rjengelhart Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Need help. Drove the Buick the other day...no problems. Pulled into garage, thought I'd use my Tach/Dwell meter to check dwell, RPMs, various other simple non-invasive tests per the meter's owners' manual. Tried to move the car...no electricity. Gauges didn't register, no horn, no lights. Charged the battery...it was OK.Checked the schematics, found two fuses that seem to part of the starting system...both OK.Interestingly, jumping the starter solenoid w key on...car started.I'm stuck and need advice/help.Thanks.vrBob'41 super Sport Coupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvelde Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Did you check the battery cables - my negative cable was loose a while back and I had the same problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjengelhart Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Hi and thanks for the response. Yep, checked all the connections...they're tight. Had recently replaced all the wires for the starting system, new connectors, cleaned fitting attachments. had the starter and generator checked, cleaned, etc. Installed a new horn relay and voltage regulator. I'm wondering if there's a 'hidden' fuse or some other connection not on the schematics. Also wondering if the new voltage regulator is the right on for the car or improperly calibrated.I'll continue searching and pondering; maybe somebody else has some insight.I'll let you know how it turns out.vrBob'41 Super Sport Coupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daves1940Buick56S Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Let me see if I have this. You turn on the ignition switch and - nothing. No fuel gauge response, and depressing the accel does nothing. But you short across the accel switch on the carb and it turns over. Does it run? What happens when you then turn off the ignition switch?More:Do the lights work?Map light?Horn?When the ignition switch is on, do the turn sigs work?Does the clock run, does the glove box light work?Cigarette lighter?Cheers, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daves1940Buick56S Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 OK, bad on me, I went back and looked at the original post. Apologies if the following is too basic but I don't know your background.Of the things you mentioned not working the horn is closest to the batt so I would start there. Do you have a voltmeter? If not Advance Auto or one of those places should have cheap ones. When it happens again, hook the neg line of the voltmeter to some hard metal under the hood, or clip lead it to the neg batt cable. Put the pos lead on the positive batt terminal for a sanity check, you should see appx 6VDC. If that is ok, check where the heavy positive cable is connected at the solenoid. If that is OK, check at the batt (center) terminal of the horn relay on the firewall. That should tell the tale. My guess is maybe corroded connections at the batt, the engine side of the neg cable, or the pos connection to the solenoid.Cheers, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Grant Magrath Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 You may have fried your ammeter. If you look at your wiring diagram, most powered items get their juice from there.CheersGrant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjengelhart Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 Dave,Thanks for the follow up. Nuthin's too basic for me. Hadn't checked the turn signals, but did after your note. Dead.I follow the logic w the multi-meter...just didn't know that it should be checked. Thanks, I'll check the horn relay in the AM.Also heard from Grant Magrath in NZ, suggesting that the ammeter may be fried. That's tough to check under the dash, but I'll check the schematice to see where else I can check it...somewhere under the hood.Thanks all. More to follow I'm sure.vrBob'41 Super Sport Coupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daves1940Buick56S Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Good. The reason I suggested starting with the horn is that it is the closest electrically speaking. IOW, no other detours like the ammeter. It goes batt -> relay -> horn -> gnd. Same with the horn switch.Cheers, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjengelhart Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 Dave,Just finished doing a whole lot of checking w my multi-meter. Had ~6V Batt neg to pos; same w ground to solenoid. had continuity to horn relay center; continuity but no voltage. Might that mean the horn relay is bad?Pulled the coil apart (cable guard) checked it. Had continuity from the back to distributor ground. Checked many others...continuity but no voltage. Pulled the ignition key switch apart; didn't see any evidence of arcing; added some graphite powder.I need to do some more multi-meter work, record the results and go from there. When I sit and ponder this issue, it should be fairly simple. Gen & starter checked out OK (two months ago), new voltage regulator (two months ago) & new horn relay (6 months ago). I've replaced all the starting circuit wires w good 8 & 10 g wires, new connectors, heat shrink tubing. I'm wondering if the horn relay was bad (or went bad???) or if the regulator isn't correct for the car.Thanks for your advice...and I'll appreciate any more.vrBob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Don't know the particulars of this car, but does it have a fusable link(s) that might have blown? Usually looks like a fat wire that usually comes off the starter positive terminal that goes to the fuse block, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 When you check the battery with the meter probes first touch the probes to the actual battery posts. The across the terminals, not touching the post. See what you get there.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daves1940Buick56S Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Larry: No fusible links on a 41. No fuse block either, unfortunately.Bob: One nice thing, if you can call it that, about your horn being part of the problem is that the horn circuitry is not part of the ignition switch/VR circuits, so it makes it a lot easier. So with your meter set to ohms (continuity), you get a near short from the pos batt term to the center term of the horn relay? On the batt, did you hook the lead to the connector (clamp) or right to the batt post? I am trying to make sure there is a good connx betw the post and clamp. If that is good, check for voltage from the neg batt post to the horn relay center term. If that is good, move the neg lead to the strap cable, and then to the engine block. If the voltage drops then you have corrosion on either the neg batt post or the connection of the strap to the block.Cheers, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjengelhart Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 To all who have responded with helpful hints,Thank you. I'll be off the grid for a week...to be continued then. I sure hope to figure this out and get my Buick on the road again. For those heading the Nationals in Portland...maybe we'll meet there.I'll be back on lin in about 10 days.vrBob'41 Buick Super Sport Coupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qbansmokr Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Bob,Not that I had an exact duplicate to your issue but I was having an intermittent issue with loss of complete electrical power at the most in-opportune times. I traced my issue to the connections on the back of my ignition switch, where the cable guard from the coil attaches. There was some light oxidation and after inspection I found that there was bad contact. After disconnecting and a thorough cleaning to assure good contact, my issue was solved. Just another place to check.Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjengelhart Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 To everybody who offered advice and encouragement for my electrical gremlins...thank you. It turns out that I accidentally parted a wire from its connector at the solenoid while I was loosening the distributor hold down bolts; didn't know it since it was protected w heat shrink tubing. With the help of a friend and lots of short bridging wires, we were able to troubleshoot and isolate the problem. A new connector, some heat shrink tubing, and my '41 is back on the road.Again, thanks to all. Maybe see some of you at the Nationals in Portland.vrBob'41 Super Sport Coupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjengelhart Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 To everybody who offered advice and encouragement for my electrical gremlins...thank you. It turns out that I accidentally parted a wire from its connector at the solenoid while I was loosening the distributor hold down bolts; didn't know it since it was protected w heat shrink tubing. With the help of a friend and lots of short bridging wires, we were able to troubleshoot and isolate the problem. A new connector, some heat shrink tubing, and my '41 is back on the road.Learned a great deal about the car...how challenging to work under the dash, etc.. Again, thanks to all. Maybe see some of you at the Nationals in Portland. vr Bob '41 Super Sport Coupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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