[SEVENLITER66]

Help! Just bought a 70 convt and it wont start. Veh does not have power in the car past the batter side of the solenoid. The previous owner had the main power wires on the back side of the solenoid(on the starter side) I moved then to the front side (battery). Has 2 main power wires on the post. The 2 main wires (one to alt, other 1 connected to circit breaker, of course the batt cable) The fuse box is dead. no power to Headlamp, horn etc. All the fuses are good. I figure it is the fusable link, but do not want to start unwrapping the electrial tape and start stabing the wiring haress checking for juice. Was wondering if i could check for power at the end of the wires to see if juice is getten threw. Battery has 13 volts. Has a jumper box on battery to see if made a diff.

 

[leonbray]

Does it have power windows? Need to verify how many wires should be there

 

[SEVENLITER66]

No power windows, just crank ups.

 

[1969XR7Vert]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-o-4txOiVE

 

[SEVENLITER66]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-o-4txOiVE

ECD you'r a riot!!!

your vert is incredible!! question?? the vert floor pan welds to the bottom of the inner rocker? and not between the inner& outer??

 

[SEVENLITER66]

Had some time to mess with the vert. It is still dead, no power to the fuse box. Checked the fluids - ok. used a jumper box and jumper wire to the ignition side on the solenoid and jumped the starter with a screw driver and a shot of gas. Turned over few times back fired thew the carb and roared to life. Unreal!! no smoke or noise. had the key turned to run. pulled the ignition jumper - still running! headlamp doors closed. wow. Weird thing, turn signals and brake light work, turn on headlamps - car stopped running. Tried the key switch - no thing, jumped again with key on and will run. I was gona back her up, oh shi_ brake peddle went to floor. not good. The car has no power to the fuse box. Any one have any ideas??? The ignition switch wiggles, the shifter is really sloppy. May be neutral safety switch, or fuseable link??? where to test if fuseable link bad with out unwrapping the ele tape and stabbing holed into the wiring harness??

 

[ClawIt]

What you just did tells me you were running off of the alternator. I think the fusible link or main power wire from the battery to the inside of the car is bad. The harness runs along the bottom of the radiator and makes a hard turn through the big hole in the front support into the engine compartment. I've had one Cougar and seen a friends have the tape rubbed away on the big hole edge and the power wire shorted to the metal blowing the fusible link. The wire could have melted also.

 

[Bad69cat]

LOL love that scene Bob.... I like the probable responses!

Sevin sounds like you have a fair amount of investigation to do - That red wire looks like somebody has taped it up recently....wonder why? Can't really tell much from pics though. The solenoid looks fairly new too? The China made ones aren't exactly dependable. Does this car have a tach? Not re-inventing the wheel but here's some basic voltage points and things to check here that can be useful: http://www.mercurycougar.net/forums/showthread.php?45342-Starter-solenoid-wiring&highlight=starter+wiring

 

[SEVENLITER66]

Thanks for the link i"l check it out. Vert is a std modle so no tack.

 

[1969XR7Vert]

ECD you'r a riot!!!

your vert is incredible!! question?? the vert floor pan welds to the bottom of the inner rocker? and not between the inner& outer??

ECI you mean, LOL.

Thanks re: Isabel.

On the floors, correct, on the convertibles there is no flange on the pan edges, they just end just shy of the pinch weld and attach to the bottom of the inner rockers. On the HT's, the pans flange off and are part of the pinch weld at the bottom of the rockers.

About the electrical problem you are having, there is a fusible link in the harness right at the solenoid, this is the main feed for the car from the battery (and is how the alternator connects to the battery too if I am remembering correctly). They often burn, this happened on my '70 HT (dearly departed Cleveland Rocks). From the harness at the solenoid there should be a heavy wire, the last ~12" of which is a rubber jacketed wire with a ring terminal on the end (connects to battery side of solenoid). It also should have a plastic cast encapsulated junction where the rubber coated wire (which is the fusible link) joins to and becomes regular wire, and then it continues on in the harness. You may have something different from previous damage, but this is what's *supposed* to be there. Hope this helps.

Regards,

Bob

 

[woodsnake]

Voltage drop test could really help you out here. 14 volts at battery between posts only y/n? Cables good and tight back on batt, voltage between battery and cable, battery and solenoid, starter motor, etc....And then with the key on, check the return leg as well. This will help prove all your low voltage connections to the starter motor, and then do the same with the coil end too, to check the secondary system.

 

[SEVENLITER66]

It was the fusible link. blown, found mushy spot. trimmed the insulation back and soldered it together. Sweet. It runs!!! thanks for all the help! now on to the brakes.