Help!! - Car won't start; electrical prob.

[351c-ya]

I went to go for a cruise yesterday, and when I turn the key; nothing happens. I have an MSD Digital 6 ignition, which has a red light on the top that should be lit when the ignition is on. It's not, and my electrical gauges, which usually go to zero when I turn the key, didn't. I checked the battery, which is fine. I replaced the starter solenoid; still nothing. Only thing I can think of is maybe the voltage regulator went bad? It only costs about $20; so I don't have a problem replacing that if you think that may be the problem. The ground is good from the battery. If it's not the voltage regulator, does that mean I have to go through the whole ignition wiring system? What else should I be looking at; I'm not much good with the electrical system.

Car is a 70 mach; 351C 4v. Note: I added an electric fan about 3-4 weeks ago; could this have caused the problem in any way? Car was running perfectly when I parked it on Thursday. I need to get this fixed quickly, I was hoping to go to the drag strip this Friday night.

 

[mustangman70]

Double check all connections, make sure they are clean, sand them if needed. Are the wires to the the starter and starter solinoid connected? try jumping the solinoid as it could still be bad (ive had it happen)

Yous MSD ignition has NOTHING to do with the starter trying to crank that motor, if it was the MSD it might crank but not start. You said the gauges didnt go to zero, This is like my tach, which dosent go to zero when the battery is disconnected, sounds like a bad battery to me man.

 

[WORTH]

if your getting no guages you have no voltage inside the car, it comes from the "+" terminal on the solinoid. It either has a bad connection there, or a bad wire from there to the fuse panel. if you have a test light check it from the solinoid and see where you are losing it.

PS. I just checked the wiring diagram and it looks like the feed from the solinoid is Black with aYellow tracer, it goes form the solinoid to the firewall connector to the interior, when it gets inside it changes color, BLK/ORG feeds the headlight switch, Yellow feeds the ignition switch, and a third wire feeds the fuse panel, but the color isnt marked on my diagram.

 

[ForceFed70]

You did check your fuses right?

There is definately a power supply problem. Could be just about anything..time to get out the 12v test light and start checking your voltages. I'd start at the fuse panel.

Oh.. and it's definately not the voltage regulator.

 

[Pakrat]

Are you sure you checked the ground good from the battery to the engine block? If you just put the car in acc position and not start it, does the radio still work?

 

[WORTH]

there are no fuses involved with what he has.

 

[ForceFed70]

there are no fuses involved with what he has.

Why do you say that? Do you mean he's already checked them? Everything is fused...

 

[pabear89]

Why do you say that? Do you mean he's already checked them? Everything is fused...

Unless someone has added a inline fuselink, they were not manufactured with it in the ign system wiring.

PB

 

[WORTH]

there are no fuses between the solinoid and the ignition switch, so even if all the fuses were blown it would still crank and run.

 

[norcalsvt]

A problem I had when the car wouldn't crank or turn over, is there was some sort of short in the shifter console. The only thing that turned on is the shifter light for the tach, other than that, nothing else. I had put a new carpet in & the B&M Hammer Shifter electrical must have been grounding out or something. After I removed he cover it started up.

 

[351c-ya]

Sorry I posted and didn't keep up with the thread; I took the day off work yesterday to get it running and do some other stuff. Turns out the wire going from the solenoid to the fuse box had burned up and separated; so Worth, you now have "guru" status (with me, at least)!

When I fixed it, I added a fusable link so that if a short some place caused the problem, it will blow the fuse instead of causing more problems. Could it just be that the wires are old, or do you guys think I have other problems which need to be found?

Thanks again,

Lance

 

[WORTH]

good job adding the fuse is a plus, I don't know why they are unprotected from the factory, always sounded like a bad idea to me.