I have a 1977, and it’s been running fine. Last night we were out for a ride, and I needed to back up.
As I put the car back into forward, all electrical stopped. Lights, power, and of course the engine.
The best way to describe the problem; it was as if the battery was removed.

I had to have it towed home. It was late when we got home, so I haven’t had a chance to look close at the car. The battery, alternator, and starter connections are tight. My guess is a ground wire somewhere. It has a new battery, and we did try to jumpstart, but there is no connection. Not even a spark. No lights and when you turn the key, nothing happens.

Based upon your suggestions, I bought a test light. And there is power to the starter and alternator.
From Wilcox, ...Blown fuse link at the starter, or possibly right at the driver side firewall.
These are OK.

My connections seem fine.

I don't seem to have power to the headlights, taillights or anything interior. Turn the key and nothing happens.

I'm wondering if the problem is around the fuse box, but not sure where the hot wire comes in. I'm thinking if I could find it by the fuses, I could check there. Chevy didn't make it easy for some one to look at fuses! I looked at my fuses, and they are fine. I took out a couple to look closer at them and dang it, dropped one behind the carpet. Today I'll go buy a few extras!

In the engine compartment, there are no fused connections! But I'm not surprised. Based upon what I am seeing with this car, I'll bet the previous owner ended up in a ditch with, then did a lot of amateur repair.







Any suggestions where I should start looking?

 

PM sent

 

Blown fuse link at the starter, or possibly right at the driver side firewall. either one will take out the system.

 

Could it just be a bad connection where this harness connects to the rest of the wiring behind the distributor?
http://www.zip-corvette.com/catalog/...iring-harness/

 

^^^^^^^^^^^

Same thing happened to me a couple times. Unplug it and check the wires.

 

Hi, Thank you for the suggestion, turns out I have a 77 early, and it doesn't have the same type harness.

 

I was hoping this was the problem, but the fuses are fine. Well at least think they are! The one by the fire wall is easy to check. And I assume the one near the starter would be obvious if it blew. It looks like I think it should.

 

Hi Tracdogg2, (Mike) Thank you for suggestions. I did buy a 12v tester, and I do have power to the starter and alternator. It turns out I was somewhat wrong about total loss of power!


I looked at my fuses, and they are fine. I took out a couple to look closer at them and dang it, dropped one behind the carpet. Today I'll go buy a few extras!

I don't have power to the headlights, taillights or anything interior. Turn the key and nothing happens. I started looking around the fuse box, but not sure where the hot wire comes in. And they didn't make it easy for some one to look at!

 

when my 79 lost power to the interior I started looking around and found the wire running from the alternator to the fuse box under the hood had melted the insulation of the wire and melt the plastic fuse box. check that out also.

 

The main power feed on your car comes in at the bulk head connection on the driver side in the engine compartment. It has a fuse-able link on it so give it a tug and see if it's blown.... If this fuse link is toast you'll lose everything. It is the main power feed to the car.

Willcox

 

Bill, Sometimes a fried fuse link will burn thru the insulation, sometimes it won't. Like Wilcox said, pull on it. If it stretches like a rubber band then it's burnt.
Mike

 

Just because the connections are tight-doesn't necessarily mean you can't a have a problem at or from the battery.

You need to start from the source and work from there- otherwise you'll be spinning your wheels.


You can use a simple test light-



First -touch the post and negative posts on the battery and make sure the test lights up-

Then you need to check the continuity to ground-

Simply touch the POS post on the battery and touch the frame/chassis-an easy place to check would be the chrome screw on the sillplate- that's connected to the chassis and easy to get to.

No light then you have a bad ground- check and confirm the cable to the frame is tight and not corroded.

If it lights up when you touch the battery post and the chassis- next step is to confirm power at the starter.

