Seems I have a few new "opportunities" with my 80 after the speedshop returned it after building the 383...

When I delivered it...there were no, zero, nada electrical problems. The battery always held its charge and all worked well.

When I picked it up... the shop owner asked if it had problems holding charges... I answered no. Here are all of the symptoms I've found so far:

* Battery definitely discharges (less than one year old OPTIMA yellow top)
* None of the air/heat controls work.
* Air conditioner compressor clutch does not engage
* Spal fans would turn off when the ignition was turned off...now they stay on until the engine temp goes below 180 degrees. The relay 12 volt trigger has been/is connected to the heater/ac fan source (related to the above? maybe?)
* Radio continues to backlight and will now turn on when the ignition is off... this was not the case before I delivered the car to the speedshop.
* several weeks into the project one of the techs said that he had to cut the hood alarm pin switch while the engine was running because it was "sparking". This didn't make any sense as this should not be carrying much power as it is driven by the aftermarket Clifford alarm.

My plan is to replace the battery tomorrow and start troubleshooting the relay(s) (fan, etc). Could it be that someone hooked up a charger/jump mechanism and overloaded my system?

Any help would be appreciated...

 

With all that going on, sounds like one of the "garage monkeys" squashed/shorted a section of the wiring harness, either in the engine compartment or where it passes thur the firewall. Do a visual exam (with a bright light) of all the harnesses first before you start pulling stuff apart for testing.

 

You're in Frisco, huh? Sounds like you have a few different issues. You're going to have to take this one step at a time. First, figure out which circuit is discharging your battery. You'll need an ammeter for this. I recommend jerry-rigging a 3 - 5 amp in-line fuse. You'll be measuring the current discharge at various steps (defined below) between the battery terminal and disconnected battery cable.

Disconnect your battery at the terminal. Next, disconnect the battery at the starter (all power comes through here). Then pull every single fuse from your fuse box. Measure the current at the battery. Should be 0. If not, you have a short in your main cable going to your starter. After each step, open the circuit at your battery by removing your ammeter. Next, reconnect the battery cable at the starter and measure the current. It should be 0 since you've pulled all your fuses. This is where my problem was - I replaced my starter which fixed my problem, believe it or not. Probably not your problem, though. Now, pick one circuit and replace the fuse for that circuit. Measure the current. You can get the expected current draw for interior lights and such from a wiring diagram, but common sense should be enough to guide you through. Repeat the process one fuse at a time until you've identified the circuit causing your problem.

Again, a buddy of mine from Frisco helped me troubleshoot my issue a few months back using this process.

 

Thanks... I will work down this path tonight after I replace the yellow top and the blower relay...

Thanks again!

Ed

 

You might want to check to see if they managed to turn a connector upside down or forgot to hook some back up.


PS: do a continuity check on all the fuses to insure they are good.