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Ignition on - I got nothing.


MarkB.

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72 510.

L20B w/ El dizzy

Stock wiring harness

It was running fine.

 

Went out to take it to golf.  Turned the key.  Nothing.  Should have heard electric radiator fans and then crank over.

 

Looked at voltmeter gauge -showed Zero Volts.

 

Took battery and starter + solenoid to O'Reilly -- all checked out fine. (Battery kept on trickle charger)

 

Battery should have had gauge reading about 12V but as noted the gauge read 0V.

 

Checked the fuse box - everything was OK 

 

Checked the ground from frame to engine and from - port on the battery to frame.  Both were fine.

 

Lights don't come on either.

 

I got nothing.  What do I check next? 

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I would check the main wire from the positive post of the battery, check with ohm meter or check voltage on other end from the battery post. make sure the battery has 12 volts

 

 Make sure posts and connections are clean and tight, remove and clean ground wires and be sure they are tight

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 There is a fusible link from the starter to the fuse box. This provides power to the ignition switched accessories on the fuse box and directly to the fuse box for things like lights, brake lights, horn, interior lights. You said the fuse box checked out so how can that be?

 

Does anything turn on? 

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to me I would trace the 12volts from batter to the stater then to the fuse box then to the key switch.

 

this is a simple fix.

Happens on my 521 more often as the fuse box gets a litlle more wet and corrosion or loose connections

 

if the key is ON and nothing thats a sign its the source I would think(example lights not ON)

lights are wired right to the battery. so ingintion is not needed.

 

light not working. The battery cable goes to the starter and there should be a wire with round lug that connects to it. I bete the issue is right there as this feeds the fuse box and the lights. Get a test light or meter and see where the 12volts dissapears

 

turn on light switch.  when you trouble shoot and  lights come on you found the proplem and bet the ignition now works

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I would check the main wire from the positive post of the battery, check with ohm meter or check voltage on other end from the battery post. make sure the battery has 12 volts

 

 Make sure posts and connections are clean and tight, remove and clean ground wires and be sure they are tight

Batteries need 13+ Volts to work properly 

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Since DOCTOR mention this

I also had batt batt cable  ends being cracked. or a bolt keeping it tight broke not knowing but usually you still get a ignition lite as its enought juice to light up the lights , Once you turn the key it loads down.

 

a bad batter post junction one can put a volt meter from the batt post to the batt cable right nex to it and if you get a volt reading with the say 1 or 2 volts there is a loose connection. if good connection you wont read anything or hardly anything at all.

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Thanks guys,

 

I have a multimeter.  Battery posts test at 12.48V.

 

And yeah, nothing (and I mean nothing) works.  Checked all fuses.

 

Goodness knows its not moisture around here; it hasn't rained since January.

 

I understand and have located the fusible link (I have one of those colored wiring diagrams also)  But it looks just like some kind of plug  Is there supposed to be a fuse inside?  If so, It was gone before I got the car.

 

I'm going to trace the + cable from the battery after the kids go to bed.  I'll let you know.

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Again, do you have voltage at the fuse box? This will tell if the fusible link is working or not. If no voltage at the fuse box the problem may be the fusible link or it's connection points, or the positive battery wire or the positive battery connection. Is there voltage at the starter?

 

The wire is the fuse. When over loaded it melts just like a fuse and breaks the connection.

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Here comes Kelmo with the left field.......Sometimes at the electrical portion of the ignition switch, the plastic part will separate from the metal housing and the connection breaks.  I have had this happen on my 1200's and it about drove me to distraction.  The same thing just happened on a Roadster I am storing for a friend. I found it almost by accident when I took out the ignition switch to swap with another and saw where the separation had occurred.

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Oooppssyy. I was stuck on the first post and thought no dash lights, not no lights at all.  Like I said, left field and all. B)

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OK so I've understood everything you guys have told me so far.

 

And i see the wire that has the fusible link that disappears into the wiring loam.

 

So where do i touch the multimeter to test if the fuse box is getting 12V?

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Some fuses are switched and get their power through the ignition switch like the wipers or heater. Some are 'on' all the time like the headlights. Try all the fuses. If you find power to any then the fusible link is presumed to be ok and allowing power through. If everything is dead then one of two things..

 

The fusible link is blown or it's not making contact at the starter terminal or at the fuse box end. Maybe loose connection...

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 Sorta Success!

 

Part of the answer was the fusible link but not the way I thought.  The fusible link was a plastic plug so I first ohm tested the short section from the round lug wire to the male portion.  It tested OK.  I then ohm tested from the female end to the fuse box and it was OK, too.  The act of taking it apart a few times must have cleaned the prongs inside the plastic section.  I tested it for voltage and got 10V.  The horn started faintly working.  I took it apart and put it together a few more times and had 12.45V at the fuse box.

 

The Autometer inside read 12+ V,  so I pulled on the lights.  They flickered, died and the Voltmeter went to zero.

 

Checking the fuse box with the multimeter reads 3.6V.  Five minutes later it reads 6.8V.

 

I'm glad I have a little power but clearly something has gone wrong somewhere. . . .

 

 

And I am sorry it takes so long, I only get to work on it after the kids go to bed, its still 98 degrees and I'm tired.  

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