Hunted Corvette
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 476
Likes: 37
From: Lynnwood WA
Hunted Corvette
1979 Corvette, I was hooking up new gauges yesterday when I discovered I was suddenly not getting a tac signal anymore. I disconnected everything I had done and Went to see there that there was a signal coming from the tac output on the distributor. I found that it was constant ground, with key on it is costant hot (now even with the car completely dead). I then went into start the car to see if the signal changed. I turn the key the electric fuel pump came on and the starter motor engaged and everything on the car died, no interior lights no anything! while trying to sort this out I discovered that if I disconnected the negative lead on the battery and reconnected it I get interior lights coming on again but is soon as I turn the key nothing. If I wait a few minutes to hook the battery back up I hear the fuel pump come on the starter motor would try to engage and instantly everything would go dead again. I check the battery and it's putting out just over 12 volts. This just keeps repeating like groundhog day, any ideas?
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,990
Likes: 183
From: Port St. Lucie Fl
If I am following this correctly, the wire from the tach pin on your dist. is going directly to gound? That should go to your tach. to provide signal. Start by disconnecting the ground from the tach. pin on the dist. then post results.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 476
Likes: 37
From: Lynnwood WA
No change. Part of what I don't get is why the car has power till I turn the key but it only works once and then I have to disconnect the battery to get power Back.
Last edited by Zorro O; Jul 7, 2017 at 02:04 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 1,990
Likes: 183
From: Port St. Lucie Fl
It could be the power is coming in from a thermal breaker and when you turn the key on something is shorting out and drawing more amps than the breaker is rated for or some type of circuit breaker that resets after x amount of time or power loss. Break out the wiring schematic an trace all the wires you touched to make sure they are connected correctly.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 476
Likes: 37
From: Lynnwood WA
The fun part about having old cars that you havent owned since new is finding all the fun stuff the previous owners have done.
It could be the power is coming in from a thermal breaker and when you turn the key on something is shorting out and drawing more amps than the breaker is rated for or some type of circuit breaker that resets after x amount of time or power loss. Break out the wiring schematic an trace all the wires you touched to make sure they are connected correctly.
It could be the power is coming in from a thermal breaker and when you turn the key on something is shorting out and drawing more amps than the breaker is rated for or some type of circuit breaker that resets after x amount of time or power loss. Break out the wiring schematic an trace all the wires you touched to make sure they are connected correctly.
I'm about halfway through doing that. I was thinking of a breaker also, a fuse would blow but not heal so it has to be a breaker or something that acts like one. It seems to be the draw from the starter that overwhelms it, The only thing that comes to mind is a fuseable link but they don't heal either.
Last edited by Zorro O; Jul 7, 2017 at 05:59 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 476
Likes: 37
From: Lynnwood WA
Thanks Kacyc3
I'm about halfway through doing that. I was thinking of a breaker also, a fuse would blow but not heal so it has to be a breaker or something that acts like one. It seems to be the draw from the starter that overwhelms it, The only thing that comes to mind is a fuseable link but they don't heal either.
I'm about halfway through doing that. I was thinking of a breaker also, a fuse would blow but not heal so it has to be a breaker or something that acts like one. It seems to be the draw from the starter that overwhelms it, The only thing that comes to mind is a fuseable link but they don't heal either.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 476
Likes: 37
From: Lynnwood WA
I just went back to the car and hooked the battery back and turned the key same thing, except this time I had the garage door closed and it was darker. When I turned the key to start it did the same as before except this time I saw a very small flash from the top of my battery, the clamp that holds the ground wire the the battery clamp was loose and arcing to the battery. I tightened it and have a running car again, but my gauges are in another room. Two day wasted because I never looked at things in the dark
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Thanks Kacyc3, it really helps when you're stuck to know someone else is thinking about the problem too.
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Thanks Kacyc3, it really helps when you're stuck to know someone else is thinking about the problem too.
