Hello I was working on my 1972 dodge polara and trying to fix and clean up previous owners mess and the next day I came out to start it up snd got nothing nothing work at all I've got good connection and battery charged if anyone can help direct me to video showing how to wiring a ignition or any advice on where to start trouble shooting would be greatly appreciated also I should mention the resistor is bypassed for some reason
No power no lights no nothing
- Thread starter slick72
- Start date
You need to start with basics and work your way into it.
First thing I would try is to jump the starter relay. Take a screwdriver and stick it between the two connections I circled. If the engine turns over, the battery and connections are good. But if it's really dead, it won't turn over.
If it doesn't turn over, the first place to start is the battery. Take the terminals off and clean them. That's the usual issue. From there, look at the ground connection to the block and the connections to the starter and starter relay. Sometimes you need to take them off and clean them to really see if there's a problem.
First thing I would try is to jump the starter relay. Take a screwdriver and stick it between the two connections I circled. If the engine turns over, the battery and connections are good. But if it's really dead, it won't turn over.
If it doesn't turn over, the first place to start is the battery. Take the terminals off and clean them. That's the usual issue. From there, look at the ground connection to the block and the connections to the starter and starter relay. Sometimes you need to take them off and clean them to really see if there's a problem.
Tried to jump starter relay nothing I don't think ignition is getting power could the starter relay go out just out of nowhere? I feel like theres a ground im not grounding skmehere with guages
If jumping the relay did nothing, the problem is with a battery connection because that bypasses just about everything, including the relay. Try what I suggested with cleaning battery terminals and the connections. I'll bet that's where the problem is.
The starter relay failing wouldn't cause the car to not have power.
I cleaned the terminals and ground they all good im still not sure
Did you confirm the battery is functional? Put a meter across the terminals and verify that you have good voltage. If so, then the next thing is to see if the battery can stand a load test.
Many batteries can have an internal plate failure and experience "sudden death", even showing 12V when checked, but fail immediately upon a load test.
Many batteries can have an internal plate failure and experience "sudden death", even showing 12V when checked, but fail immediately upon a load test.
^This^
Put your meter on the battery and turn on the lights and see if it drops.
Brand new battery maybe it dropped a cell I'll test it tommorow but yes its reading 12v
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
If you can get ANOTHER battery, replace the current one with that, then see what happens as a basic sanity check.
Lights won't come on nothing works
Ill try that tommorow thank all of you for input
The other thing is that pesky fusible link. It comes out of the bulkhead connector, and depening on the model can have a complete effect on the most basic electrical function - however, the starter should still turn over...
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
It will if he jumps it from the relay anyway. IDK about 1977 Mopar C bodies and how they placed the fusible link, but I would guess they still did it about the same way, given their conservative approach to electrical design then.
Yeah starter isnt turning over and all electronics aren't working except amp gauge witch is brand new
Ill look into the fusible link
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
OK, IFF the amp gauge shows something, then there must be current to it. WHAT does your amp gauge show? The fusible link will be good if there is actual current through that amp gauge.
Yes, I know that. The idea is to put some sort of load on the battery.
In other words, you have 12 volts and then you load it, the voltage drops and the lights don't work.
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
THAT is a VOLTAGE GAUGE. WHERE did you connect it?
Same place as amp did I **** up?
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
YES, you did. DISCONNECT THAT DAMNED THING, REWIRE THE AMP GAUGE AND THEN LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS!
I might suggest you connect both wire lugs together on the amp gauge if it doesn't work. When you do so, this will bypass the amp gauge, and give you a complete circuit to your instrument panel, ignition switch and such. Later, I will tell you where to attach an after market voltage gauge to give an accurate reading of what's coming from the alternator, without short circuiting your instrument panel, ignition switch et al. Soon, you should study the wiring diagrams for your '77 Monaco, as its really important you learn what goes where.
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