Turn key and nothing....

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Rat Rod Rusty

Rat Rod Rusty

10 Year
Joined
Aug 21, 2014
Threads
27
Messages
106
1973 FJ 40

New battery
New starter
Checked all fuses


Fj was running great...went to start it this morning and it kicked over then went totally dead? No power to lights, interior fan, ect.

Power is good from battery to starter, and thur the engine compartment.

Its just dead????

Help.
 
Fusible link??
 
Between the battery and the wiring harness. Should go to the large 10 ga. white wire that goes to the ammeter,.
 
At least you've got your priorities straight!:cheers:
 
It should be right off the positive battery terminal with connections at each end. If you DO NOT have a fusible link in the electrical system you should install one. You can buy the correct one from several 'mud vendors or you can make one, the material is available at NAPA. You can search 'mud for pictures of the fusible link.
 
Should look something like this.
img_2995-jpg.1082464
 
Problem is there is power under the hood but no power to the key and consequentially no lights, dash gauges, fan, ect and assumably no power to starter ? ?


There is no fusible link off the battery...would there be something closer to the ignition key?
 
ErikinSC said:
If that fails...

No power - to anything !
Click to expand...

Power comes from the battery ->
thru a fusible link (if you had one) ->
TO THE AMMETER ->
See link above now....

If the connections on the Ammeter are corroded or loose, you will have some reading on the gauge, but the CURRENT will not pass and your rig will not start....

pull the cluster, check the connections to the ammeter, and lets start there....

If you are good, then we move to the fuse block and then start to check for grounds...
 
Part of Emission Control module
 
ignition fuse blown ?
 
One very important thing not mentioned yet for those new to working on cruisers. When pulling the instrument cluster, disconnect the battery. It is real easy to let the smoke and sparks out of the wiring by accidentally bumping the connections on the back of the gauges against the dash when removing the cluster.

Don
 
Here are a couple of ideas....

Have you checked the connections at the battery and the frame / ground? Verified they are tight and free of corrosion?

If you don't have a good battery ground - NOTHING will work. You might get a 12V reading, but not enough current will be able to flow to make anything happen.

If you turn the key on, does the Ammeter respond? Fluctuate at all? If so, you have something at the back of the gauge cluster. Have you removed the 2 screw and checked the heavy white wire at the Ammeter there?

Have you verified the starter?

Put truck in neutral, set the parking brake, verify truck is in neutral, using a long handled INSULATED HANDLE screw driver, short the starter to attempt to start the truck. Does that work?

Do you have a wiring schematic?

How far from the battery can you trace 12V back?
 
Wow...that was a long day...I am now positive my wiring harness is in repair! Of course it turned out to be the easiest and simplest thing to repair....amp meter:(
 
Nothing like the thrill of discovery!!!!!
 
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