Total electrical failure HELP!!!

[SWM]

O.K. here goes. Because of the poor current condition of my fr. suspension the oil filter worked it's way loose and covered the front of the engine with oil including the starter and all wiring. All was cleaned up and it started fine but then the lights started flickering and the door chime sounded sick then died. Since then it has no electrical responce at all, no lights, locks or anything. I disconnected the starter wires and connector and cleaned them but no luck. The alternator and the battery are new this year along with a full upper and frontal lobotomy on the 3.2 ATX. The battery shows 12.80 on the multi-meter at rest on the terminals. 94 ATX 126K Any thoughts?

 

[Huntervf]

Are the battery terminals nice and clean? Sounds like a corrosion problem on the battery posts. Or you could have a bad battery...I've seen it happen before, even when a battery tests out well you could still have a bad cell. Usually a bad cell will show up if you load test the battery. If you have another car or even borrow a friend's car you can just take the terminals off your battery then run jumper cables to the other battery or car; see if you electrical problems are taken care of.

 

[Camarok]

Well, I am really not sure of this, but if there is any possibility of oil being a conductor, this would be the time. The way it works on these cars, the 12v+ batt cable goes to a starter solenoid, and from there power goes everywhere, I would maybe start there? also, if you can get the battery tested, you aren't gonna know much from the voltage, that ususally doesn't change, you need to knwo amperage.

GL, and man does that suck!

 

[grasp]

maybe check the fuses

 

[SHOZ123]

There is something wrong with the way the wires are put together at the starter. The alternator output wire, battery pos cable and the wire feeding the underhood fuse box should all be connected at the starter. Sounds like the wires are loose.

 

[Bizzy]

I agree with Paul. Retrace your steps and double check every connection you touched. Make sure that they're reconnected in the proper place and that they are tight.

 

[SWM]

Today I rechecked all the starter connections, all were good, took the battery to sears had it load checked, battery is good, pulled the battery from my truck and installed it, still no luck. The cable bundle has seen better days but seems to be intact. Has anyone ever replaced this before?This might be a dumb ? but does the power go to the distribution box before the starter solenoid? Thanks 94ATX

 

[SHOZ123]

Sounds like the cables may be internally corroded at the terminals. If it were me I would go to www.delcity.net and get enough #4 battery cable and ends to make new ones.

 

[I'll sho u]

ckeck to see if the negative cable has a good ground where it attaches to the engine(I think it is on one of the bellhousing bolts).I had a simmilar problem when I pressure washed the engine on one of my cars.

 

[SWM]

Another update. Today I once again cleaned the starter terminals and disassembled the bottom half of the battery cable bundle, it was nasty. I checked the continuity on the two battery cables and the bell housing connection, all was good. Also checked the fuses, all good. I opened the door and the int. lights came on (!!!) turned the key and nothing, no relay clicks or anything and the door lights went out and didn't come back on. It appears to me that the starter gets power first and then on to the distribution box etc.?? Any ideas; pull the starter, new battery cables, starter solenoid, blown distribution box? 94ATX 3.2

 

[SHOZ123]

You may have two blown fuse links. Is there continuity from the starter to the fuse box stud? In this wire there are two fuse link wires. If they are blown I would replace with two 50A MEGA fuses wired in parallel for easy changing/troubleshooting in the future.

 

[NiNeTy Fo SHO]

From your last update, and reading the rest, I would have to say its the starter.

When mine was going out in my 93 ATX, I would go to start it and all the lights would go out and not come back on for some time. I think something in the starter shorts out and causes this...no fuses blown...just no power anywhere. When power does come back, it is gone again after trying to start it.

I would suggest taking a semi-large metal object and banging it against the starter, then trying to start the car. If the car starts, I would remove the starter, have an autoparts store test it (why not, its free) and then prolly get a new one.

 

[SWM]

O.K. so today I replaced the starter with a rebuild($104.99+)and all should be good right ?!? I open the door and I have power; int. lights, door chime, radio etc.(!!!). I turn the key and nothing, all lights go dead, no relay click, and the door chime instantly dies, no power at all. I checked all connections and wires and all is good, then I reinstalled the starter to try and repeat the problem, nothing, no power at all. Did I fry the new starter? Fusible link? Replace all wires? Seems like an oil shorting problem but where? 94ATX (free lifetime BANJO repairs to anyone who can figure thus out!!)

 

[projectSHO89]

Most likely a faulty battery cable or connection (at either end).

Simple to troubleshoot.

Just connect your meter (DC volts, observe polarity - Red lead toward the most positive point- if not digital) across any two points that is supposed to be a direct connection.

Apply load, ie, turn on light switch or hit starter switch.

If there is no (or very little) voltage measured, the conduction path is good. A bad connection will show a significant voltage reading (depends on load) up to the full battery voltage.

Battery cables are well known for corroding inside the insulation jacket where a visual examination will not reveal the fault. The voltage check will show the fault. A continuity check is not adequate in most cases to diagnose this fault as there is not enough current sourced by the ohmmeter to cause it to show up.

Steve

 

[Off Road SHO]

The positive battery cable goes directly to the starter's solenoid terminal. ALSO attached to the starter's solenoid terminal is another cable that goes to the large terminal on the end of the fuse holder (power Distribution box) next to the driver's side strut. They just use the terminal on the end of the starter to connect the two cables together.


Tom

 

[SWM]

She runs, she runs!! This weekend I bit the bullet and made all new battery cables, alt. cable and all. At first it didn't work but I had full power so I knew I was close. I had to replace the S connector and the wire that runs to the dist. box but she started right up. Thanks all for the help! And on to the fuel pump. fr sus. etc. etc. ???