1969 won’t start
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Cruising
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 14
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1969 won’t start
New to posting, so sorry for any inappropriate stuff. 1969 350/350. Solid lifters n cam. Anyway, tried to start on very cold day. Turned over n stalled; not unusual for this car. Tried starting again, heard a “clunk”, then nothing. I mean nothing. Like there is no power going to the ignition. I am by no means mechanical n don’t know where to start. Has anyone run into this?
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
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New to posting, so sorry for any inappropriate stuff. 1969 350/350. Solid lifters n cam. Anyway, tried to start on very cold day. Turned over n stalled; not unusual for this car. Tried starting again, heard a “clunk”, then nothing. I mean nothing. Like there is no power going to the ignition. I am by no means mechanical n don’t know where to start. Has anyone run into this?
I assume you don't have a voltmeter?
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From: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
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If your knowledge is limited, it's likely that you are only capable of checking the basics. Check the battery cables at the battery. Are they tight? Check the ground cable where it attaches to the frame. Basically right under the battery, you will need to get under the car to check this. I had this come loose on mine years ago. Did just like your car.
if all that is good. Check the wiring at the starter solenoid. Everything tight? And as above, lights nice and bright? If not charge battery. Do they dim when you attempt to crank the engine?
if all that is good. Check the wiring at the starter solenoid. Everything tight? And as above, lights nice and bright? If not charge battery. Do they dim when you attempt to crank the engine?
Racer
Joined: Dec 2022
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If your knowledge is limited, it's likely that you are only capable of checking the basics. Check the battery cables at the battery. Are they tight? Check the ground cable where it attaches to the frame. Basically right under the battery, you will need to get under the car to check this. I had this come loose on mine years ago. Did just like your car.
if all that is good. Check the wiring at the starter solenoid. Everything tight? And as above, lights nice and bright? If not charge battery. Do they dim when you attempt to crank the engine?
if all that is good. Check the wiring at the starter solenoid. Everything tight? And as above, lights nice and bright? If not charge battery. Do they dim when you attempt to crank the engine?
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
you are talking a almost 60 year old car !! Buy the AIMS manual it’s your best friend!! Be prepared to have many parts fail on these cars they were only built to least 5 years by GM . Study as much as you can, watch tube videos and try to fix everything you can yourself. If you have to take the car to a mechanic everytime you will be underwater very fast . These cars were not built like other muscle cars of the 70’s .. they were built for corporate gained because they look good.
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Thread Starter
Cruising
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,809
From: Cool Northern Michigan
RedRag,
Yes, usually you hear the notorious click.
But the clunk you heard might be the solenoid. It just welded itself. Bit the bullet. Headed south. Fried its internals.
Those poor solenoids do all the grunt work. Take the voltage, send the voltage to the starter, tell the Bendix to go to meet the flywheel.
All that, plus being subject to extreme heat of the exhaust. No wonder the starter will out-live three solenoids.
There is a way to test the solenoid only, by running jumper wire. Use great caution around that area when probing with "live-wires". You don't want to fry your fuses.
Solenoids are inexpensive. ($25) The better ones are heavy duty with a brown end cap. That, is ceramic to handle the heat better.
Your first dilemma is getting the front-end up on ramps, when it won't start.
If you remove any wires to the solenoid, photograph or tag the wires with masking tape & a Sharpie.
As always, disconnect the Batt before removing starter.
Good luck
Yes, usually you hear the notorious click.
But the clunk you heard might be the solenoid. It just welded itself. Bit the bullet. Headed south. Fried its internals.
Those poor solenoids do all the grunt work. Take the voltage, send the voltage to the starter, tell the Bendix to go to meet the flywheel.
All that, plus being subject to extreme heat of the exhaust. No wonder the starter will out-live three solenoids.
There is a way to test the solenoid only, by running jumper wire. Use great caution around that area when probing with "live-wires". You don't want to fry your fuses.
Solenoids are inexpensive. ($25) The better ones are heavy duty with a brown end cap. That, is ceramic to handle the heat better.
Your first dilemma is getting the front-end up on ramps, when it won't start.
If you remove any wires to the solenoid, photograph or tag the wires with masking tape & a Sharpie.
As always, disconnect the Batt before removing starter.
Good luck
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
RedRag,
Yes, usually you hear the notorious click.
But the clunk you heard might be the solenoid. It just welded itself. Bit the bullet. Headed south. Fried its internals.
Those poor solenoids do all the grunt work. Take the voltage, send the voltage to the starter, tell the Bendix to go to meet the flywheel.
All that, plus being subject to extreme heat of the exhaust. No wonder the starter will out-live three solenoids.
