Help! my 84 coupe died while driving!

[Rockr_chick_229]

hey there.
I have a 1984 corvette, 350 crossfire, & i was driving home the other night, and car died. It was as if the car turned off. i tried jumping it and nothing happened. the interior lights work, along with the headlights and the radio lights. no activity in the dash lights, no sound at all when i try to start it. i know i was having alternator issues, where the volts would drop if i idled too long. i figure it cant be that if the lights work and i get no reaction when i jump start it. i need to be back in school on the fifth, and have no idea where to start on my car. if someone can please please help me, and ideas would be much appreciated. thank you!!

 

[killain]

If I'm not wrong, there's a fuseable link coming off the positive battery cable. I'd check that first, next would be the cables themselves, see if there is any swellled sections which would be corrosion. Especially the ground cable, If you have a bad ground than it's not going to start.

 

[killain]

BTW, I assume the car doesn't turn over, if it does, then you need to check for fuel and then see if there's spark to the plugs.

 

[gmjunkie]

hey there.
I have a 1984 corvette, 350 crossfire, & i was driving home the other night, and car died. It was as if the car turned off. i tried jumping it and nothing happened. the interior lights work, along with the headlights and the radio lights. no activity in the dash lights, no sound at all when i try to start it. i know i was having alternator issues, where the volts would drop if i idled too long. i figure it cant be that if the lights work and i get no reaction when i jump start it. i need to be back in school on the fifth, and have no idea where to start on my car. if someone can please please help me, and ideas would be much appreciated. thank you!!

1. I'd get a Factory service manual!!(or at very least a Haynes or Chilton!)Your going to need it!!
2.You will need a test light and a VOM meter! There relatively cheap!
3.Read the book and start trouble shooting!! And be sure to Check and clean ALL GROUNDS!!(Grounds are a major cause of electrical problems on any vehicle,Corvettes are just a little worse,because there are more of them!)
4.When you get it running then find out whats wrong with the alternator,Excess voltage or Low voltage can make computer controlled systems do weird things!!!
5.As Killain says below, there are Fusible links behind the battery that can blow!!(Fusible Links as in more than one!!)

If I'm not wrong, there's a fuseable link coming off the positive battery cable. I'd check that first, next would be the cables themselves, see if there is any swellled sections which would be corrosion. Especially the ground cable, If you have a bad ground than it's not going to start.

Your not wrong,but there are more than just 1!!

 

[Rockr_chick_229]

ok thanks guys! i will check. my dad is a mechanic but mainly worked for ford, he mentioned something about the fuseable links but wasnt sure if GM used them. and no it does not turn over or anything. absolutely nothing

i'll let y'all know what happens. hopefully it all works out!!

ps. a friend mentioned something about a relay. is there any way that could be the issue?? ive never worked on my car, never had a problem in the 2+ yrs ive owned it so im not sure about anything on it...

 

[gmjunkie]

Yes,there is a starter interrupt relay,But it's NOT your problem!!

OK it's daylight and I just went out in the shed and looked at my 85, there is 1 Large Red cable running to the starter and 1 smaller cable(RED)and 1 Large Fusible link (Bright Orange about 60 Amp or larger) coming off the positive cable at battery!! The smaller(Red)cable runs back behind the battery to a junction lug that has 7 smaller fusible links(Orange about 30 amp)attached with it,yours may have more or less!! The larger Fusible link is attached to a wire that runs into the main harness by the cowl strut brace, the smaller fusible links runs in the the harness back behind and below the battery!!
It will be allot easier to remove the side fender,rear splash shield and probably the battery to get to them!!I believe your problem will be in 1 or more of the fusible links!!

PS When you find the Links where the problem is,"DO NOT" strait wire,replace with like kind fusible links!!(No Smaller,No Larger!!)

Check all grounds,Check All Grounds,CHECK ALL GROUNDS!! This may fix your low voltage at idle, but check out the alternator anyway!!



