Won't start, no power to lights

[duffer]

1970 D200. Went to start it up, after two cranks, nothing. I checked voltage at the battery and starter. Both had 12.48 volts, but with key on, I had no headlights, panel, cab, or anything. Replaced starter relay and cleaned everything up, but when I went to hook up the negative side of the battery, the starter tried to engage. Is this an ignition switch problem, ballast resistor, or something else???? Help. Thanks.....

OK guys, I've replaced the ignition switch, starter relay, ballast resistor, checked all fuses as well as the trans switch and brake switch. I've pulled the starter and had it checked. Still the same problem. I get power to the ammeter and back to the battery terminal on the alternator but not to the fuse box or headlight switch. The dome light is also inoperalble. Today, after I put the starter back in and cleaned everything up, when tightening the small wire on the relay (the one from the starter), it moved on me, sparked, and the starter began to turn over. So the battery has enough power to turn over the starter, but I am still not getting any power to the cab. I traced the other wires from the Non-power side of the ammeter and there are 3 separate wires hooked up. One directly to the alternator, one into the wire harness which I have yet to try and find, and another to a Three-prong switching unit ( I am guessing here what it is), where one wire comes out and into a metal fuse link with two towers on it. It then goes to the headlight switch. The other wire from the 3-prong plug goes to the fusebox. These two units are under the left side vent opening with the 3-prong screwed into the side. I am really stuck here, I have the wiring diagram from the CD but it does not show these two units I spoke about earlier. Really need an electrical guru here folks......... Thanks for all the input. By the way, I have purchased a new ammeter ust in case but have not tried it yet mainly because I did get 12V back to the alternator......... Any help would be appreciated, I would hate to have to take it to a technician. I only paid $300 for it, but now have over $1200 into it......

[JimE]

Start with the battery, then the starting circuit. I think there in lies the problem. Jim

[Jims68]

After that... check the AMP gauge (providing you have gauge not light) and make sure it isn't burned out. I have seen this happen before. NO power anywhere, and it turned out to be a fried AMP gauge. Test with a test light. YOU should have 12V going in and coming out. If you do not have 12V on both sides, then... I would suspect that being the problem.

Jim

[chilort]

Run your meter test leads to the battery cables, not the terminals on the battery. I've had 12+ volts on the battery terminals and only 4v on the battery cables. Make sure your connections on the battery are clean.

One day in downtown Atlanta at rush hour, I pull up to a red light in my '68 Swepty and it flat out dies. I pull the headlight switch and nothing. I jump out, pop the the hood, wiggle the negative battery cable, the headlights come on, I jump back in, fire it up, and off I go as the light turns green!

[duffer]

OK guys, I've replaced the ignition switch, starter relay, ballast resistor, checked all fuses as well as the trans switch and brake switch. I've pulled the starter and had it checked. Still the same problem. I get power to the ammeter and back to the battery terminal on the alternator but not to the fuse box or headlight switch. The dome light is also inoperalble. Today, after I put the starter back in and cleaned everything up, when tightening the small wire on the relay (the one from the starter), it moved on me, sparked, and the starter began to turn over. So the battery has enough power to turn over the starter, but I am still not getting any power to the cab. I traced the other wires from the Non-power side of the ammeter and there are 3 separate wires hooked up. One directly to the alternator, one into the wire harness which I have yet to try and find, and another to a Three-prong switching unit ( I am guessing here what it is), where one wire comes out and into a metal fuse link with two towers on it. It then goes to the headlight switch. The other wire from the 3-prong plug goes to the fusebox. These two units are under the left side vent opening with the 3-prong screwed into the side. I am really stuck here, I have the wiring diagram from the CD but it does not show these two units I spoke about earlier. Really need an electrical guru here folks......... Thanks for all the input. By the way, I have purchased a new ammeter ust in case but have not tried it yet mainly because I did get 12V back to the alternator......... Any help would be appreciated, I would hate to have to take it to a technician. I only paid $300 for it, but now have over $1200 into it......

[cowboy]

duffer on the 69-71 models under the hood drivers side where all the wires go into cab is the back of the fuse block pull all three plugs & clean they get dirty overtime , just disconect the bat first , look inside the plug's & make sire non have gotten soft aka melted a little bit hope this helps

[OleRed66]

Use a little dielectric grease on all your electrical connections. This keeps it from rusting, corroding, and getting dirty. All my new, or fixed connections now have dielectric grease. You can pick it up at most any auto parts store.

[duffer]

Thanks to everybody who helped out, especially Jeffc. Researched and played and finally found the problem. Amp gauge is history. I was thrown off the track initially because I did have power at the battery post on the alternator, but evidently it was intermittent. So, I pulled the wires and checked to see if any were broken, but they were good. I finally decided to just hook them all up to the fuel gauge side of the ammeter and voila, it started right up. Well, at least I know I have a lot of new parts and clean connections. I do have many wires with insulation fried off, so that will be my next project. Again, thanks to everybody who replied to my post.
Now, I have a tranny leak problem, drained it twice already and replaced filter, gasket and torqued to specs. Still leaks when NOT running! Only leaks when it sits. Any suggestions?

duffer

[Russ]

Is it leaking at the pan? Did you straighten the pan flange when you had it off? Something that took a long time for me to learn was not to use any sealer on the gasket. Be sure the pan flange is flat and put the gasket on dry, and don't over-tighten it. You torqued it so that is probably not your problem. Could also be the selector shaft seal. This seal can be changed without pulling the tranny. Another possibility is the backup light/neutral switch. Of course it could also be the front or rear seal.

[duffer]

Thanks for the info. I continue to see droplets of fluid on the front right of the pan. It could possibly be the pan itself, but I did pull it and clean all the gunk off of it. I did not use a straight edge to check it but eyeballed it. After 30 years, it could be anything that used rubber for sealing. I guess I may have to replace all external sealing parts, i.e. neutral safety switch, dipstick, etc..... My goal is to have it pulled and reworked. 20 years ago, I would have done it myself, but I no longer have the tools or the time. Thanks for the reply.

[Hobcobble]

Thanks for the info. I continue to see droplets of fluid on the front right of the pan. It could possibly be the pan itself, but I did pull it and clean all the gunk off of it. I did not use a straight edge to check it but eyeballed it. After 30 years, it could be anything that used rubber for sealing. I guess I may have to replace all external sealing parts, i.e. neutral safety switch, dipstick, etc..... My goal is to have it pulled and reworked. 20 years ago, I would have done it myself, but I no longer have the tools or the time. Thanks for the reply.

The right front of that pan could very well be the dipstick tube o-ring.
John