[STUDE55DOG]

Hello, my kid just called and said he got in his 1968 GTO, cranked car up, pulled light switch plunger out and the car quit running. Now the car will not start, no lights, battery has 12v, fuses look good? Strange. Any thoughts.

 

[boothboy]

Go clean the posts and cables on your battery.

 

[vicrod]

look test

X2- usually the problem. Very common. The main battery cables may also be bad even if they look good and clean.
Fuses are tested with meter or a light. There is no look test.

vicrod

 

[75gmck25]

On my GMC pickup I had the same problem when I turned on the lights while driving down the highway, and it was a burned fusible link. The link may not have burned away all the insulation around it, so it may be hard to see the break. However, the insulation over the fusible link will be extremely soft and you can probably just pull it apart.

On my truck there is a power junction mounted in the engine compartment on the firewall. The 10 gauge power lead from the starter runs up to the this junction, and from there it provides power to the fuse box, lights, etc. The Pontiac may have the power junction in a different place, but I bet the wiring scheme is similar. The fusible wire burned right where it attaches to this power junction.

You can buy a replacement GM fusible link from the Help! section of most auto parts stores. Its probably a 14 gauge fusible link embedded in a short 10 gauge wire. The one I bought had a ring terminal on one end and crimp connector on the other.


Bruce

 

[EOD Guy]

X2 with the fuseable link, Yours should be located near the horn relay on the drivers side, on the engine side of the radiator support. It should be a short piece of orange wire, that's spliced into the factory splice (large red wire coming from the front of the radiator support). The factory splice is tied into the radiator support +12 volt terminal, that's located on the eng side of the radiator support, just behind the battery....... that terminal stud mount has been known to melt and cause the fusable link to blow...... bottom line..... find the fuseable link and see if you have 12v at the horn relay buse bar, if you don't find the radiator support +12 volt terminal and see if you have 12v there........ if you do the fusable link has blown, then chaeck the wire from the terminal to the pos post on the battery.

fusable links can be purchased at NAPA

 

[bracketeer]

no start

my aunt had a gto. wouldn't start. turned out to be a bad headlight relay. knocked all the power out of the car for some reason. i was very young at the time. but i assume it got stuck and drained the battery

 

[Jake_Dragon]

Start at the battery, clean or replace the cables. Check both ends, a bad ground can cause this.
My old Dodge use to do this all the time, turn on the lights and the car dies.
Driving in the winter in Ohio can really mess up a car.
It also helped running a larger ground wire from the block to the frame.

The small ground wire at the battery to the frame would always get nasty and cause issues with my accessories. **this was a different car than the dodge but a good thing to check.

If its not the cables then you should check your fusible links next.
I just replaced all of the fusible links in my Vette, Napa had replacements on the shelf.
Pulls some of the fuses and check to see if you have power at the fuse. If not than its power distribution.
I don't know about that car but they are probably by the starter or the battery.

You can also check and see if someone installed an extra starter relay, that was done by a lot of people to remove power from the starter circuit when the key wasn't turned on.

Good luck, I hate chasing electrical issues.

 

[STUDE55DOG]

Hey boothboy, they did check the cables for your info and the fusible link sounds like the culprit. Thanks to those who had serious suggestions. I appreciate your help. Thanks.