[loudandlow]

I just bought a 79 Lincoln Mark V this weekend and I was detailing the engine using a jug of water to try to control overspray... i guess it didn't work! Something shorted out and now i have no underhood light, interior lights, put the key in the ignition it does NOTHING, I have lost all power to the car. I switched batteries with a car that works and it still did nothing. I checked all the fusable links off the battery all were good, checked the fuses under the dash, also good. I cant figure this one out guys!! I need your help! Anything you can do to point me in the right direction would be very much appreciated!!! What would short out from water?

PLEASE HELP ME!!! This thing is a cream puff with awesome black paint and red leather, I WANT TO START DRIVING IT!! haha, thanks for looking!

[Henry Highrise]

You probably lost your ground. Check your ground....the other end of your negative battery cable...it should bolt to the block somewhere......undo it and clean everything up good ( clean bare metal) and put it back.

[78novaman]

Ditto what Henry said, but also check the connection at the starter solenoid. It is a little round piece with 4 posts sticking out and should be bolted somewhere on the fender near the battery, just follow the positive cable away from the battery and you'll fine it. Take a multimeter, set it to VDC and measure from the negative (-) side of the battery to the input post (battery) of the solenoid, it should read 12V. Then set it to ohms and check for 0-0.7ohms from the negative post (-) of the battery to the engine, and to the chassis.

The next step, or if you don't have a multimeter, is to take a piece of wire and jumper from the input post (+) to the 'S' terminal. BE CAREFUL! This bypasses the ignition and will cause the engine to crank over, unless the battery cable(s) or solenoid is bad. If the engine cranks, then you have a problem between the battery cable bolted to the solenoid and the fusebox, or the chassis ground.

My rambler used the Ford solenoid and it had the exact same symptoms when the solenoid ended it's life, the engine would randomly die and no power anywhere after that. Rambler #2 just wouldn't crank when the solenoid in it died.

[58Apache]

May I ask HOW you checked those fusible links? Do you have a meter?

Agree with checking and cleaning ALL ground connections, battery to engine, engine to firewall, and body or battery to frame.

Clean battery cables at the battery with a wire brush.

Turn on the headlights and see how bright they are then let us know.

Steve