Topic: 1976 T/A 455 4 speed, NO power to the car AT ALL! Help!

[BLURR]

Ok the other day my dad moved my 76 455 4 speed T/A out the garage, he pulled it back in we he got done. Noticed he was to far over to one side. Got right back in it to move it and it made a clunk sound like the starter was trying to engage and then it went dead. The dome light and headlights wont even come on. the car is completely dead of power. He checked the battery and it has 16 volts terminal to terminal and getting it to the starter and alternator. but the car wont do nothing, wont wirl over, no lights, nothing. He checked the neutral safety switch and its already jumpered, so thats not it. All ground wires are connected. This is the first time its done this, always started up and had electricity to it. Now all asudden nothing.

Any ideas?

[Rick]

Joe, sometimes a battery will develop a high internal resistance.  That means that with no load on it, it will measure at the proper voltage across the terminals, but the instant you put any kind of power on it the voltage drops to 0.  Swap out the battery for a known good one and if that's the problem it will start right up.

[bobg]

The battery is first suspect. 16 volts is not normal voltage for a battery unless it has been recently overcharged or has an internal problem. A fully charged battery should be about 12.6 volts give or take. If your battery is good and the problem is still present, make sure the nut on the starter solenoid for the cable is tight, and check for any burnt fusible links on the power wires.

[BLURR]

Replaced battery, same thing with brand new battery. Wont even jump off.

[Joker (§ir£Ğragon)]

It's most likely a bad connection at one end of either battery cable. One place to check is the point where the cables attach to the battery cable clamps. Even if they are form fit ckamps (rather than the separate clamps) the cable can come loose inside the clamp or become corroded or just over heated. Make sure that you have good voltage down at the starter and that the negative has good continuity from the battery to the block.

The other possibility would be the fusable link(s) at the starter. They would be attached to the large terminal with the battery cable and supply power to the rest of the car, including the ignition switch.

[Clint s]

when you say your grounds are connected are all of them connected and in good condition.  you need at least one from the battery to the block, 1 from the block to the frame and I go 1 from the starer to frame..  If you only have battery to block ground you are grounding through your  tiny motor mount holes were they just contact the frame.  the mount itself is rubber.  Same sort of thing happened to me and that was it, added ground from the block to frame fired right up.

[Rick]

My vote at this point then, Joe, is to look hard at the cables themselves as Larry suggests.

[jphillips3333]

With the new battery install, did you get dome lights/headlights, etc?  Any indication of power?

I had a similar problem to yours ... and with a '76 455 by chance (yes, I still have a `76 in the stable - not the same one). 

It wouldn't start - the battery was 3+ years old, had been weak for a while -  I replaced it - nothing.  Pulled the starter, had that & the solenoid checked, re-installed it - nothing.  Pulled the cables and noticed cracks in the insulation.  Replaced 'em, it fired right up.  Internally, the cable had become badly corroded from the car being outside all the time - sitting outside my parents house.  Didn't help they were right next to a saltwater river.  If LA is anything like Florida, looks at corrosion issues as well as all your contacts/grounds.

[RPO_Z06]

Did you check the fusable links at the starter ?

[1979T/A6.6]

As been said its most likely the cables themselves.  Happend to me and my dad driving down the road.  We replaced the cable and presto.  Looked at the old ones and the core had burned. (idk what to call it but the core burns out to keep from the system getting an overload)

[BLURR]

Thanks guys, got it going. The cable needed cleaning