Expert: Roger J.M. Warrington - 11/11/2006

Question

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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
I don't know what's wrong with the car... it is a 1963 chevrolet impala, with a 350 engine (not the original, but guess that it is a 1969 or 70).  The car was running fine, I changed a headlight and now there is no power whatsoever to the car.  No headlights, no horn, nothing.  This is what I have done:  new positive battery cable, clean ground cable on battery and block, tried a new battery, used jumper cables to over-ride ground.  Also, I borrowed a tool that cancels out the ignition by hooking one of 2 wires from the tool to the starter and the other to the positive battery post.  When I did this, the light didn't light up and I tried the push button to start the car but it didn't work. Then I hooked the line up to the positive post on the battery and to the wire on the starter that goes to the ignition.  The light lit up but the push button would not start the car.   
There is no inline fuse on the positive cable.  What else can I do?
-----Answer-----
Dave;
hi  well it sounds as if you blew something , did you check all the fuses , and is there no fuseable link, check the batt term. or clean them again, check the battery for juice , you might have burnt a wire at the selonoid or the selonoid itself.  check all of those things. you could have burnt the pos cable ?
All connections are clean, all fuses were checked, there is juice in the battery, I even tried another battery, and I installed a new positive cable.  Selenoid is on the starter and the starter is new... and it wouldn't keep me from having headlights... I have no headlights... Any other suggestions?
Thanks for your help


Answer
Dave;
You blew something, just because the starter is new if you hooked up the wires to it it could have fried the selonoid, I would get a test lamp and check all of the wires that should have juice, if you burnt a wire going to the starter/selonoid and it is burnt on the inside you will never see it. so check all with a test lamp. is there a extra red wire going to the battery, If so check that out good. it only takes 1 bad connection or break to cause what you have. did you try to jump it by touching the starter selonoid with a long screw driver to the  screw to see if it will turn the starter.