[amber101]

Ok so I took my 69 chevelle to the shop and got it running. I got sick of tinkering with it. Well on the way home the positive battery cable that leads to the starter ended up getting caught underneath the exhaust manifold and melted and caught fire. Well nothing burned but it so I thought that if I replaced the cable the car would start back up. Nope wont even turn over...none of the lights on my dash are coming on and a test light to the fuse block shows that nothing there is receiving any power. I see that my battery is getting 12.39 volts to be exact..the cable leading to the starter is reading the same...so I put a light to the starter. Well the battery lead is of course hot but with the ignition on and in the crank position the purple (s terminal) and the red (r terminal) are receiving no power. Im really confused about the situation because I have had the started tested and it tested good but its not giving power to the r and s terminals even in the crank position! So I thought maybe there is a fusible link on the purple wire going to the ignition....nope nothing. So then I thought that the ignition switch may have gotten burnt up when the positive cable caught fire....well I put 2 brand new ones in and I am 110% positive its wired correctly and the switch was set in the right position.

So I am wondering seeing as its a 1969 chevelle ss 393 4 speed that maybe the resistor leading to the coil and fuse block may have something to do with it? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Dean]

There is a fusible link that runs from the pigtail on the positive battery cable to a terminal block behind the battery.
The power goes from that terminal block to the double "BAT" terminal on the horn relay.
Check for 12 volts at both places.

You did hook the fusible link back to the new battery cable I assume.

 

[amber101]

There was no fusible link in the old positive battery cable. Whoever did it did it years ago and actually used an old neutral cable that was way too short so all these years its been waiting to melt. I don't see any fusible links going between the battery and starter or the starter to ignition or from starter to distributor coil. I don't understand. Without the fusible links what could I have possible fried. And please don't tell me the whole wiring harness.

 

[amber101]

Ok well I just went out there to look one more time to make sure there were no fusible links I was missing and it looks like a long time ago someone spliced them out and just attached another wire in between. But I noticed at my bulkhead connector I have a blue wire that goes from my resistor back to my fuse block. It looks like it used to be yellow possible and someone spliced it and put a blue wire about 2 inches off of the bulkhead. But the yellow part of the wire looks melted and feels flattened. Is that what brings power back to my fuse block to engage everything? ANd how do I disconnect from the bulkhead and replace it properly? I cant see it too well right now becaue I have power brakes so the brake booster and the hood are pretty much in my way, but im going to take the hood off today to get a better look. Let me know what you guys think.

 

[CoolBlueGlow]

Amber101,
We are talking about two different circuits here. The first circuit is the heavy current circuit directly to your starter motor. That is the cable you set on fire. However, that is NOT where your car gats operational power for the rest of your circuits. There is another circuit, and that "other" circuit in play here is the circuit which supplies that operational AC power to the rest of your car. Again, that is not your heavy starter motor cable.

Yes, it is entirely possible for the other supply circuit to melt due to the situation you experienced. Yes, that is what has happened. (That "other" circuit on a Chevelle typically begins with a 10 gauge wire coming from your battery cable to a distribution block on your radiator support, or to your horn relay, etc.)

Start at your battery positive cable. Observe that there are TWO wires, the obvious heavy cable you burned up and replaced - AND a smaller 10 or 12 gauge Red wire. If you look and say "there isn't one", that's your problem. Whomever supposedly "replaced" the melted heavy cable forgot to put the other smaller wire on… A distinct possibility. Find that wire. You must have it.

If the smaller wire IS there at your B+ terminal, then simply follow that smaller wire until you find the melted place. It will be in the first few junctions, since your entire car is without power.

The problem you are experiencing is because somewhere that red wire, (or the fusible link which Dean mentioned - and which it feeds - and which is typically located at your horn relay) has been melted somewhere.

Follow that wire. You will quickly find the problem.

 

[lg1969]

I had the same problem in my 69 Chevelle. I had no power feed. IT turn out to be the fuse panel connector. The connector overheated to the point of melt down and oxidized until the connector open. This is the main (red wire) feed. It's the weakest link that deliver all the power to the car. Poor design.

