wiring problem

I have a 1949 GMC with a 1980's steering coulm everything is hooked up right bit the engine won't turn over the horns won't work or anything. I used a test light on the wires to find there is no power anywhere. Someone said that there is a neutral safety switch on the coulm do you think that is the problem? Please help me this is my first wiring job.

 

How do you know its wired properly? Was it running the way it was hooked up before or is this a fresh install? I'm assuming you have juice from the hot post on the starter into the steering column, but its not coming back out any where? Sounds like a bad hot lead, or blown fuse in the lead? Im just shooting in the dark here but we probably need more info. Are you using the column shift? If you put the ignition switch in the run position do you have any power coming back out to anything? I wouldn't think the neutral safety switch would kill all the power.

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I guess it could be a bad ground. That seems to be a common issue.

 

Is the battery charged? Stupid question, but not always without merit.
next, you need to find exactly where the juice stops. Check fuses. Check everything for continuity. Pull that ignition switch out and test it. If it's sheared out and not turning it's not going to flow any juice.
Electric ain't all that hard, you've just got to follow the flow to the point it stops. Once you find that you know where your problem is.

 

wow , that's very vague...could be a lot of things

i suggest you get the book "how to wire a street rod" and educate yourself . or get someone who knows what he is doing to come over and help

 

Try checking the fuse-link.

 

Dead battery or bad ground would be my best guesses as nothing is working.

 

Well if (and that's a really big if) it's wired correctly you need to start at the beginning all over again. Check battery for good voltage , cables ,grounds battery to engine- engine to frame- cab to engine, power into fuse box, power into ignition switch, power out of ignition switch. After that's all done and checks good you can continue on

 

Your problem is that "1980's steering coulm" get rid of that shit

 

No power to anything after fuse box. I check with a test light

 

When then, there's your problem. Got fuses in it?

 

No power to anything after the fuse box or just the stuff that is accessory? If the constant hot stuff doesn't have power you have some bad wiring, if it is just the stuff that is accessory then your issues are probably with the ignition switch or its wiring.

 

Hey man , it can't be bad because "everything is hooked up right" I suppose.
I also suppose that if the NSS is causing issues with the horns or no power anywhere that its not "everything hooked up right" either. I also suppose that who ever is giving that guidance is clueless. I'd also venture that the guy who did the "everything hooked up right" should know better.

 

ok everyone the problem was my fault. I thought the hot wire that goes to the battery from the fuse box went on the started. Why is there 3 terminals on a chevy starter? Im used to working on fords and mopars.

 

The ignition switch on some GM columns is on top of the column, you have to drop it down from the dash to see it. It attaches with a rod up to the ignition lock. I'd make sure I was getting power to that. But you should have power to everything else even if the switch is bad.

Trace it all back starting with the battery, connection by connection. It might be a popped fusible link somewhere.

Bob

 

Battery Terminal - Battery

S terminal - start wire

I terminal - ignition wire

 

Well the fuse box hot to starter post works quite well unless you've added a ford fendermount solenoid into the mix.

 

Nothin' wrong with using a Ford solenoid with a GM starter, if you know what you're doing.

Bob

 

You will need to find a wiring diagram for the truck that it came out of. You can then trace the circuits knowing what is supposed to be where and what is connect wrong.

 

Never intended to imply there was. It's one of my favorite tricks sometimes.
Just that the hot wire can't come from the starter anymore.


For those who might be trying to figure out what the hell we are talking about.

GM diagram will show the feed for the box coming from the starter post. GM uses that lug as a junction. This junction Works fine 99.5~100% of the time and isn't a problem. However, sometimes the wiring to the solenoid itself becomes an issue and causes hot starting problems. The solution is to use a ford or mopar fender mounted solenoid and add a heavy gauge jumper from the s post to the starter. This is a great trick to help the problem and is quite effective. When this is done, the junction is no longer at the starter post. It's on the new solenoid and the feed for the box needs to be moved to the feed post on the new fender mounted solenoid.

 

Review this http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/DT/dt69nova/2012-12-07_005056_pic.jpg