Sudden loss of power

-

Hilderbrand1983

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
154
Reaction score
27
Location
Indiana
I posted something yesterday about possibly taking my '67 Dart 270 (225cid L6 automatic trans) on a 12-hour drive. It's not going to be doing that any time soon because ...

I was running errands yesterday and everything went well. In fact, the car has been remarkably stable over the past two months -- such that I thought I'd worked out all the major kinks in the system. At my last stop, I parked the car and turned it off. When I went to start it again, I turned the key and nothing happened. I opened the door and realized that the dome light wouldn't come on. None of the electrical stuff was working, period. Tried to jump it, but no dice.

As the inner debate raged about whether I should just push it into a ditch and forget it, I got out my handy multimeter to do some checkin'. The connections seem good -- battery (12.7V), battery-to-starter relay, battery-to-starter solenoid, starter relay-to-starter solenoid, battery-to-alternator, battery-to-engine block. It all checks out. The brown wire from the starter relay to the starter solenoid reads 0V, but I'm not sure what to make of that.

I thought it might be something with the transmission (maybe the car didn't "know" it was in park), but that wouldn't cause a loss of power, would it? Also, when it came time to push it onto a trailer, it switched into Neutral fine and back into Park without a problem.

This one has me stumped. Any direction or advice is appreciated.
 
Possibly a bad connection at the Bulkhead connector. Same thing has happened to me several times, give the the connector a wiggle and it has power again.
 
First thing to do is download the factory manual at mymopar.com.
 
First thing to do is download the factory manual at mymopar.com.

This, I have done -- and it has been a most helpful resource. Still puzzled about what to do, though. Going out now to clean the battery posts and wiggle the bulkhead connectors.
 
I was just typing that, when you responded. If that is the culprit, the I would recommend performing the MAD electrical upgrade
 
Check for voltage at the bulkhead connector first. If that is OK, then follow it to the ammeter. ( don't forget to disconnect the battery if you are pulling the cluster)
 
Funny story -- I went out to try to find the culprit connection just now. I opened the door and, whaddaya know, the dome light came on! I put the key in the ignition, and she fired up just fine (for a cold slant-six that has points and a mechanical fuel pump, that is).

Now I'm even more confused!
 
Have had the same thing happen...with the car running wiggle the bulkhead connector and see if it will die.
 
Start by removing, and cleaning the engine, and body grounds from battery( one on engine block, and one on radiator support) Disconnect the bulk head connector and clean and inspect. I like to clean them with electrical terminal connector aerasol spray, or brake clean. Install a liberal coat of dielectric grease, and reassemble.
 
OH and a side note - If the bulkhead connector is loose fitting, or shows signs of melting the connector or wires, then I would HIGHLY recommend the MAD electrical upgrade.
 
I pulled the connectors from the bulkhead, sprayed them with electrical component cleaner (both the male and female ends), and allowed it to dry. Then, I blasted the female connectors with dielectric grease and plugged everything back in. Starts like a dream!

Now if I could only get the choke to work right while the engine is cold ... looks like overhauling the (1bbl) carb is my next job! (No telling when it was worked on last.)
 
Glad to hear it. So how did the bulkhead look, was anything corroded or show signs of overheating?Whats wrong with the choke?
 
Fusible link look ok?
Wiggle it and see if you loose power.
Try to stretch it.
They go out slowly, sometimes the insulation looks fine but it's crispy on the inside.
 
I had this problem and I think it was related to my amp gauge. The car would shut off and five minutes later be fine then run for a month without doing it again. I ended up getting a new set of gauges and haven't had this problem since. I could tell the old amp gauge had been heating up a lot.
 
Glad to hear it. So how did the bulkhead look, was anything corroded or show signs of overheating?Whats wrong with the choke?
It's back to not starting, no power ... might be an ammeter problem.

The bulkhead looked fine, really, considering it has been operating for 50 years without any grease / oil to protect it. Just minor surface corrosion, nothing exciting.

I assume that I have a problem with the choke on my Holley 1920 carb. When the engine is cold, if I give the accelerator more than a tiny tap, the car sputters and nearly dies. It comes back to life when I take my foot off the accelerator. As it begins to warm up, everything evens out. That's why I think it's the choke. It'll be a fun and easy overhaul, or as easy as carbs get. There's no telling when it was last worked on, and whether the gaskets and such are ethanol-resistant.
 
Fusible link look ok?
Wiggle it and see if you loose power.
Try to stretch it.
They go out slowly, sometimes the insulation looks fine but it's crispy on the inside.

Yep, pinch along the length of the fusable link and it should feel hard... If you find a soft/squishy part, there is the bad connection...
 
DOH !!! I hate when that happens. Break out the multi meter, do not disconnect the connector and check for power coming into bulkhead connector. If you read battery voltage, then check it on the interior side of the connector.If you read battery voltage there than move up to your amp gauge and check for voltage in, and out. If its the amp gauge, then simply splice them together thus eliminating the gauge altogether and perform the MAD electrical bypass Catalog. If you bypass the amp gauge ( which is recommended anyways ) you can install a volt gauge in or under you dash.Some members here have done some really nice volt gauge retrofits that will replace your AMP gauge and look perfectly stock, just do a search on here.
 
Ok, I done figured it out. And, of course, it was a quick and easy fix -- you know, the kind that always get overlooked because "it can't be something stupid like that"?

I had a bad chassis ground.

I had been fiddling with the heater hoses the other day, and apparently pulled one of them just loose enough that an ever-so-slight drip was coming out of one ... right onto a ground to the chassis. I unhooked the ground, scrubbed it with a steel brush, slammed it with dielectric grease and re-attached it. Then, I tightened up my heater hose. Problem solved!
 
I just remembered a battery ground cable ( on a chevy ) that pulled right out of the end terminal/lug securely bolted to the block. I stumbled onto this fault that others before me hadn't found.
 
Nice find, that's why I always start with the grounds whenever I have an electrical gremlin. Now it would be wise to perform the MAD electrical upgrade. Congrats.
 
-
Back
Top