Question: battery cables

[kowalski]

So, my 73 is dead. No power at all. Actually thats not true as it occasionally has the door open buzzer and interior lights come on. But as soon as I try to turn the ignition, or turn on the fog lights, it goes completely dead again.

Figured this might be the ground from the negative battery cable. Located ground underneath car and played with cable a bit and it seems to be atleast part of the problem.

I've heard that Vette's need heavier duty battery cables and that I shouldnt buy cheap ones? Any tricks to swapping out this cable?

Does this have to do with why I cannot turn ther ignition back far enough to get the key out of the ignition or is this a seperate issue?

 

[JohnZ]

Does this have to do with why I cannot turn ther ignition back far enough to get the key out of the ignition or is this a seperate issue?

Nope, that's a separate issue - your backdrive interlock linkage has probably come adrift. There's a cable from the shift lever on the transmission that connects to a lever at the bottom of the steering column, just above the rag joint; that lever on the column has to be all the way "up" in its travel to allow the key cylinder to be rotated to the "lock" position. It's designed so the key can't be removed unless the transmission is in Reverse (on a manual) or in Park on an automatic, as described in your Owner's Manual.

 

[kowalski]

So my negative battery cable and backdrive interlock linkage go bad at the same time? ARGHHHHHHH..... ad

 

[6880 Mike]

FWIW: clean the connections; battery and cables. Clean the area on the frame where the negative cable is bolted up. Make sure you have goood connections.