1962 caddy help!!

aight, I'm a newb on here but I need ya'lls help!! I have an electrical gremlin in the car somewhere and I can NOT find it!! I've traced it from the battery, to the alt, to the starter, and I'm not getting power past there.... no lights, doors, windows, NOTHING!! any suggestions are GREATLY apprectiated!!

 

I had the same problem on my Newport. I found a bad connection going to my main relay/solenoid on the firewall. That damn wire caused me so much stress, I know where you are coming from. Good luck with it!

 

Check your main hot wire connection to the back of the fuse box. Also check the main firewall wire block for connections and corrosion. I just had a 62 fleetwood that had a fried connector back there that caused those same symptoms. I've learned alot about my 62 over the past 5 years...PM me if you need more help.

 

Do you have one of those 12V test lights with the probe? Just follow it from where you do have power downstream, attach the ground clip and start probing wires until it goes dead.

Bob

 

What Bob said, and you might take a look at your headlight switch. I had the same problem a while back and traced it back to the switch.

 

Yea what Caddy-O and Bob said.
Perhaps did some previous caretaker put a fuseable link in it? I had that problem with a pickup once.

 

what was wrong with it? how did you find out that was the problem?

 

Don't know exactly what the problem was in the light switch other than it was faulty.

All the external lights and those in the instrument cluster would flutter and then turn off completely and would not come back on.

At first, I thought that it was a ground wire somewhere but after checking and re-checking I didn't think that was the cause.

Ran some checks and traced it back to the light switch.

The Cadillac that I have now did the same thing and I traced the problem back to the floor dimmer switch.

The light switch and dimmer switch are a very important part within the electrical circut of the car.

Hope this helps.

 

THe light switch has a built in circuit breaker that can get corroded as well. When it pops all lights go out...real fun on a dark curvy country road on a moonless night!

Take the switch out and clean the contacts all around, havn't had any problems since.

 

sweet... thanks for the info... my problem is that NOTHING is getting power past the starter.. no windows, lights, nothin... the starter won't even try to turn, even though i know it's getting power.. checked the motor grounds, etc.. just need to follow the ignition wire to the fuse panel and see where it's getting hung up i guess...

 

there might be a power lead where the battery cable meets the starter, that goes to the main soarce,or mayby a hot lead comming off the battery cable where it conects to the battery?

 

Did you remove the battery cable from the selenoid and clean all the corrosion off? Got a cheapo 12V test light to see if you're getting juice anywhere?

 

If you're not getting power from your starter it could be a problem with the solenoid mounted on top of the starter. If you have a place in your city that rebuilds starters and alternators, take the starter off and take it to them to have it checked out.

 

If it has one , I would make sure to check the ampmeter guage is passing power. All the juice has to go through it..

 

aight, I fixed the power problem to the windows, seats, poppers, etc... now, when I turn the key, nothing happens... starter doesn't even click or spin... any ideas?

 

Hah....!
The old "breakdown on a dark curvy road on a moonless night" ploy.
Betcha you had company of the opposite sex!
Inquiring minds want to know!

 

Might need to check your neutral safety switch, when mine was out of adjustment I would get the same symptoms.

 

Check the Purple ignition wire from your ignition switch that runs down to the starter solenoid.

If that's not the problem it's probably a faulty ignition switch.

 

Also forgot to mention that it could be the neutral safety switch as mentioned above. All you need to do is by pass the switch and run your wires direct to see if the NSS is your problem.

 

could it be the solenoid itself? I ran a wire from the constant hot terminal on the starter to the ignition post and nothing happened... it doesn't get hot when the key is turned either...

 

yeah what Caddyo said.. check the neutral safety switch.

Or your starert is just bad now. the brushes might be hung up. tap it with a hammer while somebody else is trying to start it. That might loosen up the starter brushes

 

where would i find the neutral safety switch?


and I had the starter tested.. all is ok.. damn it

thanks again for all y'alls help!

 

give this a quick try... wiggle the shifter in park and in neutral a little then start it. Maybe its just a little bit off. Might knock back the switch a little.

 

Really starting to sound like either your ignition switch or the neutral safety switch.

Find the neutral safety switch located down on the steering column.

Pull the wires out of the switch, by pass the NSS switch by connecting the wires directly.

If the starter engages, it means the NSS is bad.

If it's bad, here's a link on where you might get one.

http://www.caddydaddy.com/

 

i <3 you... lol! thanks for the help

 

thanks for the info. i'm gonna hold on to this incase of any issues.

 

could the ground on my starter be bad? there isn't a ground wire there, but that's another idea i had.. someone told me, and I quote "it grounds to the block"... my next test is going to be to run a ground to the starter and see what's up with it then... thanks again for everyone's input... i've had to fix or replace just about everything else on the car... this one has me stumpped...

 

The starter is grounded when it is mounted onto the block, but it wouldn't hurt to check your ground cable from the engine to frame. All I can think of is to go through the starting circuit, so here it goes:

(If you pull the ignition switch everything should be labeled on back)

Positive cable from battery to starter solenoid

Sol. terminal of ignition to neutral safety switch, then on to solenoid

Ign. terminal of ignition to positive terminal of coil (another item to check) from coil to solenoid.

Battery terminal on ignition to solenoid.

So, you might #1 check the coil #2 check to see if there is a ballast resister on the firewall between the positive coil wire and solenoid #3 get a generic ignition switch from NAPA or OReilly's and route your wiring through it.

Hope this helps