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Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? #2349718
08/06/17 09:16 PM
08/06/17 09:16 PM
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Colorado Springs
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I was turning the key to start the car. Heard a fairly loud "pop" on the passenger side either under the dash or the engine bay and now there's no electrical (dome light doesn't come on when the door's open, no headlights, and of course the starter won't turn over, etc...). Battery is fully charged.

Any thoughts as to what to look for? Thanks!

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: T/A CARe] #2349720
08/06/17 09:18 PM
08/06/17 09:18 PM
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amxautox Offline
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A short. Fusible link blew? what car???


Tom

"Everyone should believe in something; I believe I'll go fishing."

-Henry David Thoreau

Men and fish are alike. They both get into trouble when they open their mouths

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Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: T/A CARe] #2349743
08/06/17 10:00 PM
08/06/17 10:00 PM
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Keizer, Oregon U.S.A.
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elmor353 Offline
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You say the battery is fully charged? Did you open the hood and check it after you heard the pop? I had a battery explode while trying to start my van years ago. Did the very same thing that you are describing.

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: T/A CARe] #2349834
08/07/17 12:24 AM
08/07/17 12:24 AM
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Laveen, Arizona
GTSDart340 Offline
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Could be the ammeter wiring at the bulkhead connector.

Last edited by GTSDart340; 08/07/17 12:24 AM.

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1968 Dodge Dart GTS "The Drat" - 340/727

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Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: T/A CARe] #2349846
08/07/17 12:50 AM
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Omaha Ne
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TJP Offline
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Time for a voltmeter / test light. twocents popcorn

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: amxautox] #2349862
08/07/17 01:25 AM
08/07/17 01:25 AM
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Originally Posted By amxautox
A short. Fusible link blew? what car???

70 T/A Challenger 340 with electronic ignition conversion pkg.

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: elmor353] #2349864
08/07/17 01:26 AM
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Originally Posted By elmor353
You say the battery is fully charged? Did you open the hood and check it after you heard the pop? I had a battery explode while trying to start my van years ago. Did the very same thing that you are describing.

Thanks, but no. Battery is fine. I actually charged the battery after the lights didn't come on. It's charged and still no power.

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: GTSDart340] #2349867
08/07/17 01:27 AM
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Originally Posted By GTSDart340
Could be the ammeter wiring at the bulkhead connector.

I'll be giving it look! Thanks!

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: TJP] #2349869
08/07/17 01:28 AM
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Originally Posted By TJP
Time for a voltmeter / test light. twocents popcorn

Yeah... I'm kind of afraid of that. I'm no kind of electrical guy and don't really know where to start. I do have buddies that can help. Thanks!

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: amxautox] #2349874
08/07/17 01:37 AM
08/07/17 01:37 AM
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383man Offline
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Originally Posted By amxautox
A short. Fusible link blew? what car???



Sounds like that to me. You may have heard the fusible link burn out which they are made to do so the wiring wont burn up if there is a short. And it can kill all power depending on which one burns out. Ron

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: T/A CARe] #2349875
08/07/17 01:39 AM
08/07/17 01:39 AM
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Lincoln Nebraska
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RapidRobert Offline
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If you happen to have any 12V bulb/socket with a pair of wires coming out of it (pigtails) laying around, just bare the insulation off of each of the two ends & ground one end to bare metal on the firewall and wrap the other bare wire around a thin metal probe & stick it in the bulkhead terminal where the main power lead goes in (trace the power from the batt positive lead to the starter relay & it continues on to the bulkhead to that particular terminal). if no light then the FL has popped, if it lights then the open is under the dash (the 2 bulkhead halves coulda lost continuity in that particular male/female brass terminal connection between the two bulkhead halves there on the eng side of the firewall but not likely). if it is the FL then NAPA has a replacement for cheap & I would have someone crimp/solder it in being carefull to wick away the heat from the soldering iron in the process. If the open is under the dash then start with the ammeter terminals as mentioned. keep us updated. EDIT batt neg cable connection to block coulda lost its connection/continuity which would render the system dead like it is but I would not expect a "pop" from that potential.

