1984 Electrical problem
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 13
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1984 Electrical problem
I just had a new battery put in at Sears. Not long after, I am driving at night, when the car goes dead, but the headlights still work. Nothing happens when I turn the key, and I checked all the fuses. (except for 2 silver cased things in the fuse area.) I had to get a tow home. Any ideas?
Bob
Bob
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,284
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From: Whitehall Pa.
Automatic or 4-speed? I had a problem with my manual with the mat under the clutch pedal and not allowing the clutch to fully depress. Now I always check my floor mat to make sure it's not shoved forward.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 589
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From: PA
Jack up the car and follow the wires from the starter. You'll find the fusable link in a thick red wire. It'll go up the fire wall, across it and over the the drivers side. Keep following it and you should find an inline plug (somewhere around or under the brake booster). This plug could have come apart.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2009
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Yes, I guess I should be able to trace the line, off the starter. I never heard of a single, fusable link before. (mine is an automatic) I wonder if this happened, because I was trying to reinvent the wheel, with my headlight motors. I could not figure out the wiring/relay system, but I did notice that the headlight motors work on DC voltage. So I ran a pair of wires from the relay, to inside the drivers side. My plan was to rig a switch, so I could simply reverse polarity, by flipping a switch, and the motors would go the other way. I drove the car, before the switch was wired, and they probably toughed together. Now they don't work at all. I will probably need a new relay. I hate electrical problems!
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2009
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I was under my 84 corvette, saw the red wire, or wires, at the starter motor. I saw 2 things that looked like they might contain fuses, (as you might find on an auto radio) but they were one piece, and appear solid. Are those the links?
Bob
Bob
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
The fusible link is an inline fuse, it looks like a couple inch long bulge in the wire. Fusible links are a short section of smaller gauge wire in line with one of the car wires and in case of a short circuit, they melt (fuse) and open the circuit to keep the car from catching fire from red hot wires caused by a short circuit. NEVER EVER get rid of a fuse. Since you have no electrical power, you might have a blown fusible link and the 84's get power to the ignition switch through a fusible link connected to the large cable on the starter motor. Almost all of the cars electrical power passes through the ignition switch. You need to see if the fusible link/s on the wire/s on the large bolt on the starter motor are open circuit with an ohmeter.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 13
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Just the info I needed. I saw what must be a pair of these fuses, right near the starter, and on one of them, the wire was aged, and basically disconnected. My car is not raised up, right now, and it was hard to tell, exactly where it came from, but I have an idea, and when I raise the car, I believe I know where it goes.
Thank you very much!
Bob
Thank you very much!
Bob
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 13
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Is the fusable link, a resetting thing? I appears that way, in my case. The red wire, off the fusable link, had broken off. I cleaned it, and ran a 10 gauge, teflon wire, directly to the battery. When I did that, power returned to everything, and it ran. After a minute, I smelled smoke, and saw it around the heater/defroster fan. Looking closely, it looks as though it was coming from a relay, below it. The car shut down by itself, but I was able to get power back, after a little fiddling. Any thoughts?
Bob
Bob
