Key switch

[buickturboman]

After replacing alternator bracket and power steering pump, I took car around the block for a spin. Car was idling a bit high at first. Drove it 1/2 mile then fell on its face. I knew the problem, the up pipe sleeve slipped off of doghouse because of a clamp slipping off. Fixed it drove home 1/4 mile anf parked it. Fee days later took around the block and suddenly died. Wouldnt jump start. Hooked up chain towed home. Still dead. Dash not lighting up, I hear the dinging at tone turning key but dead, everything on dash. Headlights come on but low. Voltage getting to the starter after putting probe on it, lit up. I believe battery not quite putting out a full 12 volts but even eith charget hooked up and jumping it when first died, nothing works. My lap top with direct scan will not interface.
Any ideas?

 

[salvageV6]

You need a voltmeter, read the battery, read the stud on the back of the alternator to a good ground like the battery neg. terminal, read the starter main power lug same ground point. Report back.

 

[Hunter Dog]

The stud on back of our alternator was loose and the alternator stopped charging the battery. It read around 9-9.5 and the car quit at the first stop it had. The other time our car shut down on us was when the battery wire/connection to the starter came loose from not being tightened.
Learned these two the hard way, but both were in town so not a huge nightmare.

 

[RobertJ]

Sure sounds like the alternator. My uppipe blew off after I passed a car dragging an anchor along behind. It crawled by me a couple of minutes later. Embarassing.

 

[buickturboman]

The stud on back of our alternator was loose and the alternator stopped charging the battery. It read around 9-9.5 and the car quit at the first stop it had. The other time our car shut down on us was when the battery wire/connection to the starter came loose from not being tightened.
Learned these two the hard way, but both were in town so not a huge nightmare.

Sorry took so long. I had knees replaced and can no longer bend them well so i cant get on the ground and get back up anymore. Need more surgery.
Anyway, looks like Im getting like 12.2 volts acriss battery, to alternator positive stud and starter positive stud. Again dash not lightning up, nothing cranks. Guess next may be to see if he can isolate ignition wires so we can check that I guess. I have a clamp sears vom but never tried the clamp to measure anything yet. Some have the probe you just touch a wire and it sounds. I dont have one of them. Saw it on a youtube video:

 

[Hunter Dog]

The other times when this has been the case is when I had trouble with my Powerlogger and ECM connection. This issue completely changed how the car acted and then when the cable connected at the starter came loose. Lastly, I have had my analog cluster off many times and if that is not connected back up I have seen the car not do anything.

 

[salvageV6]

Next step is to check the fusible links that power the car.
Measure the power on all the BAT terminals in the fuse panel should be copper socket to measure at that terminal to a good ground.
Also measure the fat red wire on the high speed fan blower relay the silver relay next to the fan motor under the hood on the passenger cowl area.
Measure the fattest red wire on the coolant fan relays and the fattest red wire on the fan delay relay connector C1.
All these wires should have power on them at all times no key switch needed. Read to a good ground such as the battery negative terminal.

 

['87 Turbo "T"]

The way I found out one of my fusible links went was similar to your description, so I went to the fuse panel(DS footwell) & used a test light to probe the fuses.

Was missing a whole section of fuses. Sure enough after some troubleshooting found one of them was toast.

Ordered three new ones from Caspers. Good to go. Plus now all the links are new. Which for me is a good piece of mind.

 

[buickturboman]

I have a laptop with diectscan. It powered up from my inverter from cig lighter but gets no reading from the ECM to tell me anything is wrong. Can it be the key switch? Like I said like 12.2 volts off battery, sane to alternator and starter, but dash dosent light up, does t turn over, totally dead but headlights comes on. Im not able to get under my car or lay near fuse box since knee replacement, so Im relying on info from this group to assist me i diagnosing problem. Guess Ill have to tey to get my son to find ignition wires in steering column to try to test snd see if voltage going to ecm. Otherwise Im going to have to get it towed to a shop.

 

[salvageV6]

If you do the tests I suggested it will check the fusible links that power the key switch and car, and all but the BAT terminals in the fuse panel don't require much bending to check out, which is why I suggested them under the hood, the fat red wires on those relays.

 

[buickturboman]

My buddy checked fuses fusebox i. Footwell I can not do myself. Im not a mechanic when comes to electronics. I will look to try and follow your recommendations about fat ted wire - blower relay. I was able to get a service manuel he had so maybe that will help direct me. Years ago I installed a kenne bell fan switch that dosent work now, not sure why but Ive not been doing anything on it for years, sitting in my garage and now trying to remember all I did and forgot.
A shame Anderson Petformance moved further away than he use to be because be is the guy to fix stuff all this stuff which may be over my head. Ill keep you posted.

 

[salvageV6]

The kenne-Bell fan switch may not work because there is no power to run the fans, they are fed via one of the fusible links that need to be tested power is a fat red wire on the low and high speed fan relays.
All you need is a good digital voltmeter, negative probe connected to the negative post on the battery that can be extended by clip leads or a piece of wire with a good connection at the meter probe and the battery, and positive probe as noted above for each test.
The cooling fan relays are on the drivers side fenderwell area under the hood strut, 3 of them, fan delay relay is the big one with two connectors or just the two connectors if it's removed from the car because they don't work well and it isn't needed.
The silver HVAC high speed fan relay is on the passenger cowl area near the blower motor. Simple quick voltage tests, remove the connector from the relays and measure the fat red wire metal sockets, and write the results down for each test, re-install the connectors when done.
Half hour worth of tests at the most

 

[salvageV6]

The service manual.
Section 8, Page 8A-10-0 shows the power distribution.

Electronically Linked and Searchable Manual

 

[buickturboman]

I changed out the starter switch on column, still dead. We checked voltage to starter and alternator. Went to shop today. Told 2 fusable links near starter. Very happy that price was low. To fix and having couple other things looked at shile they have it.

 

[salvageV6]

Now all you have to do is find out what the issue was that blew the 2 fusible links, they don't go on their own.
But they will go more than once if there's still an electrical short somewhere.

 

[buickturboman]

Found out the fusable link was on the wrong side of the heat shield near the starter. Probably my fault as I had replaced the starter probably twice.