Hey guys,
I'm have issues with my '72. She got a new engine along with new battery, cables, etc... about a year ago with only a couple thousand miles since then. I went to start it up the other day and she fired up for about 5 sec. before she died. I tried to start it again and had no electrial power at all, not even a dome light. So I started at the battery (tested good) and worked my way back and have found nothing. All the cables look good and have clean tight connections and have no blown fuses. I starting to think that it is the ignition switch, or maby a fuseable link. I can get an ok visual of the starter from the top, enough to see the the connections and wiggle them with a long screw driver. But I have yet to crawl underneath, the car is parker pretty tight on the right side of the garage so I have been reluctant to do that. So what do you guys think? Ignition switch? Or am I missing something.
Thanks

 

I'm thinking a possible fusible link. Trace your secondary main wire (either off the battery + terminal or from the starter). If you can find the fusible link, check to see if you have power at both sides of it with a meter by poking the tester probe through the wire casing.

 

That was going to be my next step, gonna be a pain because of where the car is sitting right now. Thanks for the reply!

 

Didn't know the 2nd gens had a fusible link? I would check for power at the fuse block, and if none, then check for power at the starter. If there's power at the starter, and not at the fuse block then you've probably got a loose connection down there.

 

You can't say that any more! http://electricwiringdiagram.com/wp-...cal-system.jpg

 

Got underneath it today. Sure enough the fusible link fell apart in my hands, problem solved! Thanks guys!

 

Oh, that's good. But....why did it smoke in the first place? Sometimes they go "just because" from old age. You might want to give your wiring a once over to make sure you don't have a bare wire grounding out, etc. That fusible link wire is a main power supply for the car that leads to the fuse panel. So you wouldn't be concerning yourself with the cause being a wire inside the car that's fused. And, you did replace the fusible link, not hot-wire it?

 

Looks like it was a victim of old age and heat from the headers, I think it grounded out on the header. I'm working replaceing it and some heat protection. We are on the same page reguarding the rest of the electrical, a blown fuse is always an indication of a problem someware. I feel pretty good that the problem was right at the starter, but i will double check everything juset in case.

 

Thanks! Camaro 69! Now I gotta look at that connection near the starter and see what mine looks like. After all the times I've been under there in the last 38 yrs. I've never ever noticed it!