WoodyUK

Good evening from the UK...i have a problem with my 76 Stingray, please excuse any vagueness, but it's my 1st Vette, here goes....
Purchased the car recently, seemed all ok, till i noticed the battery smelling after a run, assumed overcharging, running home lost both dip and main beam, left me with just the 'main' beam warning lite on the speedo, tail lites worked fine.
Next morning, turned ignition on, fine, went to turn the engine over and click....nothing, everything went off, now im left with nothing at all, no hazards, ign lites, horn, radio, etc....
I have taken the alternator off had a new regulator fitted, checked the battery its showing 13v, i'm still live at the starter motor.
I replace a blown 20amp fuse up in the top left of the fuse box, Ive checked as many fusible links as i can find (not many), found and replace two poor/burnt connections, 1 at the two red wire on the solanoid and 1 at the two reds behind the fusebox.....
I'm now at a loss, am I right in thinking that the battery powers the starter and then one of the wire running from the solanoid powers the fusebox next, or the ignition?
I was expecting to find a smaller red live wire coming from the +ve side of the battery to the ignition like on my VW, but i only have a heavy wire on each terminal.
Any ideas as what and where to test for voltage would be of help, as I'd like to solve what I'm sure must be a blown fuse link or a trip myself, rather than trailering the car to a mechanic!
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope it all made sense!
Regards, Woody, UK.
P.S. Fantastic site, very insperational!

LAvetteman

Check and clean connections at battery, ground cable to frame and to eng block, and + cable to starter. Sounds like a bad connection at one of these.

Oh, and Welcome!!! :seeya


[Modified by LAvetteman, 1:01 PM 8/15/2003]

mrvette

Yes, welcome, and about your car, you have to be somewhat practiced with a DVM to see what's the matter, but if you are NOT, just do the following...

on the frame about directly under the battery box you will find the negative wire attached...pull it, clean all metal shiney and put it together with NEW star washer/bolt/locking washer....do the same with the short ~6" lead on the pass side up under the engine mount....from the block side rearmost bolt of the mount itself, probably, ....to the mount 'horn' off the frame clean everything....reinstall as above...
then you have to see the battery at the starter itself is right...do the same....
to the positive lead at the large stud....
IF this does not help, you need see there is voltage at the fuse block, if NOT there is a fusible link..(thinner wire) IN the harness tapped up...that acts as what's known as a fusible link....that protects the harness from damage...
so IF that is bad, the rest of the car is dead....no voltages to the main fuse block or anywhere else.....
on the driver's fender liner there is a horn relay with a stud off the side of it, that is the main power distribution point for the car...check voltage there to engine ground....

In renewing all these electricals, do NOT assume you are wasting your time, most assuredly they DO go bad, and it's just GOOD Preventive Maintanancne for doing so....
I can't tell you the amount of effort I spent in renewing/maintaining my electricals over the 7 years I have my '72 shark here....

good luck olde bean....

GENE

daves80

if you smelled the battery overcharging, it may be low on water - did you try a fresh battery? - if thats ok then you might check to see if theres a large connector by the fan - i've had a problem there - dave

WoodyUK

Hi, many thanks for your help, i found a dead connection at the solanoid, along with a couple of other bad joints, replaced and away she went :)
Only thing to solve now is the lack of Headlights, reading my Haynes manual indicates that the taillights, indicators, hazards and stops are all on fuses (these all work fine) but the Headlights work on a circuit breaker, can you confirm this and also point me in the right direction for the circuit breaker / what it looks like? i have neither dip or main, only the 'Main Beam' warning lite on the dash, would think a circuit breaker is more likely than all 4 blown lamps?
Thanks very much in advance for your help with these problems, the suns shining here, and my wife wants to drive her new car!
Cheers, Woody UK.

UKPaul

Hi Woody,
I was going to say check the connection at the solenoid as shortly after I got my Vette I had a major electrical failure which turned out to be a bad connection there. It was tight but not making good contact. As you've found it, all I can say is welcome :) As Gene above said, clean up all the earths (especially the engine one), the improvements for doing it can be immense.
Can't help you with the headlights, but if you intend keeping the Vette then it's worth getting a manual for it from Ecklers. They're about £70 :eek: but are worth their weight in gold for fault finding/mods.
Good luck olde bean :lol:
:cheers:


[Modified by UKPaul, 8:47 AM 8/19/2003]

76Stinger

Hey! Welcome aboard! Wish I could help with the electrical but not much with the wiring on these things. Don't feel too bad however about your problems - look at what I was left with after an electrical meltdown shortly after I got my 76. Seems the local mechanic couldn't find the problem and this is what he left me with. :mad

My daughter lives in Sowerby Bridge, W. Yorks and I spent 4 years with the AF 70-74 as well as graduating from High School at Lakenheath in 67. Great country and would love to have my 76 on some of those great back roads.

Take care and STW :seeya

Robert
76Stinger

vettemack

I don't have a 76 wiring diagram but I am fairly sure the breaker would be on the fuse panel. It would be pluged into the fuse panel. Unplug the connectors at the head lights and check your voltages there.

FinnShark

Welcome to the forum! :cheers:

There is somekind of overheat switch in light switch. Light switch is not easy to take out, so I suggest that check the foot switch for light changing first. If you have changed the headlights to H4's and in high beam you have all four on they consume so much current that the footswitch can't take it. The switch will melt inside... That happened to me, first I lost only the high beam, but after a while I lost also driving lights... The foot switch was melted and stuck in position that it didn't work in either high beam nor driving lights...

At least one easy point to check... :cheers: :seeya

Pauld

Welcome Woody, nice to hear from another UK 'vette owner, I am fairly new to the 'vette scene aswell and these guys here are really helpful, Glad to hear that you have sorted out most of your problems.


Paul
:cheers: