolutely no power to anything. I checked the battery and it appears to be fully charged at 12V. Even with a boost it is totally dead (the car, not the battery).

I found a connector coming straight off the positve battery cable that has a weather pack t-type connector - one side goes nowhere (empty connector with some type of plug on the end), and the other side goes back towards the firewall and disappears into a harness. It looks like the O2 sensor wire might go into the same harness.

Like a complete idiot I forgot to disconnect the battery at the beginning of the whole installation process and I shorted a wrench at the starter - could I have popped something? I am thinking there is likely a fusible link somewhere that I may have wiped out, but I don't know where to look.

What could cause a complete outage?

Thanks

Eric

 

sounds like a bad starter solenoid..thats a guess though

 

Wouldn't a bad starter solenoid, still allow power. I would check the ground to the battery and make sure it is tightened. Used to happen to me a lot and caused mysterious no power situations, found out it was loose.

 

There is a fuseable link right at the starter itself. When it pops, you lose all vehicle power, with possible exception to headlights.

All I know is that I've popped it twice, probably due to weather and age. Its the only two times I've ever needed to tow my car.

--Dan

 

OK. I will have to crawl back under there - gawd I hate that

I suspect that I likely nuked that fusible link.... what a moron

Anyone else have any ideas before I go back under?

I love this board !!

 

So, I called the ever-so-helpful dealer and he told me that the fusible link coming off the starter is simply a special 16-gauge fusible link wire - something a guy can buy by the foot. My question is... where does this wire go to (from the starter post to...?), and how many feet do you think I'll need to buy. I would rather buy it up front and then go underneath and replace it all at once.

Please help.

 

Check the terminal post which is located between the battery and the radiator. a blown fusible link will usually appear as a small hole in one of the wires. To repair the link, just cut out a section of the wire and tap in a new length of fusible link. Usually 3-4" will be ok, length is not critical.

LOL
jimjohn

 

"Check the terminal post which is located between the battery and the radiator. a blown fusible link will usually appear as a small hole in one of the wires. To repair the link, just cut out a section of the wire and tap in a new length of fusible link. Usually 3-4" will be ok, length is not critical."

I don't know about a terminal post, but there is an orange wire (two really) that goes directly from the positve battery post to a two-wire connector - sort of looks like (oo). From this connector (call it connector A) there are two wires that keep going to another similar connector that just has a plug in it (it goes to nothing). At connector A there is a two-wire plug that goes back somewhere into the depths of the engine compartment. There is voltage at connector A (about 6VDC) with the harness plugged in, and 12VDC with it unplugged.

The orange wire coming off the battery has a section about 1/4" where there is no insulation - it's just bare. It is also a strange looking wire inside - almost looks like a solid core of aluminum.... is this a fusible link wire?? If so, how do you "tap in a new length"? Can you solder this stuff, or????

I realize I sound stupid, but I haven't run across this before. It seems to me that if the fusible link is toast, wouldn't that prevent any voltage from getting to connector A??

 

Hmmm.... the last reply I sent is in the thread, but didn't update.

 

Eric,

How could I not try to help someone from a town that sounds like my favorite feminine feature?

There is a fusible link at the starter itself - it is actually the last few inches of the wire itself. Try pulling the wire lenghthwise to see if it stretches the insulation. A failed link will allow the insulation to stretch or break. This wire is usually insulated purple. There is another link near the battery in the large red wire.

If you suspect a failed link or suspect ground but cannot isolate the problem, you can determine this by fabricating a jumper wire and an in-line 30A fuse. Connect the jumper to the orange wire in the fuse panel, and the other (fused) end to the battery positive. If everything works normally with the key turned ON, you likely have a power distribution problem. If the symptoms still exist, start looking for a ground problem.

 

Thanks Vader. I just stuck my head under there, and I see 3 orange wires connected to the main starter post. I assume these are all fusible link wires (I can read writing on one of them). There is also a larger purple wire connecting to a different post. I believe this is ground.

I don't know how to tell if they are "blown", but they look fine.

Now, that orange wire coming off the positive battery bost is for sure a fusible link (says on it) and it looks bad - a chunk of insulation is completely gone off the center of it. It has a black plastic deal around it that says "20" - I assume that means it is 20amp wire. Since that wire comes directly off the battery, if it was toast it would prevent power from going pretty much anywhere, right?

 

OK. I found the problem - I'm too stupid to live

I won't get into details, but it had nothing to do with fusible links - just a slight problem with no power to the starter. Draw your own conclusions!!!

However, I think I really should replace that link off the battery; it connects to a fuse, by the way.

Thanks everyone for your input. You would think I had never seen a car before (not true - I have been doing this for quite a few years, although I took a 12 year hiatas between F-bodies). What a loser I am.