Wont start..like i have NO battery

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jorez

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1965 Dart, started up fine, drove around the block a few times..depressed the brake pedal to slow down and turn around...everything shuts off. Ok, put in park, turned the key..and nothin!!! WTF!!! Its like someone took the battery out..but the battery is fine..so i dont know if its a fuse..some electrical crap or i just totaly messed this thing up. It is parked now in the yard, and Im not around to look at it..but i did look at the 6 fuses under the dash and they all look fine...any other ideas?
 
Tried that. not even a click...again, like someone walked away with the battery...nothin electric at all.
 
Does anything work? Headlights etc?
 
You need a test light to check for current. You may have burned a fuseable link. Had the car been setting and you jumped it to get it started?
 
nothing whatsoever that needs an electric connection. It rolls great..thank god for light cars..LOL

I did put one of those carry around jump starter hookup things on it..put it did nothing. Again, with it hooked up, no lights, no click..nada,.:dontknow:
 
Jumper across right at the two starter terminals. If you get nothing, you either have

a bad battery clamp

a bad cable

or a bad/ dead battery

or a bad starter
 
jorez said:
nothing whatsoever that needs an electric connection. It rolls great..thank god for light cars..LOL

I did put one of those carry around jump starter hookup things on it..put it did nothing. Again, with it hooked up, no lights, no click..nada,.:dontknow:
Click to expand...

Check the battery cables to make sure they are clean and tight. You can't do much without a test light or a multimeter.
 
You try jumping it at the starter solenoid? Does your lights come on? When you turn key to on position, does the needle on amp gauge do anything? Try looking at the either red or black wire going to main wire block in firewall. The wire will be of heavier gauge than any others. Hope picture helps.
 

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67Dart273 said:
Jumper across right at the two starter terminals. If you get nothing, you either have

a bad battery clamp

a bad cable

or a bad/ dead battery

or a bad starter
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will give it a shot on Monday when Im back out there. I appreciate the quick responses from you all!!!
 
my 66 did this, it was the shunt in the ammeter, it literally blew up, right then and there, and i had absolutely NOTHING past the firewall. went to start it, crank crank crank POP.......nothing. :eek:ops:
 
Almost the same thing happen to me too. No power for anything. It was the corroded connections on the back of the ammeter.
 
Starter relay or that stupid white thing on the fire wall. Havin a brain fart. Can't remember the name of it.
 
That's why I asked him if he had to jump it to start it. If the battery is dead and you jump it to get it started the alternator will be at maximum output and the shunt on the ammeter cant handle 45+ amps. tmm
 
How hard did you stop? Maybe the battery fell out! :tongue3:

Seriously, I start at the battery cables. Make sure you have a tight connection at the battery/ terminals. Make sure the cables are in good condition. Go from there. Chances are it's at the battery since you lost everything all at once.
 
You need a multimeter to test anything electrical. Today's newspaper has free coupon for one at Harbor Freight, but I already have 7 of those (one in each car).

As mentioned, all current from the battery to the cabin flows thru the dash ammeter, so if that connection is bad, you get nothing to the fuse box. Underhood loads like horn and starter relay would still have power. Does your horn work? If so, you can probably turn over the starter by applying 12 V from the big stud on the relay to the small spade terminal with the yellow wire. The engine won't fire though since no ignition power.
 
Well, the horn never worked..so that out..LOL. Im gonna pull the battery tomorrow if its not raining and take it to autozone and have them test it. Since thats the easiest thing. What do you suggest i use to "jumper" the starter. I think i remember my dad using a wood handle screw driver when i was a little kid on an old ford truck...but he always looked scared trying to do it.
 
Three words for you: ammeter, ammeter, ammeter! You can just jump them out by attaching a heavy gauge wire across the two terminals at the back of the gauge. If this works, them you just confirmed it.

Good luck!
 
Just remember that if you start checking the ammeter to disconnect the battery because one side will still be hot. There are numerous conductive surfaces around the terminals that will make a nice portable welder if your not careful. Good luck with it.
 
63dartman said:
Just remember that if you start checking the ammeter to disconnect the battery because one side will still be hot. There are numerous conductive surfaces around the terminals that will make a nice portable welder if your not careful. Good luck with it.
Click to expand...
which can also take out the fusible link by the firewall.


Not that I'd know that from experience
suspect-1.gif
 
Ok, went over today since it wasnt raining. The battery is good, at about 90%, took out oand put on charger for just incase. The fuses are all good, the battery cables are all good as well, Tested all with a multimeter. Now my question is this pic. What do you call the circled part? Im tninking it might be bad, but i dont know how to test it.
 

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That IS the starter relay, and it's important to understand how they work, simply

The "push on" terminals at the top are interchangeable and feed the relay coil. One is the "start" signal from the key, the other is grounded when the trans is in park/ neutral.

The "big stud" is battery, and one contact of the relay

The other contact of the relay is the "square" terminal and feeds the starter.

====================================================================================

First thing to do is take a screwdriver/ other metallic tool and jumper across the battery stud and the square terminal. MAKE SURE the transmission is in park/ neutral. If the starter spins, you know the battery, cables, starter are OK

If not, move your screwdriver down to the starter and jumper the two terminals on the starter. If you still get nothing, the problem is

bad battery clamps/ cables

bad/ discharged battery

bad starter

If the starter spins when jumpering the starter but NOT (confirm) up at the relay, then it's simply the wire between the two.

=======================================================================================

NOW IF in the first test, the starter spins, now we have to determine if the trouble is:

the starter relay

the neutral switch

the bulkhead connector

or the ignition switch.

So identify which wire goes down the firewall, past the engine, and down to the transmission. Pull that wire off the relay, and clip lead that relay terminal to ground

Twist the key, test for starter. If it cranks, the wiring, neutral safety switch, or transmission linkage.

If nothing, then...............

Put a test lamp or multimeter on the remaining push--on terminal--the one you have not disturbed

Twist the key to start. If you get battery voltage, the relay is bad

If not, either bad connection in bulkhead connector or bad ignition switch
 
that's the starter relay, the big post should have power. if you take a screw driver and touch the little post next to it and the big post at the same time it should crank the starter. check your fusible links, they are right there, (at the firewall) if u don't have headlights either a fusible link could be blown. when u determine the fusible link, pull on it, it will come apart if it's blown.
higgs
 
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