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| | | Lost Electrical Power | Joined: Oct 2020 Posts: 17 stranger | OP stranger Joined: Oct 2020 Posts: 17 | Hey y'all, new to the forum. Just got a 1977 Dodge B100 318 in the past month. Been one issue after the other but overall runs good.
Today when I when I went to crank it I had no power at all on the inside of the vehicle. Battery & alt are brand new, fully charged, but no lights, stereo, ignition switch does nothing. I pulled the panel & there was no power on fuse box under dash, or ignition switch etc. I checked connections under the hood (I have run new power & ground wires from the battery correctly as old ones were scorched & abused). Checked the big box wiring harness connector at top right of firewall near battery & all looked fine. (A power wire had come undone from previous owner's mistakes but I've soldered that back together but originally when I got it that was a bad connection & I'd lose all power inside as well...but thats' been fixed, or at least as for as I could tell). Anyway, all sudden I have juice again & fired right up like nothing happend.
Question: Is there a voltage regulator or anything that would be going bad intermittently on these things or another known issue to consider? After 43 years & multiple owners there's quite a bit of shade tree electrical nonsense been had. I've corrected to most obvious home-wiring issues from when I bought it.
Thanks for any input.
1977 Dodge B100 318 POS
| | | Re: Lost Electrical Power | Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 18,535 Likes: 135 Supreme Master | Supreme Master Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 18,535 Likes: 135 | I'm not very good with electrical but I would start by looking for a bad ground. Have you tested the ballast resistor ? I can't remember if that kills all the power or just the ignition power. Arianrhod:2003 Chevy Astro Black Magic: 1985 Dodge B-250 Serenity:1985 Chevy G-20 The Outcast:1983 Ford club wagon Luna 1974 VW bay window transporter Freedom:1990 Ford E-150(parts van) Outcast Vanners van club Support your local 2% | | | Re: Lost Electrical Power | Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 194 member | member Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 194 | I would look for a bad firewall connection where the main power wire goes through the firewall. My experance. Check the amp gauge if it has one.
Political correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rapidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by a CLEAN end. | | | Re: Lost Electrical Power | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 2,964 Likes: 63 veteran | veteran Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 2,964 Likes: 63 | | | | Re: Lost Electrical Power | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 21,211 Likes: 25 Supreme Master | Supreme Master Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 21,211 Likes: 25 | I 2nd that. They can break internally and cause intermittent problems. Another thing that you may want to consider is to eliminate the #10 AWG wire that runs from the alternator through the bulkhead connector to the ammeter. That's a known weak point as well. Drill a hole in the firewall, install a grommet, and run a new wire up to the ammeter.
Nate Breece | 1 member likes this:
CowboyVan | | | Re: Lost Electrical Power | Joined: Oct 2020 Posts: 17 stranger | OP stranger Joined: Oct 2020 Posts: 17 | There's actually a wire coming off the firewall bulk connector that says Fusable Link but there's nothing on the other side of the fuse...PO just unhooked the other end of the fuse connector & wire. No idea what that powered but I'm sure it was there for a reason. Ha. Is that what you're referring to?
1977 Dodge B100 318 POS
| | | Re: Lost Electrical Power | Joined: Oct 2020 Posts: 17 stranger | OP stranger Joined: Oct 2020 Posts: 17 | I would look for a bad firewall connection where the main power wire goes through the firewall. My experance. Check the amp gauge if it has one. So I've had issue once before losing all power bc a power wire came out of the bulk connector right there at the firewall. I soldered a new wire & it's been fine since but I'm wondering if that connector isn't my issue. It has a shiny sticky goo running down it from PO. Something must've melted some time ago. Not really sure how you go about fixing that bulk connector if that's really the problem. Pull the dash & inspect the wires / connector I guess?
1977 Dodge B100 318 POS
| | | Re: Lost Electrical Power | Joined: Oct 2020 Posts: 17 stranger | OP stranger Joined: Oct 2020 Posts: 17 | I have not checked the ballast resistor but I will. Thanks for the suggestion.
1977 Dodge B100 318 POS
| | | Re: Lost Electrical Power | Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 2,964 Likes: 63 veteran | veteran Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 2,964 Likes: 63 | The Fusible Link is a thicker gauge red wire that comes off the positive battery terminal and connects into the electrical bulkhead on the firewall. The bulkheads were known to corrode on the inside where you can't see it. I had an electrical shop pull mine apart and clean the terminal connectors many years ago. I had a 74 Dodge that would lose all power when I hit a bump in the road or shut the door. Problem was the Fusible Link had corroded and the wire was partially broken inside the plastic casing. In my experience with the ballast resistor, the motor will still turn over, but not start. When the fusible link was bad, there was no power to anything on the van, as if the battery was totally unhooked. | 1 member likes this:
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