She probably won't be borrowing your 66 from you any more.
Catastrophic Electrical Failure
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Catastrophic Electrical Failure
Yesterday my wife asked if we could go out in our 1966 coupe. She never does that. Stick, power steering and brakes, base engine, A/C (lost charge during winter), a joy to drive. Turned a corner And catastrophic electrical failure.
I am not a mechanic in any way.
Battery top notch, alternator working to the end, no lights, no clock, no courtesy lights, nothing. After a tow home...
I have looked over the wiring, can find nothing out of place. I have no lift so can not get under the car safely... But thinking, " could I have had some kind of starter solenoid failure?" With there being hot wire only to solenoid, and not a trail wire to alternaltor, then all must feed back through the hot lead to charge.
Thoughts?
I am not a mechanic in any way.
Battery top notch, alternator working to the end, no lights, no clock, no courtesy lights, nothing. After a tow home...
I have looked over the wiring, can find nothing out of place. I have no lift so can not get under the car safely... But thinking, " could I have had some kind of starter solenoid failure?" With there being hot wire only to solenoid, and not a trail wire to alternaltor, then all must feed back through the hot lead to charge.
Thoughts?
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 54,142
Likes: 9,451
From: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
Jiggle the bulk head conector on the engine side of the fire wall that's under the drivers side hood latch My hunch the hot red wire lost connection
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,747
Likes: 192
From: nj
Yesterday my wife asked if we could go out in our 1966 coupe. She never does that. Stick, power steering and brakes, base engine, A/C (lost charge during winter), a joy to drive. Turned a corner And catastrophic electrical failure.
I am not a mechanic in any way.
Battery top notch, alternator working to the end, no lights, no clock, no courtesy lights, nothing. After a tow home...
I have looked over the wiring, can find nothing out of place. I have no lift so can not get under the car safely... But thinking, " could I have had some kind of starter solenoid failure?" With there being hot wire only to solenoid, and not a trail wire to alternaltor, then all must feed back through the hot lead to charge.
Thoughts?
I am not a mechanic in any way.
Battery top notch, alternator working to the end, no lights, no clock, no courtesy lights, nothing. After a tow home...
I have looked over the wiring, can find nothing out of place. I have no lift so can not get under the car safely... But thinking, " could I have had some kind of starter solenoid failure?" With there being hot wire only to solenoid, and not a trail wire to alternaltor, then all must feed back through the hot lead to charge.
Thoughts?
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,545
Likes: 1,977
From: Temple Terrace Florida
Bulk head
Try removing both sides of the connection and thoroughly cleaning the connection. I would use contact cleaner and an old toothbrush. If that does not work, a test light or volt meter may be in your future to trace down a broken wire or failed ignition switch. Jerry
Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 510
Likes: 13
From: Fort Collins CO
My 66 ac roadster did the same thing, then I'd open the hood and it would start as the connection would reconnect on the bulk head…..took me a while to trouble shoot. I replaced bulk head connector - a PITA and no problems since…..I bet money your problem is the bulk head connector.
Good luck electrical gremlins suck….
Good luck electrical gremlins suck….
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,202
Likes: 4,187
From: Kannapolis NC
Pull the connectors apart under the master cylinder on the bulkhead as described earlier. Check carefully the one with the large red wire. You will probably find a corroded or bent pin on one side or the other. Some have run a jumper to bypass the red wire pins in that connector for just the reason you have experienced. All the voltage for the interior of the car are passed from the horn relay through that pin to the fuse box.
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Birmingham Mi
Thread Starter
8th Gear
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Thanks to all! I just finished the dis and re construct of the two wire wire plugs on the firewall into back of fuse panel. SUCCESS! The mail hot lead metal insert was somewhat pushed Backinto the plug. I tidied up the plug and made extra effort to push wires as I pushed plug back into place. New electrical tape beforehand also.
Raining today, so can not try on a rough road for "CONFIDENCE" test.
Once again, thanks to involved members!
Raining today, so can not try on a rough road for "CONFIDENCE" test.
Once again, thanks to involved members!
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 58,061
Likes: 7,146
Army
Well - I'll reserve comment until after the CONFIDENCE test.
My '63 connectors had green corrosion in the bulkhead connectors in addition to a pushed in pin. One of the first tasks when I got the car was to straighten that stuff out right away.
My '63 connectors had green corrosion in the bulkhead connectors in addition to a pushed in pin. One of the first tasks when I got the car was to straighten that stuff out right away.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 13,877
Likes: 1,874
From: Birmingham Mi
I had a "pin" issue(alignment) on my firewall connector, cleaned the connection and had no problems for several years. Finally decided ( 2 years ago) that a 45 year old electrical system (not hacked) was near the end of it's life expectancy. Sure, people will say that there were many good years of life to the wiring but why gamble on something that was not designed to last that long. My car is fully insured but if it went up in flames I then had to start the search for the car of my dreams, not worth it in my mind.
Rick
P.S. It was amazing how "hard" the wiring was compared to the new LetricLimited wiring.
Rick
P.S. It was amazing how "hard" the wiring was compared to the new LetricLimited wiring.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 3,913
Likes: 211
From: APO AE
Just a suggestion
Its a little bit of money... but IF your engine bay wiring harness is the original one to the car, it wouldn't hurt to replace it, as it probably wasn't meant to last 45 years.
For about $350 You can get the harness and its not too difficult to install. The dash harness is the bug-a-boo.
Its a little bit of money... but IF your engine bay wiring harness is the original one to the car, it wouldn't hurt to replace it, as it probably wasn't meant to last 45 years.
For about $350 You can get the harness and its not too difficult to install. The dash harness is the bug-a-boo.