There is a way to test the solenoid only, by running jumper wire. Use great caution around that area when probing with "live-wires". You don't want to fry your fuses.
Solenoids are inexpensive. ($25) The better ones are heavy duty with a brown end cap. That, is ceramic to handle the heat better.
Your first dilemma is getting the front-end up on ramps, when it won't start.
If you remove any wires to the solenoid, photograph or tag the wires with masking tape & a Sharpie.
As always, disconnect the Batt before removing starter.
Good luck
Yes, usually you hear the notorious click.
But the clunk you heard might be the solenoid. It just welded itself. Bit the bullet. Headed south. Fried its internals.
Those poor solenoids do all the grunt work. Take the voltage, send the voltage to the starter, tell the Bendix to go to meet the flywheel.
All that, plus being subject to extreme heat of the exhaust. No wonder the starter will out-live three solenoids.
There is a way to test the solenoid only, by running jumper wire. Use great caution around that area when probing with "live-wires". You don't want to fry your fuses.
Solenoids are inexpensive. ($25) The better ones are heavy duty with a brown end cap. That, is ceramic to handle the heat better.
Your first dilemma is getting the front-end up on ramps, when it won't start.
If you remove any wires to the solenoid, photograph or tag the wires with masking tape & a Sharpie.
As always, disconnect the Batt before removing starter.
Good luck
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
MelWff. No lights. Charged the battery n finally got it started. Weird, but the battery showed 34% charged. Wonder if I have some kind of short that causes it to do nothing. It did it again, but I kept trying n it started.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 18,667
Likes: 2,564
Remove the battery in the winter, bring it inside and use a maintenance charger.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,809
From: Cool Northern Michigan
RedRag,
You could very well have, not a short, but a Parasitic Draw of some kind.
But first, keep in mind those old-style alternators do not charge batteries rapidly. In fact, they do very little at idle and may not do any charging at really low RPMs.
Perhaps you have seen the GEN light come on below 600 RPMs.
Usually, a good half hour drive will bring the battery power up to specs.
A parasitic draw can be hidden, unknown to the driver. It could be something simple like a dome light.
Some models have a spare tire courtesy light, that may not shut off. Or rear compartment light?
Wiper relay, alarm system or a stereo CD system.
A simple test with the dome light deactivated, unhook the NEG batt cable. Put a OHM meter between the two.
Should read zero draw. (some clocks may draw a milliamp)
Just a note here on sleeping batteries.
An automotive type battery will lose 1% power per day. That's not much, right?
How about after 30 days? And 60 days? = 60%
3 months and so on.
That's why so many of us incorporate a battery maintainer.
You could very well have, not a short, but a Parasitic Draw of some kind.
But first, keep in mind those old-style alternators do not charge batteries rapidly. In fact, they do very little at idle and may not do any charging at really low RPMs.
Perhaps you have seen the GEN light come on below 600 RPMs.
Usually, a good half hour drive will bring the battery power up to specs.
A parasitic draw can be hidden, unknown to the driver. It could be something simple like a dome light.
Some models have a spare tire courtesy light, that may not shut off. Or rear compartment light?
Wiper relay, alarm system or a stereo CD system.
A simple test with the dome light deactivated, unhook the NEG batt cable. Put a OHM meter between the two.
Should read zero draw. (some clocks may draw a milliamp)
Just a note here on sleeping batteries.
An automotive type battery will lose 1% power per day. That's not much, right?
How about after 30 days? And 60 days? = 60%
3 months and so on.
That's why so many of us incorporate a battery maintainer.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,809
From: Cool Northern Michigan
RedRag,
If you do try the Parasitic Draw test at the battery with a meter, you obviously must have the doors closed.
Or, jamb a piece of wood between the door and dome light switch.
If your meter does show some amps being drawn, start pulling fuses, one at a time, until your meter reads zero or near zero.
That fuse that stopped the draw is the culprit. Then you have to trace that circuit to find the root of the cause.
Another thing:
You could have the best ALT, best battery and no slippage fan belts on the market.
But if there is a poor GRD anywhere in the charging system, the battery will not self-charge.
A perfect charging circuit has perfect grounds too.
If you do try the Parasitic Draw test at the battery with a meter, you obviously must have the doors closed.
Or, jamb a piece of wood between the door and dome light switch.
If your meter does show some amps being drawn, start pulling fuses, one at a time, until your meter reads zero or near zero.
That fuse that stopped the draw is the culprit. Then you have to trace that circuit to find the root of the cause.
Another thing:
You could have the best ALT, best battery and no slippage fan belts on the market.
But if there is a poor GRD anywhere in the charging system, the battery will not self-charge.
A perfect charging circuit has perfect grounds too.