Hey guys and gals. Been away from the site for a long time. The birth of my second halted a lot of progress, along with other house projects. I have an electrical issue I want to run past all of you to see if I can get some help. I have no marker lights, no tail lights, and no voltage at the starter. The fuses look good, and the grounds are tight. I thought the neutral safety switch was an issue with the starter, but it is only a guess. I even went as far as changing out the ignition and headlight switches with no luck.
First off...how long has it been since you drove it last? Any changes? Any off the wall incidents? Stored indoors, outdoors? Last time you started car?
I would check power at coil..power at all positive and negative terminals.
Without knowing how your car is wired, it would seem the logical assumption that no power at starter is no power from switch. I had my purple wire short and caused a no start.
I had a short in my side marker lights in my 68. The ones in the quarter panel. When I accidentally shorted the socket (power from harness) to ground of the housing where socket/bulb is installed. I would first pull both side markers and pull the bulbs and see what happens. Then check voltages of side markers.
Since you don't have rear marker lights...I would check for commonality between the rear marker lights, starter and switch.
Si Vis Pacem Parabellum
1967 Starlight black PMD Engineering 400 Auto 1968 Alpine Blue 400 4 speed 1968 Verdoro Green 400 HO 4 speed 2013 1LE 2SS/RS Inferno Orange Camaro.
I took the car out for the 1st time after sitting all winter. Started running hot so brought her home. Pulled into the garage and it sputtered out. I went to start it again and it was dead, no sign of the starter, battery still had full charge. Thought it was a heat soak issue, but the car was still dead hours later. Starter bench test shows it is not the starter. No volts at the purple wire. Positive from the battery is brand new. Battery still has full charge now, even after constant diagnosis. What you suggest will be my next experiment. Thanks Tom.
Do you have headlights, horn, brake lights, interior lights? Do you have voltage at the coil + [pos]? Should be about nine volts with the key on and 12 volts with the key in the start position. Check the battery negative cable to ground. Take it off at the battery and where it grounds on the block, clean it up then reinstall. Check for voltage at the batt. terminal on the alternator. Check for voltage at the red terminal on the horn relay on 67 and 68. 67 and 68s have power from the battery through the junction block to a soldered buss and on to the horn relay. From the horn relay power goes to the junction box on the firewall and on to power up the whole car. 69s have power go from the spliced buss to the firewall junction. If you have good voltage at all these points check to see if you have power to the ignition switch and out of the switch to the starter wire and to the coil wire. Power flows from the switch to the neutral safety switch then to the firewall junction block, terminal L on a 68, and on to the starter. Check if you have power to the firewall junction block from the neutral safety switch with the key on start Check to see if you have power at the firewall junction block where the coil wire connects. Then remove the heavy purple wire on the starter and check for voltage with the key in start position. If you have power to and from the switch but none at the starter I would say you have a problem in the neutral safety switch or firewall junction box. If you have power to and from the switch but none at the coil pos + terminal I'd say you have a problem, with the firewall junction box. Or it could be the connector that plugs into the back of the switch. Or it could be none of the above.
Quite often the battery will be charged and tests at different terminals will be good, but the starter will not turn as the battery Neg to ground cable is not making a good enough ground. It is enough to move a needle on a voltmeter and to turn on a couple of lights but not enough to turn a starter or even close the contacts on a starter solenoid. Battery ground and body to engine block ground is very important.
