When I got home with my 64 tonight. I had to park in the street for a few minutes while I moved my daughters car, so I could get the vette in the garage. I had my headlights on, on the drive home. I turned the car off but left my parking lights on while it was sitting in front of my house, for maybe two minutes max. I moved her truck, hopped in the vette, turn the key and pull the headlight switch the rest of the way out at the same time. Instantly everything went dead. To much power draw I assume. Is there a fuseable link somewhere, or what did I screw up. There is a new wiring harness under the hood, everything else is original.
Thanks Craig

 

ttt

 

I found this web site the other day when digging into a current draw through my charging circuit on my '64 a few weeks ago, its a good read:

http://www.madelectrical.com/electri...evymain1.shtml

It has a pretty good anlaysis of the system (with a circuit diagram showing a fuseable link). He's talking specifically about late 60's - early 70's stuff (and ultimately a sales pitch), but says the layout is essentially the same for earlier cars.

If your alternator has low current/voltage output (blown a diode, regulator, bad connection) it may have enough power to keep everything going (in conjunction with draining the battery), but not keep the battery charged enough to start the car. Or if the battery is weak it may not have enough power to crank the starter when it's hot, 'cause a starter on it's way out will draw more current when it's hot than a fresh one. Or, your fuseable link may have gone - but cranking the starter and turning on the headlights would not usually be enough to do that, in my experience.

If you can charge the battery and it passes a load test, that is the best time to check the rest of your charging system. I've seen bad batteries make alternators appear to have low voltage output because they had bad cells (or corroded connections).

Mine had a 1.9 A draw through the alternator with the ignition off, so even with a charged battery, after a day at work the car wouldn't start. If I disconnected the regulator or 2-wire connector to the alternator the draw went away (same circuit path)...

 

At first I'd think about the two bulkhead connectors, but as far as I can tell, the engine should still crank without these. Maybe battery itself as noted above, grounds, terminals etc. Good Luck

 

Had the same problem with my 65 some years back, when it got hot everything would go dead. I found that if I wiggled the connector on the firewall (engine side), next to the clutch shaft, I’d get power again. Crimped the connectors down a little and the problem went away. I don’t know if it's your problem or not, but it might be worth a check.

 

I would guess the bulkhead connector, or a bad connection at the battery.

 

Went out this AM to see if I could find the problem. Last night there was no power anywhere. This morning everything worked. Is there a circuit breaker in the main harness that would have cut everything off until the breaker reset? I could not see one in my wiring diagram. If not, I'm thinking it probable the firewall plug. I sure would like to know why it did it, I don't want to get stranded some where. I was lucky I was in front of my house, with the neighbor kids around to push me in the garage.
Thanks guys, any more ideas
Craig

 

There is a circuit breaker in the lighting system (see below) but I think it is for the motors (someone will correct if wrong).

George

 

Yep, that is correct

 

There are two circuit breakers - the one shown in the diagram above for the headlight rollover motors, and there's another one inside the headlight switch as a safety feature for the headlight feed. Neither one would cause your symptom.

Check the firewall plug and battery cable connections.

 

It is a common problem " air-car-itis " The connection in the bulkhead connector is bad. I take the terminal out and run a large wire through it. This way it looks original but will not leave you stranded.

 

I have often wondered and now finally will ask, what does "ttt" stand for?

 

To The Top. Bumps the thread back to the top of the page.

 

Hmmm, I was hoping it stood for "The Twins ****", but sadly every time I see TTT in a post, I've not seen any photos to accompany, so To The Top must be correct.

 

to the top

 

100to1 it is the firewall plug .It is that red main wire and some people on the site can tell you how to run that wire threw the fluse box