1937 Dictator- No juice??

[drdon]

:mad:I started up my 37 this morning, drove it a short distance, turned it off. Now there is NO juice to the instruments when key is turned on, and it won't start. What the heck do I do? (Battery is fully charged- starter turns over easily.)

[Guest stude8]

Sounds like a fuse or circuit breaker has failed. I don't have circuitry diagram for 1937 vehicles. My 1930 used a "Buzzer" relay breaker that when a current overload occurred an under dash relay in series with the power wire from battery supply to ammeter would pull on and open the power source to the ammeter and other electrical loads. Once open the drain ceased and the relay closed its contacts again only to pull on again if the short or load still existed this action continued until the short was corrected and the result was a loud "Buzz" under the dash. Now if the contacts finally became corroded or burnt so electricity would no longer flow through them every thing would remain dead until the buzzer contacts were cleaned and restored (filed like ignition points are filed to clean the contact faces).

Of course something as simple as a broken wire from the ammeter to other circuit loads would cause everything to be dead. Look under dash at wires going to and from the ammeter gauge posts for any broken or loose connections.

Stude8

[drdon]

Replaced armored ignition switch today. Didn't help. Found out the original switch is ok. Found a possible bad wire splice. Fixed it. Now have, for what it's worth, gas gauge working, but not amp gauge. Wires are all "new" from Rhode Island Wiring when I rebuilt everything 20 years ago. Still look great.

Could it be coil? Condenser? Lights work now- don't know if they did or didn't yesterday. Doesn't seem as if juice is getting to plugs when I look at a gap for spark???

[ellagee]

check the connection at the junction block on the firewall, especially the large red wire , second from left. I had a similiar problem last year. I bypassed the junction block for that wire with a direct connection. No problem since.

[drdon]

When I inherited this car in the 70s from my grandfather, it had the typical problem with the two left junction block connections- and they had been fried. The two left wires were connected with modern connectors. It was the red wire that was loose yesterday so I rebuilt the connection. Now I have gas gauge, but not amp meter. I'm getting frustrated. I have gone over every connection of every wire under the dash, all tight and in good condition. Replaced the switch and armored connection to coil. Anybody with any other ideas. Sheesh

[studeboy]

Do you have spark at the points? If you have spark at the points but not at the plugs it is a bad condenser. I a condenser go bad once when I was driving down the road with a friend. We found an old one in the glove box and replaced it and were good to go again.

[ellagee]

if not the condensor, I would disconnect the battery and start checking all the wires at each connection point with a continuity checker. Even if the connections are tight, they may not be getting a good connection. My amp gauge was not working, connections were tight but the wire terminal at the generator was corroded. (couldn't tell by just looking at it. Replacing the connector solved the problem. Just another thought.

[drdon]

Thanks for all the info these last few days. I still don't have spark- at the points or of course elsewhere. Still have active gas gauge but not the amp gauge. Horn works, lights work. Changed ignition switch, coil, condenser,checked continuity thru amp gauge, (and many other places) and have it everywhere checked. Sheesh.

If you want, go ahead and reply again (anybody) but I am in and out of town the next two weeks and won't have time to try anything till after the 21st.

[RU22]

I ended up taking out the key/coil arrangement and replacing it with a conventional system ...... th original coil had a bunch of green muck in the socket...... this was in a rest area in Germany and lucky I had packed the items needed

Pull the coil wire and have a look:)

[drdon]

I will try that next. Gonna be somewhat near you the next couple of weeks. Travelling from Budapest through Vienna,Melk, etc. eventually up to Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfort and over to Prague. Should be fun! Will have iPad for trip so can continue to monitor AACA web. Best Regards, Don

[dictator27]

Try hotwiring it. Run a wire from the battery negative terminal to the negative side of the coil, then pull the starter button. If it starts, that would at least confirm that the problem is in the ignition circuit between the key and the coil.

Terry

[drdon]

Best regards to all who are trying to help. I plan the

hotwire when we return from Europe. Will let you know

on this page what happens.