1971 LeSabre - totally dead

Just tried to start the car, cranked for a second and then everything is dead, not even the interior lights turn on.

Battery is a year old and is fine.

I disconnected the battery and cleaned the contacts. Looked in the chassis manual but don't see any sort of master fuse or anything anywhere. I know I'm missing something. Help please!

 

Also check the other end of the electrical connections, not just at the battery. Corrosion or a loose connection can cause this too.

 

As you are not getting anything at all, no lights, clicks..., This brings it down to a common denominator, the cabling from the battery. As stated, there are fusible links that you cannot see. One way to tell is to take a meter, set it to ohms and meter the cables end to end. I usually start in the middle and work back from there on any circuit I troubleshoot. If you get an open, or a high resistance on a cable, it is either open, or corroded. I have seen them corrode inside and cause high resistance stopping it from working (Wire to my starter, that was fun.).

Good luck, and remember, a test light or a meter can be your best friends,

 

If I wanted to replace that whole cable with the fusible links, what is it called? It looks like there's a cable from the battery to the starter and then the cable with the fusible links seems to run to the alternator?

 

The two fusible links connect at the solenoid and protect the front and engine harnesses to the firewall side connector to the interior side of the Fuse Block.

Power from the positive battery cable to the starter solenoid energize the two wires with the fusible links.

If you wanted to replace the engine harness (sender units, points, starter circuit, alternator, AC, voltage regulator, washer/wipers, tach, blower motor, etc) and the front harness (headlights, horns, turn signals, marker lights, etc), you will need to order each.

Easier to just replace the fusible links, as Adam (Smartin) stated.

Start by verifying the negative cable to the block connection is clean and tight. (remove, clean the bolt/washer, and contact area on the block). Then with the negative cable still disconnected and isolated, disconnect the positive cable and the two cables for the harnesses on the solenoid and clean them, the contact posts and reassemble and tighten and also remove, clean and reinstall the red cable on the alternator.

That may be where the issue is. Given it was sudden, it may be a connection and you've already addressed the cables and posts at the battery.

 

Thank you TrunkMonkey for putting my thoughts into terms understood by those who work on cars, I could only give generalities since electronics and telecommunications is what I am familiar with. Cars, still a black box, but I am slowly lifting the lid, and learning too!

 

Do you still have headlights?

Here's the fusible links information from the Buick Chassis Service Manaul:

 

More - https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/replacing-a-fusible-link.325644/#post-2723687

 

It replaced the fusible links and also double checked some wiring. I think I had something grounded that shorted the ignition.

She's all good now. Thanks everyone!

 

With the crimp on connectors they came with, then I covered them with electrical tape to try to keep dirt and debris out.