73 dart 318. pulled into the garage & heard a slight pop I believe & the car went completely dead. Battery is OK. where should I start for the problem/open? thank you for your time. RR

Sounds like you popped a fusible link. You should insoect those

The fusible link would be my first thought. But they usually smoke some as they die.

do they just pop for no reason on occaision or is there a strong possibility of a dead short somewhere?

They "operate" (i.e. open) because of a short circuit . . . no way do they open "just cause" . . . . I had a "rebuilt" alternator, that after running a bit, the +ve output stud to the battery, was shorting against the case . . . POOF, fusible link operated and shut everything off. . . . need to check out your electrical system. . . .

Will do bro, thank you. I was hoping that maybe with the battery being low that it went to full charge voltage & popped it.

I had a resto voltage regulator pop cruising down the road. Blew some stuff out of the case so I knew that was it. Made a loud sound when it went. Luckily I carry a spare so it was a five minute deal.

That wouldn't kill all the power everywhere in the car.

^^^ You're right

but it could be the cause of the fusible link blowing.

If it had the poster should have mentioned that and it would not have been a 5 minute fix either. But since it's a fused circuit past the fusible link I would doubt it, generally.

I had a fusible link go for no reason and kill all power. First time it happened left me stranded and scratching my head because everything else checked out good.

What do you mean "went completely dead"?

No cranking, no park/headlights?

I had that issue on a 73 truck. The fusible link was corroded in half. Where it waz on the fenderwell collected water.

After 50 years....yes, they can go with no warning. Have had it happen. Just splice an in line fuse in there and have a handful of 20 amp fuses handy.

I had an alternator short out inside and take out my original fusible link last year. To find it, I unplugged all the bulkhead connections and plugged them in one at a time. The in line fuse and several fuses quickly found the culprit.

So, sometimes the link finally fails and sometimes something takes it out. IF that is even the problem. But what else can shut down the entire electrical system like that?

Probably Fusible link but could be the power connector at the bulkhead or steering column.

Get a voltmeter or test light. It helps to have long black wire to be a dedicated ground the test light/Meter direct to the battery It eliminates the hunt for a good ground while lying on your back under the dash.

1. Check for voltage at the battery terminals on the post and the clamps on terminal. Also check for voltage at the positive terminal and grounded at the engine to be sure the negative cable isn't shot.
2. Follow smaller of the two wires coming from the Positive battery terminal. (Large one goes to the starter) until it meets a connector or connects to the starter relay.
That connector or the wire coming from the starter relay that the battery wire connects to should be the fusible link. Check for voltage at both ends of the fusible link.
If voltage is only on the battery side the link is burned. DON'T REPLACE IT YET.***
3. If you have good voltage on both sides of the fusible link, follow the wire that is the fusible link to the bulkhead connector. Check the voltage at the bulkhead connector and check to be sure the wire going into the connector isn't loose or burned.
4. If the connector seems good crawl under the dash and check for voltage at the back side of the bulkhead connector. If good voltage at the backside check that the wire is tight.
5. Check the large wire going into the ignition switch for voltage. Check both sides of the connector.
6. Turn the switch to the run position and check for voltage coming out of the switch.

At this point you should have narrowed it down. Repair the bulkhead or replace the ignition switch as needed.

***If the fusible link is blown you need to find out why before you replace it. I have a 30 amp 12V circuit breaker I replace the fusible link with during the search for the short.
a. Check for a grounded main wire on the alternator. Inspect the wiring to the Alternator. Fingers crossed this one is easy to fix. Replace the alternator.
b. Check for loose, burnt or bad connectors on the back of the ammeter. It is easy to unbolt the wires from the ammeter and bolt them together covered in electrical tape to see if that resolves the problem too. Fixing the ammeter is usually just removing the dash cluster and replacing the insulators on the ammeter. Ammeters are often the problem.
c. The other thing to check is to see if the ignition switch is grounded. I have had them come apart and ground inside the column. Remove the connectors and check for a ground on any large wire.
d. Lastly start looking for burnt wires from the alternator to the bulkhead connector and then under the dash. It may be a rewire time.

Hope it helps.

Years ago my 73 Chrysler had problems with the harness under the steering column Seems they liked to burn All power would go out and when played with would come back on.IIRC it wasa problem with them

They should be time-delay fuses to simulate how a fusible link functions.

For glass fuses there are some that are slo-blo, and ones that can take a certain % overload before opening...

Just my $0.02...

I'm on my phone but I have a TSB from the Littelfuse company (stored on my home computer) about the development of the maxi fuse, which was specifically to replace the fusible link. That bulletin is on the home computer. I hate those little bastards. (Fusible links that is)
When I got my 85 d150 it had the most butchered wiring harness I have ever seen, it had several blown.
I ended up going to the junkyard and getting another harness and rewired it based off of that replacement harness.
I threw the original one away.
I then went back to the junkyard and got a small under hood wiring fuse box from something a little newer and incorporated that Into my truck.
Everything that used to go thru a fusible link now goes thru a maxifuse.
The hardest part was trying to figure out what amp rating a given size fusible link was equal to.
I always thought that was the dumbest thing, let's run all this current thru a 3 wire size reduction and while we're at it make the smaller wire a "softer" material..... Something hard to find and work with should it blow.... Something made of unobtanium when it blows in some remote small town. All I ever found was a " standard color chart" for a given gauge size of fusible link.
I can find maxifuses. And can pop in a replacement with no stripping pliers or crimping pliers on the side of the road.
If anyone wants a copy of that bulletin PM me and I'll dig it up