Stoe0057

Hi guys. Ran into an issue and I'm hoping you might be able to help me out. I replaced the battery in my car. There was a small red wire to the positive battery post and as I was putting it on it broke in the frame and I can't get to it. I am not sure where the other end goes.. whether to the engine compartment, fuse box etc. Haven't found the answer online yet. Any ideas? Car won't start without this.

GunPowder

Officially and according to the 73 wiring diagram there is no separate line from the battery's plus to anywhere but the main thick wire (going to starter where it is connected to a smaller wire coming from/going to the horn relay as a major "plus" distribution point).
So I would assume someone (not to say Bubba) has built a special solution here. You could check in a first step whether the horn relay is powered.
Do you have a wiring diagram?

Stoe0057

Thanks gunpowder. I printed a small wiring diagram off the internet.

2mnyvets

Does anything work? If you tell us what works and doesn't work, we will be better able to help.

Also there is a member on-line that has access to and sends wiring diagrams free to members. If you can't find him in a search, I'll dig up the link

ralphspears

Someone might have put in a kill switch with that wire. There is not supposed to be any wire like that on the battery cable.

Stoe0057

Thanks for the info guys. The battery had a knife switch on the positive terminal so I am not sure if that smaller red wire that broke off in the frame was acting as a kill switch.

Doesn't seem like I have power to lights, radio etc. I will have to look for power at the horn relay.

2mnyvets

Note that the horn relay is just a mounting point for the main electrical junction terminal.
The only thing that the junction terminal and the horn relay share in common is the mount to the fender well and an internal connection between the junction and the horn relay. Check the horn. The horn relay is fed directly from the junction. If the horn worked before and still works, you have power to the junction, since the horn is fed directly from the junction. If the horn works, the problem is likely in the fusible link to the body, which supply power to most of the items inside the car. If the horn does not work, you problem is likely in the fusible link between the starter and the junction. In any event, it appears someone likely bypassed a defective wire or fusible link.

Another quick check is to put a jumper between the battery positive and the junction.

Stoe0057

Thanks guys. With regards to this "Another quick check is to put a jumper between the battery positive and the junction."

​​​​​​Is the junction on the drivers side fender? What would I then check in this scenario to validate what is wrong?

As the car sits now I have battery voltage at the starter but then when I check the post on the junction there is zero. How do you check if a fusible link is bad? Does it visually look bad?

While I was under the starter I was moving some wires and the purple wire broke near the fusible link. I was hoping to clean the ends and put them together to see if I had power but ran out of time.

2mnyvets

Alan was kind enough to post a picture of the junction in a previous post.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-location.html

This is for a 70? My 73 has a lug not a bus, but it is in the same general location. This is located on the driverside fenderwell.

I believe the purple wire is from the ignition switch and is powered when the key is in the start position.

If it isn't visibly broken/melted, sometimes you can feel the broken wire. If not, I stick a straight pin through the insulation.