Well, i installed power windows on my car this weekend all went well... untill i finished and went to start the car. I got in, turned the key and... nothing(the car used to run, before i wired the windows, and none of the window wires crossed the ignition or anything either)!! So i look under the dash and nothing looks different. This has happened before and all i did was get under the dash and shake and wiggle the wires, i did that today for about 3 hours and nothing! The biggest problem is, the guy before me has an alarm installed that is wired in series with the ignition so my wiring schematics are not stock. However, i was hoping someone here would have a suggestion. BTW, no fuses are burned, everything to the starter is fine, the grounds are fine, and i don't think anything under the hood(wires wise) is screwed up but if you guys suggest something there i will definitely check it out. Well, i know it may be almost impossible to pinpoint the problem but any suggestions are GREATLY appreciated!! But this is my daily driver and i work and go to school everyday so i need to fix the ASAP!! LOL,Thanks
Ryan

forgot to mention, when i turn the key you can hear a click from the the engine compartment and then nothing, no turning over. Thanks

If its clicking perhaps your battery has lost some charge... I had that happen many times. Could be starter also, you can have someone touch a voltmeter to the solonoid and you turn the key.. see if its gettting the signal.

But id say its your battery, those power windows could really suck the juice if you were playing with them alot after you installed them.

So, id almost bet the farm on that battery. try jumping it, charging it, or try jumping the starter solonoid with a screwdriver.

Bubba

Nope, not the battery, got out my tester and it said it was full but just in case, i tried jumping it but it did the same thing. Umm, i'm pretty mush positive that it is a conection somewhere under the dash. The reason i say that is this morning i was under there, with the key turned to the ignition point and i was shaking wires and all of a sudden it started to turn but then stopped. So, if anyone knows, what wires should i check and what colored wires should i be concerned with? Ok, thanks

Neutral safety switch. 2 Large purple with white stripe wires. Disconnect from switch, insert jumper, see if that helps.

if it clicks, then power is getting thru the purple wires to the starter, so start there.

If you can reach it without shorting out the world, shorting between the lug where the pos cable attaches to the solenoid and the lower lug where the tab from the starter motor connects to the solenoid should turn it over and prove itsa bad solenoid. (this is way hard to do, not a lot of room, and it makes a big spark!)

Or pull the starter and have it tested, replace it, or replace the solenoid

Ok, i had some time in between school and going to work (lol, 15 minutes!!) and i checked somethings out! I noticed something strange, usually when i leave the car, the alarm automatically turns on after like 30 seconds... now it doesnt! That must mean that something is unhooked from the alarm, and if that is correct, that is my whole problem! So, i'll check that out later. Plus, i called a electronic shop today at work and this guy says: "Oh, yea, well if you bring it in, we can diagnose the problem" Then i said: "Oh, ok, how much would that cost, like an estimate?" He says: "Well, the minimum is $500 but that is just to diagnose, the fixing stage will increase the price from there." WHAT THE HELL!!!!! I couldnt believe this!!!! Then he says: "HAHAHA, the truth is, people are affraid of wiring so thats where we come in!" I couldnt believe he said that!!! Well, if i do end up taking it to someone it definitely wont be going there! Ok, thanks for the help!

Number one, to hell with that eletrician who said what he said. A $500 diagnostic is ridiculous and insulting. You could get a guy to come over to your house and look at it for $20 or a case of beer, if even that. I had a similar set of problems with my '72. I'm actually about to get a full rewire done simply because the car is so screwed up from the former owners DIY eletrical work. He'd done the same thing, change the windows from crank to power, and also added an alarm and stereo. Bad idea. It turned to car into Christine, and now, it's temporary driveway sculpture because the battery is always inexplicably drained. Something is constantly sucking the juice, and no one has been able to figure out what it is. I've had my solonoid replaced, we've tried disconnecting the stereo and alarm, all that stuff, yet it's still having that drain. We've done EVERYTHING. The car is solid as hell mechanically, but thats irrelevant with the way the electrical is. I'm so fed up that my plan is just to rip it all out and start anew with something that isn't a snakepit of dysfunctional wiring.

LOL, EXACTLY!! I was looking out the cost to get a complete 18 circuit painless performance harness installed to pretty much solve all my problems! I too have a cd player, power windows, ac, and other accesories! Atleast im not alone with the fact that i'm sick of DIY, copper conduit wiring "pros"!!! LOL, ok, thanks

I know, it's total hell to deal with. I wish there was an easier option, but from my experience a lot of other people I know with vintage cars, there isn't one. Also, Chevelles in particular seem to get crazy eletrical problems when people even do the slightest bit electrical tinkering. In my case, you look under the dash and it's like a rainbow birds nest with bits of shredded copper jutting out and clumps of gummy, black tape holding it all together. It's an abomination. I know my rewire is going to be like having my kidneys ripped out, which I might as well go ahead and do to cover the costs of it. Did your car already have electrical problems beforehand or any other DIY wiring? Have you had anything done to the solonoid?