Last edited by RapidRobert; 08/07/17 01:53 AM.

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Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: 383man] #2349884
08/07/17 02:06 AM
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Originally Posted By 383man
Originally Posted By amxautox
A short. Fusible link blew? what car???



Sounds like that to me. You may have heard the fusible link burn out which they are made to do so the wiring wont burn up if there is a short. And it can kill all power depending on which one burns out. Ron

Thanks Ron!

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: T/A CARe] #2349885
08/07/17 02:06 AM
08/07/17 02:06 AM
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Phila. Pa.
Mattax Offline
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Originally Posted By TA_Care
Originally Posted By TJP
Time for a voltmeter / test light. twocents popcorn

Yeah... I'm kind of afraid of that. I'm no kind of electrical guy and don't really know where to start. I do have buddies that can help. Thanks!


You will definately need a multi-meter, with or without your buddies. smile
For simplicities sake, there's basically one wire to follow from the battery to the ignition switch. Its not physically all one wire, there are connections along the way, but that's all you have to trace to see where it burned.
There is a simplified diagram from my '67 at the bottom of this page http://www.heritech.org/cuda/Charge.html
Open your hood and see if you can follow it to the firewall connector. If the fusible link failed, it will literally be melted away. That's its job.

If it didn't then almost certainly something else was the weakest link and failed. Look between the firewall connector and the ignition switch. Thats a little harder for the switches in the steering column. But if you need the wire color, it will be in the '70 shop manual. Most likely black or red at least to the main junction.

Next you need your buddies with the multimeter. Because something drew too much power from the battery. Most likely a bare wire touched ground, and most likely one that is not protected by the fusebox.

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: RapidRobert] #2349886
08/07/17 02:07 AM
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Originally Posted By RapidRobert
If you happen to have any 12V bulb/socket with a pair of wires coming out of it (pigtails) laying around, just bare the insulation off of each of the two ends & ground one end to bare metal on the firewall and wrap the other bare wire around a thin metal probe & stick it in the bulkhead terminal where the main power lead goes in (trace the power from the batt positive lead to the starter relay & it continues on to the bulkhead to that particular terminal). if no light then the FL has popped, if it lights then the open is under the dash (the 2 bulkhead halves coulda lost continuity in that particular male/female brass terminal connection between the two bulkhead halves there on the eng side of the firewall but not likely). if it is the FL then NAPA has a replacement for cheap & I would have someone crimp/solder it in being carefull to wick away the heat from the soldering iron in the process. If the open is under the dash then start with the ammeter terminals as mentioned. keep us updated. EDIT batt neg cable connection to block coulda lost its connection/continuity which would render the system dead like it is but I would not expect a "pop" from that potential.

This will help me a lot and get started! Thanks Robert!!

Re: Loud engine bay "pop" now all electrical's dead. Ideas? [Re: Mattax] #2349887
08/07/17 02:09 AM
08/07/17 02:09 AM
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Colorado Springs
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Originally Posted By Mattax
Originally Posted By TA_Care
Originally Posted By TJP
Time for a voltmeter / test light. twocents popcorn

Yeah... I'm kind of afraid of that. I'm no kind of electrical guy and don't really know where to start. I do have buddies that can help. Thanks!


You will definately need a multi-meter, with or without your buddies. smile
For simplicities sake, there's basically one wire to follow from the battery to the ignition switch. Its not physically all one wire, there are connections along the way, but that's all you have to trace to see where it burned.
There is a simplified diagram from my '67 at the bottom of this page http://www.heritech.org/cuda/Charge.html
Open your hood and see if you can follow it to the firewall connector. If the fusible link failed, it will literally be melted away. That's its job.

If it didn't then almost certainly something else was the weakest link and failed. Look between the firewall connector and the ignition switch. Thats a little harder for the switches in the steering column. But if you need the wire color, it will be in the '70 shop manual. Most likely black or red at least to the main junction.

Next you need your buddies with the multimeter. Because something drew too much power from the battery. Most likely a bare wire touched ground, and most likely one that is not protected by the fusebox.

Thanks Mattax! I'll be getting on it!







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