Happy Vetting!!!

Happy Holidays!!

 

[killain]

Not wanting to complicate the issue, but when and if you find it's a bad fuseable link, you next need to find out what caused the overload. GMJUNKIE is without a doubt an expert at finding the hard to locate problems and is an expert mechanic, I trust what he says completely !

Having said that your father is best served if he concentrates solely on the Battery (Make sure it is good) and then follow the heavy cables down to the stater and the ground to the frame, Cleaning each connection as you go and finally make sure the ground cable is just that, Grounded. That should complete the circuit. If it still deosn't start, then it's more than likely a fuseable link, (For the power to simply shut off in an instant) A shorter out fuseable link will look melted. If for nothing else, you can short out the starter from the primery wires to see if the starter works, (Again you might have a bad starter) it's not out of the possible. The 84 is a very simple car and uses the most basic of systems, I'm sure your father will have only a temporary task. One other test I thought of, 1. turn on the headlights, if they come on, turn the ignition keys, If the lights go out and the engine doesn't start, you have a bad battery, if you turn the key and the lights stay on and nothing happens, then there's a break in the power lines, either a bad starter or ignition switch. Good luck !

 

[gmjunkie]

Not necessarily Killian,She(Sorry) has no power to the dash,but power to the interior lights and headlamps!!
PS A shorted or worn out Ignition switch could also cause this problem!!

i tried jumping it and nothing happened. the interior lights work, along with the headlights and the radio lights. no activity in the dash lights, no sound at all when i try to start it. i know i was having alternator issues, where the volts would drop if i idled too long. i figure it cant be that if the lights work and i get no reaction when i jump start it.

 

[Rockr_chick_229]

So i just checked all the fuseable links, my dad gave me a test light. and they are all getting power....

i have no idea where to go from here....

 

[gmjunkie]

So i just checked all the fuseable links, my dad gave me a test light. and they are all getting power....

i have no idea where to go from here....

You have a PM!!

 

[rmagee7]

did the 84 have a vats system? i know if the key resistor is weak or the vats brain goes bad it wont start,also if the ecm goes it will turn over but wont start,course i might be wrong on both counts too, but dont discount either in the starting to trouble shoot these problems,do the research and figure what will cause it to do the same thing may not be in the starter circut,anti theft cuts power to the same things acts like it might be a bad fuseable or the like good luck buy a manuel and ask round the local corvette club for sombody that knows something about the wire qurks in these cars good luck hope you make it to school ok

 

[killain]

Not necessarily Killian,She(Sorry) has no power to the dash,but power to the interior lights and headlamps!!
PS A shorted or worn out Ignition switch could also cause this problem!!

GMJUNKIE, I missed that, I think your on to something, It is very possible a ignition switch, But i really like to test the starter while at it !

 

[gmjunkie]

GMJUNKIE, I missed that, I think your on to something, It is very possible a ignition switch, But i really like to test the starter while at it !

The starter will not cause the instrument cluster or Radio to be Dead!! The VATS won't even do that!! The Cluster,Radio and Accessory's should all work with the ignition ON regardless!! I'm not totally Sold that it's not a fusible link,in all my years of working on these FiberGlass Folly's I never been able to check All the fusible links without at least removing the side fender!!I talked to her on the phone last night,and she said that hers only has 2 fusible links behind the battery!!!I never seen one with only 2,more like 5 or more!! I think she is missing some,how many does your 84 have?? All I have here is 1 85 with 7 fusible links and 2 96's with a fuse panel with 8 monster fuses and 3 fusible links!!!

