Help - No electrical power at all (67 Barracuda)
Ok - First Thank You all for the detailed responses. I feel like I actually have a shot at fixing this. Tonight I tested the alternator looking for voltage and got nothing. I can find it on both sides of the bulkhead before I get to the ammeter but nothing after the ammeter. My thought was to follow the wire up to the ammeter but I don't see how I can do that without removing the dash to get at it. I figure if the ammeter is bad that I would just connect the 2 wires that attach to the ammeter and run like that until I can replace the ammeter with a voltmeter.
Looks like a job for this weekend! :)
You're welcome.
If you can't reach the ammeter (and I don't recall being able to on my barracuda) the easiest check locations are bulkhead connector cavity P and the Starter switch connector hot feed (the cavity with red wire next to the two blue wires).
You can either check for voltage to ground as you've been doing, or disconnect the battery positive and check for resistance between terminals.
It could be the ammeter's connecting studs are not well secured to the metal shunt plate.
Just as likely, more likely in my experience, is a wire terminal connection has failed. This would be one of the metal terminals crimped to the wire.
If any of these have even a strand of wire, or a light connection, it should still indicate battery voltage reading when everything is off. So it seems likely either a wire connection is broken through or is very loose.
To check for a broken or loose wire, disconnect the battery and tug gently on the wires. There also should be signs of overheating by the bad connection.
If the problem is at the ammeter or associated wire terminals, I think its worth loosening the steering column so the instrument panel can be pulled out of the dash enough to see everything.
