Totally stumped

[70NPORT]

I got no power in my car, except for the fact the starter will spin the 383 over. No lights, radio, dash lights, door buzzer, no nothing except the for the starter....but the motor will not catch, so kind of dead in the water so to speak. I was at a paintball game/shoot out in the NJ pine barrens yesterday and I noticed on the way home under mild acceleration the 383 was hesitating a bit. Long story short today the car would start at all. I know it is not a fuel problem. I checked for a spark by removing the coil wire off the top of the distributor and held it near a thoroughly grounded out spot of metal on the car....no spark arching, did this twice, same results. Definitely no spark. Finally after trying 2 of this and 3 of that (nothing worked) I ran a lead from the positive side of the coil to the positive side of the battery and the 383 fired right up (I would never do this unless desperation demanded it......it did). Anyways I was able to get the car into my garage for the night. It won't start any other way. My first guess would be a toasted ballast resistor (or ECU or both)? BUT those would not kill the lights, horn, buzzer, etc. when the car isnt even on (and key isn't in ignition)? Next: Fusible link, checked that out with a test light, no problems there either and bulk head connectors are pristine but I don't think the problem resides there anyways.

So I'm totally stumped. One damn thing is certain, I'm glad as hell I didn't get stranded in the NJ Pine barrens last night. Thoughts?

 

[Newp]

Dash mounted amp gauge.

 

[73 T&C]

Dash mounted amp gauge.

Yep... Check connections ... All the power for the car runs through it... Disconnect battery and check for loose connection then continuity through the bulkhead .....and turn everything off. Working it live can give you a hell of a spark if your not careful.

 

[70NPORT]

Copy that.
Dammit. I guess no mopar escapes the curse., sooner or later.

 

[440Sled]

While you're in there, bypass that thing.

 

[70NPORT]

While you're in there, bypass that thing.

Hell yes. Already had a voltmeter set up under the dash anyways...the alt gauge was just redundant.

 

[70NPORT]

So what would I have more luck doing....try and go in behind the panel to get at back of "AMP" gauge (a nightmare) OR better to remove instrument panel from the front to get at it? What have you done? Its a total nightmare to go in from behind....steering wheel column bracket is sitting right there, its also blocking the second stud on the back of the amp gauge.

 

[Wollfen]

The easiest way to get at it is to remove the cluster first, definitely.

 

[70NPORT]

Affirmative. I was thinking that too after staring at the whole assy for about a half hour straight. I just want to get the wheels rolling again...driving Japanese.

 

[Big_John]

While I agree that issue is probably with the ammeter, it would probably be a good idea to check it with a volt meter or at least a test light before pulling the cluster out.

If you have voltage on one terminal and not the other... It's the ammeter. Voltage on both sides... The problem is after the ammeter. No voltage on either terminal and the problem is before the ammeter.

I'd hate to see you pull this all apart and the problem not be with the ammeter...

 

[MrMoparCHP]

Here is a quick test to see if it is the ammeter.
Get a length of 10ga wire and run it between the alternator and the battery (at the starter relay).
This will backfeed the system and bypass the ammeter.

Alan

 

[70NPORT]

Here is a quick test to see if it is the ammeter.
Get a length of 10ga wire and run it between the alternator and the battery (at the starter relay).
This will backfeed the system and bypass the ammeter.

Alan

Thanks Alan. I've had that set going for several months now....10awg wire between the batt stud on the alternator and the relay on the fire wall. It is protected by a fusible link.

 

[70NPORT]

Thanks Alan. I've had that set going for several months now....10awg wire between the batt stud on the alternator and the relay on the fire wall. It is protected by a fusible link.

Which I have just now discovered the link has fried itself....what luck.

 

[1978 NYB]

Which I have just now discovered the link has fried itself....what luck.

Have you figured out what is causing it to fry yet?

 

[70NPORT]

Have you figured out what is causing it to fry yet?

No, not yet. I just put in a new link. I checked to make sure there were frayed wires or anything in contact with something else, nada. The last time something like this happened I made sure to put new wire in and heat shrink wrap just below connectors to make double sure nothing is exposed. Going to go for a spin to see how it goes. I was getting hesitation before this occurred the other day.

 

[1978 NYB]

Disconnect the battery ground and take a multimeter or a test light and check to see if you have continuity to ground on that circuit/link. If you do have continuity to ground you still have a short somewhere to fix immediately.

 

[70NPORT]

Disconnect the battery ground and take a multimeter or a test light and check to see if you have continuity to ground on that circuit/link. If you do have continuity to ground you still have a short somewhere to fix immediately.

Disconnected the batt ground, put a test light on that wire and got nothing. The ohmeter read something like .4 of .5 ohms.

 

[Wildaugust]

I'm glad you got it running.
Just wondering what size is your fuse link?
I've had digital ohmmeters that will read .4 or .5 ohms even if you just touch their test leads together. If that's the case, then it's actually reading 0 ohms.

 

[70NPORT]

I'm glad you got it running.
Just wondering what size is your fuse link?
I've had digital ohmmeters that will read .4 or .5 ohms even if you just touch their test leads together. If that's the case, then it's actually reading 0 ohms.

Thanks, me too. I have 14 AWG fusible link protecting the 10AWG wire. I used a test light with a lead on it incase my Ohmmeter was not reading correctly. The light was totally dead.

 

[Wildaugust]

OK, the 14 ga Fusible Link seems like the right size. Did you get the .4 or .5 ohm measurement by connecting the ohmmeter between the 10 ga wire and ground? If so, I think there's a short (probably intermittent) somewhere because the alternator's diodes should prevent you from getting a reading (continuity) through the alternator to ground and the battery ground was disconnected.