Having a day...and need some help..

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69moredoor

69moredoor

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Had to jockey cars around the driveway as I’m getting ready for a funeral (friend killed himself the other day) Fired up the valiant and let her run in the driveway since she hasn’t been run in a few weeks. 273/904 car. It had been on a charger.
While she’s warming up the power steering pump starts screeching and losing fluid from behind the pulley...ok. Gotta fix that. Turn car off. Top PS fluid off and prepare to drive it by my workspace.
Car starts again...get ready to move it..disconnect battery charger. Start moving it. After a few feet car dies. figured alternator may have gone too. Connect charger go to start. Dome light is on. Turn key...nothing. I did see a very small puff at the positive lug like when you connect jumper cables
Dome light is now out
Head scratching begins
I check to make sure power steering pulley didn’t seize and bind things up for some reason..nope
I check battery. Nope it’s good
I check starter relay. Nothing by bridging the gap. If the starter relay is bad will it kill the rest of the electrical? fan and wipers don’t work also
What do I check next. I’m spent and have to get ready for the funeral. Just looking for things to check when tomorrow comes

thanks guys
 
im real sorry to hear about your buddy


wish i could help with the electrical but its not jiving with me
i would suspect a ground wire or something

fusable link maybe?
 
Loose/dirty battery terminals. Remove, clean GOOD, put them back on and tighten.

Really sorry about your friend. You have my deepest sympathy.
 
Sorry for your loss.

I would swap in a know good and fully charged battery.

The puff at the post terminal might have been the post frying internally, making just enough connection to read 12v on a meter but not enough to power the car.

Try turning on the headlights and check battery voltage.

Could be as simple as rustyratrod said, dirty connections

You said dome light is on, when you turn the key does it go out?


69moredoor said:
If the starter relay is bad will it kill the rest of the electrical
Click to expand...
No
 
tough day. wish I knew enough to help. Seems like its always the ground when I get into stuff like this.
 
Or a dead or bad battery.
If it was a on a trickle or self regulating charger the whole time, then it should have started on its own without the charger attached.

I think at this point, the best things to do are:
1) look at the mechanical connections and wiring.
2) Check the battery condition. I dont know what you in terms of battery or tools. A voltmeter reading will give a ballpark idea of the charge state and condition. A hydrometer is another, better, way.
 
Trust me. It's loose or dirty terminals. Don't buy anything Just clean them properly and tighten them good.
 
Mattax said:
1) look at the mechanical connections and wiring.
Click to expand...
The dome light is on one of the two fuses that should always be hot.
Headlights, parking light, and brake lights are also always hot.
If none of those work, then the battery has no power or there is a break in the supply or ground path that they have in common.
That's basicly neg battery cable an dgrounds, and the battery positive wire going to the main splice.
upload_2021-8-13_11-26-17.png


After checking the battery terminal connections.
Check the ring terminal connections at the stud on the starter relay.
Then if all good check the the fusible link. Thats an undesized wire to protect against major shorts. Make sure its intact.
Here's one on an original '67 harness.
upload_2020-7-1_7-23-52-png-png.png
 
RustyRatRod said:
Trust me. It's loose or dirty terminals. Don't buy anything Just clean them properly and tighten them good.
Click to expand...

If I had a $1 for ever parting lot "I need a Jump" where I cleaned the battery terminals & cable ends and they fired up and drove off I'd have enough money to fill my Darts tank today.


Sorry to hear about your friend.....the world is a screwed up place right now. I hope his family find peace through it all. I've been through the same scenario with family. Lots of questions and not many answers.
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys. I’ll update Monday. Yesterday was a long day and I’m not off until Monday..
 
Take care of business, the car can wait. Sorry for you and your communities loss.
 
I just wanted to say thanks guys. It’s funny what a clear head and guidance from you all will do....

it was the positive terminal ...super easy. All good....

now to find a trw pump...
 
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