Strange Electrical Problem, everything kinda works. Options

[YksKrad]

Okay this is very strange to me.

My battery completely drained about a week ago because I left my running lights on in the garage and didn't come back for 4 days from camping.

Now the strange part. I used this as a reason to by an Orbital battery, and when I tried to turn on my 914 I didn't get that delightfull hum of my electric fuel pump and my starter did nothing.
okay so now I'm pissed because electrical anything isn't my strong point. Last time I have to do wireing of anything I ended up with a burnt thumb.

So I decide to see what else is working/not working.

I flip my left blinker on. The signal comes on but doesn't blink.... I do the same with the right with the same result... it comes on but doesn't blink. I try the hazzrds and they do the same thing. I turn the radio on. It's face lights come on and the speakers crackel as it gets power, but it doesn't play music?
I try my lights... The running lights come on, but my headlights won't come up.

I scanned my fuses and didn't see any missing/burnt Though I should prolley check again.

This pisses me off because I just got the damn thing running like a top (a slightly rich top, but a top non the less) and then this happens, and once again the thing is sitting in the garage.

More info on the car.
It's a 76 with a 2.0 converted from FI to a single weber carb with an electric fuel pump.
Any help/sympathy is appreciated. I am by no means a mechanic and have no clue where to start looking for the problem(s) let allone fixing them.

Once again thank you all

[94teener]

Things I wonder about:

1) Does the Orbital battery come fully charged?

2) Are you positive that the battery is connected correctly, + to + and - to -?

Phil

[YksKrad]

Yes, on Both

I think the starter wire grounded out, and I dunno what that might have done. Anyone had any experience with a battery wire grounding on the chassis?

[Rand]

QUOTE

I flip my left blinker on. The signal comes on but doesn't blink.... I do the same with the right with the same result... it comes on but doesn't blink

If this is when your car is NOT running, then you can at least cross one thing off your list because this is normal behavior. If car is running, signals blink. Otherwise it's the U-R-A-pee-in special functionality....... to let you put a side light on......

Other than that, sounds like you have some dirty connections. Regardless, it's worth cleaning all the contacts. Sand the males, crimp the females a bit tighter, clean the grounds, and clean the grounds some more.

[YksKrad]

Thank you, I'll try that, but I don't think thats the problem when cupled with the other problems that popped up simulataneusly and that mine use to blink regardless.

Which makes me wonder if someone did a (bad) rewire job on it. Which would explain why my flasher relay and it's wires were found in a pile under the passenger seat, and why when I first got it the Stereo was drawing the power off the hazzard switch. Either way I'm checking the battery wires for wear and possible shorts and I'll check all the connections I can get to easily like you suggested today. I'll post with the results when I get them.

[redshift]

No no no no no no... stop thinking. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

Tranny to body ground strap, look it up, replace it, or reattach the one you have after inspecting, and cleaning.. inspection should be simple, if it looks like it sucks, it does.


M

[YksKrad]

QUOTE (redshift @ Jul 15 2005, 06:24 AM)

No no no no no no... stop thinking. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif) Tranny to body ground strap M

I checked that first thing when I thought it might be an electrical problem. It seems to be in good working order. Just a coat of road crud on it, as with the entire underside of my car, but as a whole it's in damn good shape.

And if anyone is interested and in the Saint Louis area, I'm debateing on just paying someone to fix this problem. If anyone in the Saint Louis area thinks they can fix it, I'd be glad to pay ya. Just PM me if you're interested and we'll see about working something out.

[McMark]

Lets keep it simple. Are you sure the Orbital is charged? Sounds EXACTLY like a discharged battery. I know their supposed to come charged, but if you haven't checked yourself you're wasting time. Assuming thing are correct because they're "supposed to be" is what'll get ya' most everytime.

If the starter wire was grounding you would hear it and see the insulation melting off it.

Are all four big red wires connected the the positive battery terminal still? None have broken free while swapping batteries?

[YksKrad]

I have it disconnected ATM so I don't drain the battery since it sparks if you bring it near the terminal when the car is off.

Sorry, I must have forgot to mention how I came to that conclussion.

[cooltimes]

QUOTE (YksKrad @ Jul 14 2005, 09:06 AM)

Okay this is very strange to me. My battery completely drained about a week ago because I left my running lights on in the garage and didn't come back for 4 days from camping. Now the strange part. I used this as a reason to by an Orbital battery, and when I tried to turn on my 914 I didn't get that delightfull hum of my electric fuel pump and my starter did nothing. okay so now I'm pissed because electrical anything isn't my strong point. Last time I have to do wireing of anything I ended up with a burnt thumb. So I decide to see what else is working/not working. I flip my left blinker on. The signal comes on but doesn't blink.... I do the same with the right with the same result... it comes on but doesn't blink. I try the hazzrds and they do the same thing. I turn the radio on. It's face lights come on and the speakers crackel as it gets power, but it doesn't play music? I try my lights... The running lights come on, but my headlights won't come up. I scanned my fuses and didn't see any missing/burnt Though I should prolley check again. This pisses me off because I just got the damn thing running like a top (a slightly rich top, but a top non the less) and then this happens, and once again the thing is sitting in the garage. More info on the car. It's a 76 with a 2.0 converted from FI to a single weber carb with an electric fuel pump. Any help/sympathy is appreciated. I am by no means a mechanic and have no clue where to start looking for the problem(s) let allone fixing them. Once again thank you all

2nd day and nobody told you to just try another battery. Any 12 volt battery you have on any other vehicle as a substitute will do. (And this is the premier 914 help site everyone carrys on about). LOL
\
If this does not cause your problem to disappear, then it most likely is a problem in the ignition switch. Don't do anything to the switch but jiggle the key around in the switch. Usually this will remedy the problem since it was all functioning ok before you went camping. After these, maybe get a friend to look at it. They may see something that may not supposed to be that way.

Mike Cooley
Memphis

[lapuwali]

QUOTE (YksKrad @ Jul 15 2005, 08:00 AM)

I have it disconnected ATM so I don't drain the battery since it sparks if you bring it near the terminal when the car is off. Sorry, I must have forgot to mention how I came to that conclussion.

Then you have a short somewhere, probably in an unfused connection, like the battery to the starter. Look for a crushed wire with the insulation torn, or anyplace a large wire runs through sheet metal, looking for chafed insulation.

This is a great way to start a fire, so go slow and be careful.

It MAY be in the ignition switch, since there's unswitched and unfused power from the battery to the switch itself, so if the switch itself or a wire from it to the fusebox is shorting, the fuses don't blow.