Lost Electrics

[R.RUNNER]

I`m baffled?????? GTX was running fine, turned on the flashers and they were a bit slow (typical MOPAR)then suddenly the engine stopped. I looked at the dashboard and all of the dials, warning lights, interior lights, exterior lights were dead!!!!!!!looked like the battery isolator was at fault. I took it off and connected the battery terminal back onto the battery and everything was fine. The next day I fired the GTX up and everything was fine. After 5 mins the same thing happened again. HELP!

Could it be the battery? It is pretty old

[mr m]

which side is the isolator on, if on pos, earth circuit I reckon, if on neg connection, block on bulkhead

[cadboy]

car does not run on battery, alternator provides the power once engine is running.

If everything dies then must be the main lead from battery, check both positive and negative and make sure you don't have lose connection.

[Charger]

as said; check all negative / ground connections, could be disconnecting as stuff warms up / expands

[Derek]

Andy, check the middle bulkhead connector. Unplug it and see if there’s any signs of arcing.

[Adam]

I had a similar issue with one of those battery isolaters Andy. Bit of fine emery cloth on both contacts solved it.

[EDIT] Oops, just seen you bypassed it

If you don't have headlights either, it's likely to be the battery, the main feed from it through the starter motor to the bulkhead block, or the main earth lead connection.

[R.RUNNER]

I replaced the engine bay loom last year as the amp meter cable fried in the bulkhead disconnect. The feed was joined to bypass the amp meter and it`s been fine. It seems something gets warm (don`t know what) and drops out, after a while it must cool down and everything is OK again. Looks like time to find a good (OL SKOOL) auto electrician. Anybody you know in the Epsom, Surrey area that would do a house call.






Thanks for your input "GUY`S"

[Derek]

Has Anton done your steering box yet, if not get it booked in and let him have a look at it at the same time.

[RobTwin]

I replaced the engine bay loom last year as the amp meter cable fried in the bulkhead disconnect. The feed was joined to bypass the amp meter and it`s been fine. It seems something gets warm (don`t know what) and drops out, after a while it must cool down and everything is OK again. Looks like time to find a good (OL SKOOL) auto electrician. Anybody you know in the Epsom, Surrey area that would do a house call.






Thanks for your input "GUY`S"

I thought JC had an old school electrician friend - he's often there on a Saturday when we've been there.... he was doing something on Neil's Chally last year...

[Dave999]

1) If the + battery clamp is the "bolt on/clamp on to the cable" type take it off clean up the cable end and put it back on again
2) check the ignition switch works, 1 power in and 3 others to send it back out to the ignition, the switched 12 volts side of the fuse box, and the starter motor trigger wire.
3) look for joins or breaks in the two cables that feed the car cable 1 (red?) goes from battery (or starter solenoid) up to the bulkhead and through to the main splice and ammeter, cable 2 (black?) goes from the alternator up to the bulkhead and on to other side of the ammeter. a break or corrosion at a junction in the battery cable (cable 1) means no feed to ignition switch, fuse box, interior light horn etc with the ignition off.

this cable runs to the main underdash splice where it connects to the ammeter, the light switch, the horn, the fuse box and the ignition switch. it supplies power for things that work when the ignition is off and it is switched through the fuse box and out to the ignition when you start the car.

check to see if the car works with the ammeter removed, ammeters only burn out if you put a massive alternator and a truck battery in the car, but they do stop working becasue the contacts on the back short out to the dash pod casing due to overheating or vibration. this can be fixed a burnt out meter can't without lots of expense .

check all fuses and clean their end caps
check also that the 2 feed wires into the fuse box are well connected . 1 is the switched 12 volt feed the other is the not switched 12 volt feed

see if it will start with the ballast resistor bypassed

check the negative lead from the battery, undo the car body end clean it and do it up again.

check earth strap from motor mount to car body as well.

check to see if everything apart from the starter motor works with the starter motor fat wire disconnected, you should hear clicking but no start...that discounts a dead short in the starter (however you would be seeing/smelling the smoke by now if that was the case)

this sounds like a break or massive resistance in the wire from battery positive (cable 1 or the + battery clamp) (no interior light working) or a broken ignition switch, interior light works ciggy lighter works side light/parking work, but not much else does.

if the issues started after a period of wet weather followed by hot humid weather then dry weather you have corrosion in a connector somewhere in that path from battery into the car which conducts when its damp and stops conducting when it is dry. the wire will get very hot and smoke....
common if your car lived at any time by the beach...
or sat outside with no glass or partially dismantled for prolonged period of time....

Dave

[R.RUNNER]

Looks like its......wait for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the headlight switch connection. Traced it out last night and a "DODGE"y connection on the plug seems to be at fault. I got my hand up behind the switch and pushed the plug home and all seems fine( had her running for 45 mins with no issues. I will take the switch out of the dash panel and clean everything up when I get back from the "POWER MEET"

[Dave999]

well that big connector block is a monster with 5 or 7 wires (looks like 6 for your car)

they are all lucas spade female connectors with a tab on the back to keep them in the block
if the block has overheated the captive female spades are no longer captive
you push the block onto the switch contacts and that action just pushes all of the captive contacts out of the connector
hot glue em in..

some are live some are not any short circuit here is usually very messy.

however don't be confident yet.....the car should start with the headlamp switch disconnected completely... couple of loose cables at this switch will only stop it from working if they Dead short to the dash or body. smoke, flames, zapping crackling frying bacon noise.... new pants

while you were grappling with that. you knocked something else into contact again...which may last as a good connection for 1 day or 100 years....
to get to the lamp switch you will have disturbed the feed to the ignition switch as the two branches of the loom are just 1 branch from the middle of the car or you went up under the column head-in-the-footwell style and jigged the fuse box.
or wiggled the ammeter connectors (regardless of if they go through the ammeter or have been bolted together and wrapped in tape)

either way your issue sounds like its driver side of the bulkhead rather than engine side and is fixed.........................................for the time being

steptoe.gif (7.34 KiB) Viewed 1702 times

power meet as in driving to scandinavia ? are you a member of the royal automobile club?

Dave

[R.RUNNER]

"BLOX"

[cadboy]

Good news that you know where to look when you are back.

Disconnect the battery while away just in case.