A quick check of the fusible link for the car is to check for battery voltage at the positive post on the alternator. The wire from the starter goes from the starter to the alternator. If the fuse link is bad there will not be voltage there.
Paul, there could be more potential problems than what you have on your list. With the residual battery voltage being 12.7v, and the “clicking” going away and all traces of power gone, there is likely a voltage drop somewhere. A simple test light would be very beneficial in testing for some major issues. True voltage drop testing is not for the novice, but I think you can handle figuring out what is going on. Keep us posted.
FOUND IT! Had a decent day today(in the 50's) so the garage was not freezing cold..... Spent the last week reviewing the CSM, wiring diagrams, and typical faults in the troubleshooting guide. The whole car was dead, no interior lights, no trunk light, no headlights....nada. So, with my test light and voltmeter, I started to poke and probe. My guess was a grounding problem, as there was no 12V anywhere. I decided to move the battery ground cable at the battery (Thanks Rob Wildcat4), and the power to the car was back. YEA! Turned the key to start and got clicking, so I am pulling the battery tomorrow to have it load tested at the auto parts store. BTW, changing out the negative cable does not look easy......my 70 442 is way easier to access everything...... Thanks to all who helped - really appreciate it! Will report back when I test the battery.
Paul, is there a small ground wire at the battery to fender? That helps with a chassis ground along with the passenger side head to fire wall. If you replace the ground dont neglect it. The battery ground should run to an alternator or AC block mount bolt. It should be straightforward.
Thanks Pat. There is a small ground wire on the negative cable but it is not hooked up. I will address that as well.
A friend had a similar issue with his 66 Pontiac. All electrical worked till he tried to start the car then click click then no lights. We thought it was the battery tried jumping it nada. Pulled the battery from my car put in his and had lights again till he tried to start it then yep click click. Long story it was the other end of his ground wire.
^^What they said. Enough contact for lights, radio, blower but breaks connection when you hit it with real load. Does your current cable have factory ends or the ‘permanary’ end clamped onto strands? Corrosion eats up inside the cable and causes this, as does gradu at the bolt to block. Patrick
A single click is usually a bad connection or a bad starter. Multiple or rapid clicking is usually a low or bad battery
Battery cables are the high end repro's (side terminal versions) The battery is a reproduction of the original, 3 years old. Will post battery test results tomorrow.
So Paul, Are you saying that the battery is not the one that was in the car when I sold it? The battery I had in the car was new last year if I recall correctly. Randy
Then it is not a repro of an original. It is an AC Delco which was purchased from Tubman Chevrolet last year I believe. If not last year, then the year before. You should have the bill and if the battery is the problem, I am confident that a GM dealer should honour the pro-rated warranty. You may think it is a repro because of the battery topper, but that just lifts off, as it is held on with velcro on the underside. Randy
Just a heads up on the battery, we've had a few Delcos going bad at work and have had to replace them under warranty. They were bought within the last two years. The manufacture date on the batteries was from 5 or so years ago even though we had just gotten them in stock.
Could be the case with Paul's battery. Regardless, the very first thing and easiest I would have done was to have the battery tested. Randy
Agreed. Testing or swapping the battery is a 10 minute cake walk that should always be done first. Bad cells, surface charges, all kinds of things happen in batteries that cause all kinds of weird electrical issues even if they look and test good with a common V/Ohm meter.
Invest in a load tester. 25 bucks at tractor supply. It has Saved me a ton of aggrevation. The battery in my suncoupe suddenly would not even click and volt test said it was 12.8 volts but load test showed zero cranking amps. I use it all the time. It diagnoses battery load condition in 5 seconds. One of my favorite tools.