 

[killain]

The starter will not cause the instrument cluster or Radio to be Dead!! The VATS won't even do that!! The Cluster,Radio and Accessory's should all work with the ignition ON regardless!! I'm not totally Sold that it's not a fusible link,in all my years of working on these FiberGlass Folly's I never been able to check All the fusible links without at least removing the side fender!!I talked to her on the phone last night,and she said that hers only has 2 fusible links behind the battery!!!I never seen one with only 2,more like 5 or more!! I think she is missing some,how many does your 84 have?? All I have here is 1 85 with 7 fusible links and 2 96's with a fuse panel with 8 monster fuses and 3 fusible links!!!

GMJUNKIE: I'll be going over to my wifes garage in the next week, the 84 is in there, and i'll count them , but I seem to remember there are four if I'm right. I wonder if she has an aftermarket radio in the car and that it's pulling too many amps? other wise I still think about the ignition switch?

 

[rmagee7]

doggone links

/lremlkeardnbkldfnb

The starter will not cause the instrument cluster or Radio to be Dead!! The VATS won't even do that!! The Cluster,Radio and Accessory's should all work with the ignition ON regardless!! I'm not totally Sold that it's not a fusible link,in all my years of working on these FiberGlass Folly's I never been able to check All the fusible links without at least removing the side fender!!I talked to her on the phone last night,and she said that hers only has 2 fusible links behind the battery!!!I never seen one with only 2,more like 5 or more!! I think she is missing some,how many does your 84 have?? All I have here is 1 85 with 7 fusible links and 2 96's with a fuse panel with 8 monster fuses and 3 fusible links!!!

 

[gmjunkie]

/lremlkeardnbkldfnb

 

[rmagee7]

yea though we walk thru the valley of the mid eighteys corvette we will fear no flame or short tho my bod burns and my fingers ach i will never leave a wire unturned nor a fuse unchecked for the almighty tech manuels are at hand,and that is good.yea it is said that no one knows what evil lurks in the hearts of a previous owner and the dark arts they practice,but the true belive that in the mess of the nest one day order will prevail and all will light and the dark shall be vanquished to the depths to rail we'll get you next time! and in this you'll see the light and everthing will turn out right. keep truckin and belive in GM p.s. if the cluster radio and acc's dont work or fail to function look at the elec. diagrame and see what these items have in common,do they run on the same 12V power source and ground? dont know guy's, seems to me that if she only has two links somthins missin somewhere? i'd look to see if maybe somebody dident do the nasty and cut 3or 4 links out. has she looked to see if any extra elec. tape is round the space behind the battery were the links are supposed to be? i tend to agree with killain seems somethins missin somewhere!

 

[gmjunkie]

yea though we walk thru the valley of the mid eighteys corvette we will fear no flame or short tho my bod burns and my fingers ach i will never leave a wire unturned nor a fuse unchecked for the almighty tech manuels are at hand,and that is good.yea it is said that no one knows what evil lurks in the hearts of a previous owner and the dark arts they practice,but the true belive that in the mess of the nest one day order will prevail and all will light and the dark shall be vanquished to the depths to rail we'll get you next time! and in this you'll see the light and everthing will turn out right. keep truckin and belive in GM p.s. if the cluster radio and acc's dont work or fail to function look at the elec. diagrame and see what these items have in common,do they run on the same 12V power source and ground? dont know guy's, seems to me that if she only has two links somthins missin somewhere? i'd look to see if maybe somebody dident do the nasty and cut 3or 4 links out. has she looked to see if any extra elec. tape is round the space behind the battery were the links are supposed to be? i tend to agree with killain seems somethins missin somewhere!

AMEN Brother!! Being your the closest to San Fran Sisco why not cruze on out there and let us know what king of butchery you find!!!!

 

[gmjunkie]

Heres the best I can do, the 85 is in the shed and I can't get the door open far enough to wad my myself and a camera under the dash!!
#56 is what your looking for in this illustration!! You will probly have to remove the 2 column mounting nuts to drop the column down to remove the switch!!

 

[vett boy]

So am I correct Junk ,your not going to go fix the problem ? Gee ,you've driven half way across the country to help me. Your a good man Junk !