You could get a guy to come over to your house and look at it for $20 or a case of beer, if even that.

Something is constantly sucking the juice, and no one has been able to figure out what it is. I've had my solonoid replaced, we've tried disconnecting the stereo and alarm, all that stuff, yet it's still having that drain. We've done EVERYTHING.

You guys are cracking me up. $20.00 is tip money. If you want to chase the drain here's what you can do and it won't cost you anything. Disconnect the negative cable from the battery. Put a test light between the negative cable and the negative post of the battery. The light should not be on. If the light comes on, start by pulling fuses and see if the light goes off. Your alarm should also be disconnected because that will cause the light to come on with the key off. If the light still is on after you pull all the fuses, then start your own thread and we can go from there. Also a weak cell in a battery will drain it down, by itself, but don't have enough information to determine that yet.

To the original poster, follow Jim's suggestion and see if the screwdriver trick spins the starter. Problem may be the negative battery cable if the screwdriver doesn't spin the starter.

Ryan, Madame,

It's none of my business but, LISTEN TO JOHN. There are several things you both can do before tearing out all the wiring. Some people here are pros and know what they're talking about. John, Elree, and several others here know just about everything about the electrical systems in these cars. They can, and will help. Doing a complete rewire is a radical, complex, time consuming and costly effort. Especially using aftermarket, generic wiring kits. Not that it might not be what you will end up doing in the end, but why not try to resolve your problems the easiest, quickest and least expensive way first.

No offense, but locating a drain or loose/bad connection in the fuse block or bulkhead connector isn't that difficult. If that makes your head hurt, your chances of doing a complete rewire of the dash and/or under hood harness is dicey (but not impossible).

If you are intent on replacing your existing wiring, I'd look around for a used factory harness first. Then I'd look at M&H (http://www.wiringharness.com/) for an exact factory repro (that matches the factory wiring diagrams) before I'd go with "others" based on what I've read here and seen in real life.

Like I said, none of my business, just my opinion. But there are lots of people here that will help you if you want to try. ;)

I understand what you guys are saying but i have also taken it to shops and they even say it's risky to try take the easiest way out. Also, i mean, i'm a kid so you have to understand what i have in my car, aftermarket wise: alarm, roll control, radio, subs, amps, ac, hei, power windows, locks, full panel of electric gauges,and thats just a short list so i think the stock fuse panel might become obsolete due to its lack of circuits. I like things to be clean not wire after wire of splicing. Plus, there is no harness behind the dash, i pulled it out to look at the difficulty of the installation and i guess he found out that copper conduit is cheaper then quality wire! And on top of that, some how(and believe me, i'm no electrical expert!) he has about 16 or 17 scorch marks on the fuse panel where i'm guessing a wire has burned! Oh, and the best, he has soldered wires across EVERY terminal of the fuse panel!!! And i know what fusible links are (at least thats what i call them, certain wires that are made to fail at a certain amperage) and these arent those, they are like 8 gauge wire!! Well, anyways, it's partially my fault because he did have the sense to cover the panel with like a nice case so when i bought it, i didnt think to check it out!! I'm just glad i never crossed a wire or blew a fuse with his set-up!! Well, i found a guy that my physics teacher knows and he has offered to install a COMPLETE harness for only $200 if i buy the harness!! So, i consider that pretty good. So, i think i'm gunna go that route. If i'm making a mistake i guess i'll lear! LOL, well thanks for you guyses help, and i know with the vague info it was nearly impossible to help! Thanks

I'd consider $200 for a complete harness to be a good price. I replaced the front light harness, engine harness and dash harness in my 64. I purchased a used but unmolested set of harnesses. It took me about 4 to 5 hours, and that inculded to time to add the back up light wiring to the "new harness".

Electrical work is not brain surgery. However, you must have a basic understanding of the physics/mechanics of the system and have a basic mechanical ability. I absoluetly understand pulling your hair out trying to diagnose a problem. It took me alot of time to figure out that my problem was a bad ignition switch. :angry:

Rian,

I sure can't fault your logic. And $200 is a good price.

Good Luck. I'm sure it'll be better when it's done.


/herb