Hello,

Today i started the convertible for the first time since I put in the HEI and the stereo. I started up and I pulled it out of the garage and turned it off. Removed the wire on the starter that was not needed for the HEI as it was not connected. When I went to start the car there was nothing. When you turn the key to ACC all lights come on then when you try to start all the light go out including the dummy lights on the gauges. The battery is completly charged. . I noticed the battery cable was kind of damagedby the starter so I got a new positive battery cable and ran it to the starter and a new wire to the horn relay just to find that id did the same thing. Any ideas would be great. I pushed it in the garage and pulled the starter to have tested since it is less then 1 year old. Any help would be great....

 

And? was the starter good?

 

Have not got that far yet. I pulled it and have it with me to get tested today. My concern is that when the ignition is in the ACC or on position evertying works but when you go to crank the car all lights and everything goes out until you turn the ignition all the way off again. I am actually getting the starter tested at the parts counter in about an hour or so. Any other ideas would be appreciated...

Thanks as always guys...

 

Sounds like a bad cable or starter. Are you sure your wire gauge is thick enough?

 

The wire for the battery cable is a 4 gauge and the starter wire is 10 gauge. I think the stock purple wire is a 10 gauge but could be wrong. I have thought of replacing the engine harness but the only things that were cut when I bought the car was the purple starter wire and the coil wire that I am aware of.

On a side note anyone who has an aftermarket stereo where did you run the hot wire? To the battery or to the relay on the fire wall.

Thanks guys

John

 

Well, wait and see what you get, perhaps if you had a bad starter or it was going bad you killed you battery without realizing it. After you know for sure, then you can go on from there.

 

Ok so the starter passed...but on the low side of the spec then it decreased when they tested it again so I have a new starter and just need to install it. With the battery hooked up and turned the key to ACC all interior and courtesy lights were nice and bright. Hit the power top switch and again every thing goes dark. reset the ignition and agin in ACC everything is ok until I turned the headlights on. The battery was fresh of the charger and with the meter read 12.9 volts. I dropped the battery off to get tested with a load applied to it just to make sure. I am kind of at a loss as the battery and the starter were both less then a year old. Wondering if maybe there are other problems maybe the charging system?....Anyone see anything like this? or could it just be a bad battery? I guess we will see tomorrow...

 

Motors pull much more current than lights and buzzers and radios. It seems that the items that pull heavier current are causing a load on your system. If the battery was charged (and checks good as I suspect it may) then you might have a bad cable which would show up under heavy loads like you described. Check the negative (ground) cable from the battery to the block, you may find your culprit there. You already replaced the positive cable to the starter right? I think you said that, if not, check it too.

 

Ok so here is the latest and greatest. Replaced the battery and the starter as well as the starter wire and positive batter cable. The front of the car was up on jackstands and when I went to turn the car over same symptoms...in ACC everything was on then when you try to crank the car it all goes black. Turn it back off and in acc use the top switch and same thing the only difference was this time the starter did click but did not engage and turn the motor over....

I then put the car back on the ground to look at everything and scratch my head...turned the car over and it started right up. Is there a bad ground or some other problem here?

Thanks Again

 

How about the Negative battery cable? Check the connections. Sometimes corrosion can creep up behind the casing and rot an inch or so up from the connection.
Also, if you have a top post battery, make sure they are TIGHT. I know it sounds lame to check the posts, but my buddy's 2002 dodge ram wouldn't start for a month or so unless you jiggled the post terminals. His new battery's posts were too small for the factory clips I guess

 

My lincoln had this exact same problem, it was a bad negative cable, pull it off the block and clean the end of the cable, and the block where it connects, and clean or replace the terminal. the end on my cable was so bad i wedged a bunch of screwdriver bits into in to help it grab... it worked lol. I hope you get it worked out. lol you scared me because i have to put the HEI in my car still.

 

Thanks for the tips as they are appreciated. I will get a new neg battery cable tonight. Now My neg has the small wire revomoved and the neg cable is attached to the alternator bracket. Is it supposed to be or should it ground to the block? As far as the new neg cable the small wire should be a body ground correct?