The battery routes power to the the starter THEN the rest of the car. Touch the test light to the top post on the starter solenoid (have to jack up the car to get to it)-and the other side of the light to the frame. See pic-
Where the guy's finger are- If you don't see a light you need to check the cable /terminal from the battery.

After these important steps- let us know what you find






Here's a perfect example of why not to check theses steps first- brand new terminal (albeit a cheap one) the paint over spray from a Chinese kid caused many hours of tail chasing....

Showing 28Ω !!! Should be really close to 0.

 

I'm not really into blogs, but this is starting to look like one.
I did not get chance to do much today. But I did make a jumper cable and connected from the car battery to the fuse box (bat connector).And the good news is the the dome lights, blower and horn worked. I didn't look at everything, I wasn't sure how hard it was on the system.
Tomorrow I hope to get under the drivers side of the car and follow the power leads. I'm thinking the problem is somewhere near where the power goes through the firewall. --Like in the picture from Wilcox.

 

Blog?

What you did by connecting the battery directly to the fusebox could very easily burn the fusible link -if it's not already torched.

Look at attached pic- the power goes from the battery using a large gauge wire-then to smaller sized wires- sort of a distribution point.

Connecting the battery directly to the fusebox w/ the jumper cables- the current goes through the small wire to the starter-or to a short on the other side of the fusible link- not a good idea.

Like I said- you need to work back from the battery and find the problem....

If it is fusible link-it could have burned for many reasons- one might be a bad ground or a bad connection at the battery or starter- check these first....

Richard

 

Richard, Bill was carefully walked thru each step by me over phone. Every circuit test was performed prior to the jumper wire. This test was done to confirm no direct short and to isolate the open circuit. Like nearly all of the 77 diagrams, the actual power feed from the starter is missing. What is also missing are the fusible links on Bill's car. Someone has done some re-wiring on it prior to Bill's ownership so all conventional tracing is out the window. The tests proved there was no direct short and the problem lies between the wiring just prior to the bulkhead connector and the distribution point. There's no sense in repairing a circuit, without testing it first for a direct short, only to have it blow immediately when you reconnect the battery. Since GM decided to power both the batt+ and key-on+ thru the same power feed an ohm meter testing + to ground is impossible unless you disconnect every batt+ circuit and separate the 4 wire junction. Ghost voltage checks and the wiggle test was also done.
Mike

 

Everyone has been a big help, and a special Thank you to Mike.
I found the problem! At the starter, I have a fuse, and one up by the driver’s side firewall.

Using a test light, I confirmed there was power at the fuse by the starter, and had power at the alternator. Looking at the fuse by the driver side firewall, I also had power. I even check both side of the fuse with the test light. This is where my lack of experience came into play!

With the fuse in the fuse holder, I could verify there was current through the fuse. Granted the fuse seem a bit tight on the side with the black cap, so I didn’t force the fuse out. When I put the fuse holder back to gather, I assumed there was current running through both sides of the fuse.

As it turns out, the plastic on the fuse became distorted, pointed out by the arrow. And this prevented the current from continuing. --The fuse was fine, it just wasn’t making a good contact. This evening I replaced the holder and now my car is running.

Thank you to everyone, I was about to have my car towed to a body shop. And once again special thanks to Mike, he gave me enough “encouragement” to keep at it.

 

Mike-

Got it-

I did not know you had completely stepped up and helped Bill out bigtime!!!

The forum is lucky to have guys like you!!!

Bill-

Glad you're up and running!!

I just didn't want you or somebody else reading the forum- to hook up jumper cables and see fireworks!!!

Richard

 

Old guy here......
This was my problem too....hope this helps out.....these guys around here have bailed me out more times than I can count.............

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-to-start.html

 

Thanks Richard!
Mike

 

You're very welcome Bill and I'm thrilled you found the problem. I knew we would find it. Obviously Bubba made his way into the wiring. (This guy Bubba is everywhere, he really gets around). Down the road you'll need to swap out to a better design fuse holder or fuse link.
Mike