starting problem

JFromm
JFromm Senior Contributor
in HUDSON
Went to start the hornet today with no luck. The car will not even crank and the lights and gauges don't work. Battery is good. Car had been converted to 12 volts. Where do I start?
Thanks

Comments

  • Lee ODell
    Lee ODell Senior Contributor
    Start at the battery. Make sure the battery termanals and all cable ends are clean as well as the area where the cables attach. Also, clean all other wires that my be attached to battery.

    Lee O'Dell
  • DavidC
    DavidC Senior Contributor
    Right, start with battery, make sure you got 12+ volts.  Then keep checking 12 volts through breaker or megafuse.  The fact that everything's out means it's something obvious.
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    John, you're "grounded" correctly, right?  That is, the ground strap from the positive terminal goes either to the frame or the engine, and then there is another ground strap (usually at the back of the engine, or the bellhousing) that connects to the frame.  Thus everything -- frame and engine -- are grounded.  And of course THOSE connections also should be "bright and tight".
  • JFromm
    JFromm Senior Contributor
    Jon,

    As far as I know, it is grounded correctly.  Everything is clean as a bell.  Will check the fuse.

    Thanks,
    John
  • RonS
    RonS Senior Contributor
    John, Don't forget the resistor. You said the car is 12 volt, right?
  • duncan
    duncan Expert Adviser
    One time many years ago I had a ih pickup It was starting and running very good. I drove home from town one day. I shut off the truck and a while later I jumped into the truck and it would not start by doing every thing
     I could think of. I decided to buy new battery cables . I installed them and the took off better than befor I installed the new cables.   Hudsonly  Ray
  • Lee ODell
    Lee ODell Senior Contributor
    Thanks for mentioning that Duncan. It brought back long ago forgotten memory of same problem When I cut open the covering I was surprised how terribly corroded the copper wires were .

    Thanks again for exposing potential major hidden resistance.
    Lee O'Dell

  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    I once had a  1936 Graham Crusader which my Dad sort of handed down to me.  One night it cut out completely - no lights or ignition, but the starter would turn over.   I eventually got it going by jiggling around under the dash, and the lights came back on.   This happened several times, and when I finally  threw the car away, i decided to take everything out of it first, and I found a  join in the wiring where Dad had put a different Ammeter in, and he had disconnected the wire from the original, and screwed the wires together with  a steel screw and nut, and bound it with  friction tape.   This  join was right under the cowl vent, which leaked, and the screw had gone rusty, and  formed one very dirty joint!  Lesson is: always look for what has been modified or altered in some way.
    Geoff 
  • Park_W
    Park_W Senior Contributor
    Tug on the cable near the battery terminals.  Corrosion can build up within the terminal to the point that there's no longer an electrical connection.  Seen this a few times over the years.
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