i recently bought a 72 Scamp with a 360. A few times I’ve gone to start it and there is no power whatsoever. At first when I get in there’s domelight and dash lights but when I turn the key all power shuts off no crank or anything. It will jumpstart just fine. It has the orange ignition control box. I’ve seen on some other post that those are garbage. Any thoughts?
No power at all
- Thread starter BCplus3
- Start date
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It jump starts? As in boosted?
New battery in the car or old?
New battery in the car or old?
MOPAROFFICIAL
Oogliboogli
Wiring gremlins
Brand new Interstate. Sometimes it starts just fine but other times you get in with lights you turn the key and all power goes out and does not return. I jumpstarted it with my truck twice and everything is fine.
MOPAROFFICIAL
Oogliboogli
Fusible link, feel if its warm.
Is the amp gauge working?
Make sure the starter switch on fender by battery is grounded good.
Divenut
Well-Known Member
Bulkhead connections can be a pain. I had intermittent no start issues on my Duster that I ultimately trace back to the bulkhead connector.
Sounds like a bad connection at the battery, If it jump starts o.k. then you a bad connection at the battery! Make's sense? Or a bad battery, never been a fan of interstate battery's I use to sell them and they were junk then.
You a fan of Optima? This is my first classic. Never had to give the battery much thought. Just bought the best at the store. It’s show car quality. Just trying to get it running right. Very new to this. This site is very helpful.
Lets break that up.
If it starts up with a jumper, the key switch should be in RUN.
When you turn the key and all power shuts off, is this in Run, or Start?
Also what does the ammeter show in each of these cases?
I think from start. Sorry. Running off memory here. When you twist to start everything goes dead and stays dead like a dead battery, but the battery is full. Go back an hour later and get a dome light again but then all goes dead when you twist to start. Jumps fine like a ground issue. Just was hoping for an ah-ha moment on here. Haven’t metered anything yet.
In reverse order.
Ammeter
There's an ammeter in the instrument panel.
It shows the amount of current flowing to or from the battery, excluding the power to the starter.
When equipment is on, and the engine isn't running, the ammeter will show discharging.
For example, open the door and the dome light goes on. The ammeter will show a a few amps discharge.
Turn the headlights on, and it will show maybe 10-15 amps discharge.
After starting, it should show charging. When the battery is recharged the meter will be centered.
Start and everything goes dead
It sounds like whatever power is available gets diverted to the starter and draws down the battery.
My guess is eventually it recovers a bit.
Stock battery should be a Group 24 (size). Interstate would label it MT-24.
Give a long slow charge if you can.
If you can have the battery load tested that would answer that question.
A handheld voltmeter can be used as a cruder way to check on the car. But it doesn't sound like you have one.
Turn on the headlights. If they are really weak, then the battery is low or the connection is poor.
Start with the connections right at the battery. Each one should be clean and tight. Start with the ground cable and follow it to its other connections. Do not reinstall the connection at the negative post yet. Check the positive cables. The heavy cable goes directly to the starter, the smaller positive cable goes to starter relay. When you're done checking and cleaning the positive cables connections, then reconnect the negative cable to the battery negative post.
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xLURKxDOGx
"An angel fat, at satan's feast"
Replace your battery cables. I went through this a month ago.
Jake
Jake
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
"Throwing money" at a problem is seldom the best / most effective way and certainly usually not the cheapest
IT IS EASY to learn to troubleshoot. Identify key points in the car that should have power
The alternator stud, the starter relay "big stud" and both ends of the battery cables. A cheap multimeter and test lamp WHICH EVERY CAR OWNER should have who does any work at all should have
Make sure like not bolted to a painted surface? Because it is. Where is the ground coming from?
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
The box/ ECU tinwork MUST be grounded. That is the return path for the circuitry. I would scour some paint off the backside of the box, around the screw holes, maybe use some anti-ox electrical grease, and use bolts. Maybe put the nut in the engine bay so it doesn't corrode from road splash. Use star lock washers
The same is true, by the way, of the voltage regulator
The same is true, by the way, of the voltage regulator
Inertia
Well-Known Member
Clean the battery terminals, and connectors.
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