No power at all

[HULLK]

First of all, this is my first datsun and I've had it for about a month.

 

I was driving back from the store. It started up fine and then when I almost got back to my place, all of a sudden my car just shut off and it wouldn't start. I turned the key and there is no power at all or anything. I was thinking maybe the alternator is bad or maybe the battery? where should I start?

[datzenmike]

If the battery was low you would have had slow cranking to start it at the store. The alt won't cause it to stop suddenly. As Hainz always says "if it got spark and gas.... it will start" So some basics.

 

Pull the coil wire and put a spark plug in the end and lay on a grounded surface like the valve cover and crank the motor. You could use a screw driver or piece of wier, just leave a gap for the spark to jump. Got spark????

 

Lift off air filter and look at front of the carb. There is a glass window where you can see the gas level. Is there fuel???

[HULLK]

no fuel wouldn't make the power go off though.

[Laecaon]

So do any of your lights work? does your car even try to turn over?

[HULLK]

nothing works what so ever. i turn the key and nothing happens, no lights, no turn over, not even a sound besides the key turning.

[DanielC]

Clean the battery terminals.

[HULLK]

i'll do that tomorrow and see how it goes.

[datsun brat pack]

If cleaning the post's on the battery don't work check the fuse able link on battery cable they go bad some time's:)

[Laecaon]

Battery have a charge? Dead Alt and not charging? Check the all cables attached to the battery. Seems like a cable/connection broke somewhere for sudden loss of electricity, and considering its in all circuits of the car, like the lights, you need to check what effects all those systems, Like a disconnected battery.

[AtomChurch]

David! I am telling you I there there is something up with the power cable running from the trunk. Its not getting a good connection. Maybe it got pulled down and shorted to the half shafts, or maybe the battery boiled and corroded the connection.

 

Get a test light or multi-meter.

 

Check the battery for voltage.

 

Then check the starter for voltage. [the big red wire going to the starter] If you have power here you can crank the motor over by shorting it to the solenoid.

 

Also check the fuseable link. This could also be your problem. It will look like a burnt wire if its bad.

 

Check you fuse box for power.

 

Once you check all these areas and fix the problems of why the power is not getting there, then make sure you have switched +12v is on the positive side of the coil.

 

The wiring should still be correct on the distributor but if its not "B" on the matchbox goes to the + side of the coil and "G" goes to the - side. If I remember right I think I even colour coded them. Haha. Though I might have taped over the colours to make it look cleaner.

[banzai510(hainz)]

well if theres a battery in the truck that would be a good start what to look for.If this is allof a sudden its not the alternator

 

the fusable link wire should be connected to the starter/lug thus to the battery and the battery should be grounded.

 

Ok if the cable is not Gangsta rigged and not shorting out to the frame/chassis . The battery is good, you should get the headlights to come ON. this means the fusable link is OK. If not then look there if the lug broke or fell off or the fusable link melted.

 

what I do is leave the headlight swithc ON and fuck with the wires/connections. when the lamps come ON you mostly found the proplem.

 

I would ck the fuses by chance also

[HULLK]

The problem ended up being the main power wire that came out of the fuse box. [it blew in half.]

[MikeRL411]

The problem ended up being the main power wire that came out of the fuse box. [it blew in half.]

Now go figure out why it blew! "Exploding bridge wires" are fine for detonators, but they make for very unreliable main 12 volt power distribution for an automobile.

[banzai510(hainz)]

The white wire?

I was going to mension this but the fusable lik should have went first.

maybe by the connector it meleted. maybe the connector was corrorded. thus givin high resisance.

[HULLK]

yeah, the white wire. i thought i smelled something melting when i drove it, but it was such a slight smell i wasn't sure. i think i'm just going to replace all those wires and that connector so this doesn't happen again and it will make it look more clean.