1979, No electrical power in the car HELP Please
11-01-2014, 10:12 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
1979, No electrical power in the car HELP Please
Uncovered my '79 for a drive, she started right up and performed fine on a short drive with a couple stops. I went out in the evening to put up the windows and put the cover on and the battery was dead. I recharged the battery and put it back in the car but now it is as if there absolutely no power going to the car, no courtesy lights, no clock, no ignition, nothing. My voltmeter shows 12.5 volts in the battery. There has never been any indication of electrical issue prior to this.
Can anyone point me in a direction for what to look for?
Can anyone point me in a direction for what to look for?
11-01-2014, 11:59 PM
#4
Safety Car
Strange, I had almost the same thing occur to me today in my 70 restored vert. Started fine, backed it out the garage and it sat out for a little while. Went to take it for a drive, no courtesy lights or clock (it works) or radio or lights or electric fuel pump or anything else, but horn worked. Charged battery (from 80% to 100%), checked battery cutoff, all harnesses were replaced by prior owner during restoration, no power to 'batt' post on fuse block, still nothing. Pushed it in the garage, suddenly everything works. Guess I have a loose ground or main positive connection somewhere. Check your main connections to the fuse block and primary grounds.
11-02-2014, 12:37 AM
#5
Instructor
Strange, I had almost the same thing occur to me today in my 70 restored vert. Started fine, backed it out the garage and it sat out for a little while. Went to take it for a drive, no courtesy lights or clock (it works) or radio or lights or electric fuel pump or anything else, but horn worked. Charged battery (from 80% to 100%), checked battery cutoff, all harnesses were replaced by prior owner during restoration, no power to 'batt' post on fuse block, still nothing. Pushed it in the garage, suddenly everything works. Guess I have a loose ground or main positive connection somewhere. Check your main connections to the fuse block and primary grounds.
11-02-2014, 08:21 AM
#7
Drifting
Thread Starter
Thanks for the replies. After doing some searches I am thinking maybe one or more of the fusible links. I am not near the car this week but I will check it this weekend.
Last edited by wayneinvirginia; 11-02-2014 at 07:34 PM.
11-02-2014, 10:29 AM
#8
Former Vendor
Member Since: Aug 2006
Location: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
Posts: 76,656
Received 1,813 Likes
on
1,458 Posts
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
There are two fuse links at the starter on the 1979 and one between the alternator and the fuse panel connection.
11-02-2014, 12:26 PM
#9
Melting Slicks
If it is a fusible link you need to find the short that melted it, or it'll just melt again.
11-02-2014, 08:05 PM
#10
Safety Car
Strange, I had almost the same thing occur to me today in my 70 restored vert. Started fine, backed it out the garage and it sat out for a little while. Went to take it for a drive, no courtesy lights or clock (it works) or radio or lights or electric fuel pump or anything else, but horn worked. Charged battery (from 80% to 100%), checked battery cutoff, all harnesses were replaced by prior owner during restoration, no power to 'batt' post on fuse block, still nothing. Pushed it in the garage, suddenly everything works. Guess I have a loose ground or main positive connection somewhere. Check your main connections to the fuse block and primary grounds.
11-13-2014, 07:58 PM
#11
Drifting
Thread Starter
I want to thank everyone for their help. It turned out to be one of the fusible links at the starter. I wired in a new link and everything is back to normal. 
11-17-2019, 04:42 PM
#12
2nd Gear
Member Since: Nov 2019
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fully charged battery but no power
I have a 79 corvette that was already a project car but it ran good and nothing was wrong with it. It’s been sitting in a shed for around 7 years and hasn’t been started or anything. When I hooked a battery up to it it was fine, only got it started and running two times. But here recently it seems like the battery drains quickly from a hundred to 54 in one week (that’s what it read this morning). Nothin will come on, no lights, no volt gauge, no nothing. Nothing will power on. It will every now and then and it’ll be fine but other times the lights will come on then go dead. I’ll also add when they come on and I try to roll the window down the whole thing goes dead. I melted one of the fusible links but zip tied back together and no problems. PLEASE HELP!!!!
11-17-2019, 05:17 PM
#13
Le Mans Master
11-18-2019, 10:52 PM
#14
2nd Gear
Member Since: Nov 2019
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have a 79 corvette that was already a project car but it ran good and nothing was wrong with it. It’s been sitting in a shed for around 7 years and hasn’t been started or anything. When I hooked a battery up to it it was fine, only got it started and running two times. But here recently it seems like the battery drains quickly from a hundred to 54 in one week (that’s what it read this morning). Nothin will come on, no lights, no volt gauge, no nothing. Nothing will power on. It will every now and then and it’ll be fine but other times the lights will come on then go dead. I’ll also add when they come on and I try to roll the window down the whole thing goes dead. I melted one of the fusible links but zip tied back together and no problems. PLEASE HELP!!!!