 

[amber101]

Amber101,

Start at your battery positive cable. Observe that there are TWO wires, the obvious heavy cable you burned up and replaced - AND a smaller 10 or 12 gauge Red wire. If you look and say "there isn't one", that's your problem. Whomever supposedly "replaced" the melted heavy cable forgot to put the other smaller wire on… A distinct possibility. Find that wire. You must have it.

If the smaller wire IS there at your B+ terminal, then simply follow that smaller wire until you find the melted place. It will be in the first few junctions, since your entire car is without power.

The problem you are experiencing is because somewhere that red wire, (or the fusible link which Dean mentioned - and which it feeds - and which is typically located at your horn relay) has been melted somewhere.

Follow that wire. You will quickly find the problem.

I am telling you there was never a secondary wire coming off the positive cable. When we put the new positive cable on it had a small wire that needs to be hooked up somewhere but seeing as it was never there and it started just fine we didnt hook up the new one. I should hook it to my horn relay?

 

[sbvelleman]

The '68 wiring diagram shows the power feed wire from the battery to the horn relay is red. The color of the wire then changed to purple from the horn relay to the bulkhead connector and eventually to the ignition switch. In '69 the wire stayed red. The only yellow wire at bulkhead connector goes to the windshield wiper motor and has nothing to do with powering the car. Amber, Do you have a wiring diagram? If not I can e-mail you a copy of one.
Erich

 

[amber101]

Ok so after posting I checked it back out and found a wire that looked that it could be hooked up to the positive side of the post that was going into the front passenger headlight it looks. Well I hooked it up to the small gauge wire on the power cable and bam my car now has power. I have to put the starter back in but im pretty sure that thing is going to start right back up. THank you for the advice but I would still like to know how the car had power before with that wire never hooked up? Anyone have any clue?

 

[amber101]

The '68 wiring diagram shows the power feed wire from the battery to the horn relay is red. The color of the wire then changed to purple from the horn relay to the bulkhead connector and eventually to the ignition switch. In '69 the wire stayed red. The only yellow wire at bulkhead connector goes to the windshield wiper motor and has nothing to do with powering the car. Amber, Do you have a wiring diagram? If not I can e-mail you a copy of one.
Erich

Please do [email protected]. Thank you so much

 

[Dean]

Ok so after posting I checked it back out and found a wire that looked that it could be hooked up to the positive side of the post that was going into the front passenger headlight it looks. Well I hooked it up to the small gauge wire on the power cable and bam my car now has power. I have to put the starter back in but im pretty sure that thing is going to start right back up. THank you for the advice but I would still like to know how the car had power before with that wire never hooked up? Anyone have any clue?

Told ya'.

That should be a fusible link, not just a regular piece of wire.
It is the main feed to everything except the starter motor.

In 69 there are no other wires on the starter's main battery cable post other than the positive battery cable.

 

[lg1969]

There suppose to be next to the horn relay. It's the wire from the battery to the horn relay

 

[Finally]

Ok so after posting I checked it back out and found a wire that looked that it could be hooked up to the positive side of the post that was going into the front passenger headlight it looks. Well I hooked it up to the small gauge wire on the power cable and bam my car now has power. I have to put the starter back in but im pretty sure that thing is going to start right back up. THank you for the advice but I would still like to know how the car had power before with that wire never hooked up? Anyone have any clue?

That small wire does not go to the headlight, it should go to a small junction block mounted on the radiator core support. It should be a fusible link, looks like a regular wire but it's not. You should find someone that can confirm whether or not it's a fusible link. It protects your wiring from catching on fire if you have another short in the system. From the junction block another wire goes across to the driver's side of the car and eventually to the fuse block.

Honestly, I see no way your car ran fine before without that wire being hooked up. As mentioned before the main battery cable going to the starter provides power to the starter motor and nothing else. You have to have power inside the car to engage the solenoid on the starter to start the car.