Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Technical => Electrical Tech => Topic started by: superpinto on January 11, 2008, 04:54:26 PM

Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 11, 2008, 04:54:26 PM
i just  got the bird back together from a sefi swap and no power to nothin its  me off .the solienoid just broke to.:mad:
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Chuck W on January 11, 2008, 06:08:54 PM
Well gee...that's a lot of useful info.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Crusher on January 11, 2008, 06:44:30 PM
Quote
Well gee...that's a lot of useful info.
I know isn't it Chuck..

Make sure your battery is charged and connected correctly, charging from no information that is all I can say :S.... Also The Fuses you might wanna look at...
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 11, 2008, 08:18:40 PM
theres no power to the dash at all.no power any where except the battery.dont be such asshole im not an ass to anyone on here im as nice as i can be.the pissed me is about to unleash.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: gumby on January 11, 2008, 08:38:24 PM
Quote from: superpinto;197241
the pissed me is about to unleash.
well, this should be fun to watch.

seriously, if you expect help you need to provide more information. there is a myriad of possible solutions to your problem.

how about tryin to fill everyone in on exactly what work you preformed, what solenoid you broke, and what you have checked so far.....
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Chuck W on January 11, 2008, 08:51:21 PM
Quote from: superpinto;197241
theres no power to the dash at all.no power any where except the battery.dont be such asshole im not an ass to anyone on here im as nice as i can be.the pissed me is about to unleash.


Don't be such a martyr.

Give some ed info if you want help...

If you want help, give us an intelligible post with a particular question contained therein.  Just saying you have no power and the solenoid broke doesn't tell us squat. 

(Besides, I seriously doubt the pissed you is any match for the pissed me.....)
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 11, 2008, 10:10:32 PM
wat ive done is change wirring harrnesses uderhood and dash
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Thunder Chicken on January 11, 2008, 10:11:04 PM
Quote from: Chuck W;197248
(Besides, I seriously doubt the pissed you is any match for the pissed me.....)
:iagree:

Since we still don't have a lot of info I'd suggest starting at the battery and working from there. You know you've got power to the battery, so you've got to work away from the battery until you find a point you've got no power. Do you have power to the soleniod? Have you connected the solenoid correctly? Have you connected the fusible links to the correct side of the solenoid? The fusible links (all of those smaller wires that attach to the large stud on the solenoid) MUST connect to the side of the solenoid electrically (not necessarily physically) closest to the battery (in other words, the side that is hot all the time). If you connect 'em to the wrong side of the solenoid you'll have no power to anything.

Have you got a good solid ground to the engine AND body? An electrical circuit must be complete in order to function. If the ground isn't good nothing will work.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Clayton on January 11, 2008, 10:13:46 PM
Quote from: Chuck W;197248
(Besides, I seriously doubt the pissed you is any match for the pissed me.....)



hahahaa true that.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 11, 2008, 10:18:30 PM
what ever yall have to tell each other
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Thunder Chicken on January 11, 2008, 10:30:09 PM
If you've got your wits about you enough to brag about being bipolar you're not really dangerous.

Now back to the subject at hand...
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: jcassity on January 11, 2008, 10:43:20 PM
superpinto
When i read what you posted at first, i thought to myself,,,,,,,,,,,,"well now,, what would no power have to do with an SEFI swap"  Next the confussion was furthered because of a random tossed in "and the solenoid just broke"

Im like ,, hu?  does he really mean that his power door locks dont work? or does he mean starter solenoid?

then,, out of the blue,, you said you changed the wiring harness under the dash.

Go boil a pot of coffee,, grab your beer/smokes or what ever keeps you company at the keyboard and take all this from the top again. 
Dont leave anything out.

One example of a bad post i remember off hand a looong time ago was a guys keyless entry was not working.  Too easy i thought, just run though some wiring diagrams.  Come to find out he knew all along that he installed an alarm system and wired it into the keyless.

Now thats BS to hold back information like that.  Sometimes i think people will post problems not telling the whole truth because they either
A- do not know what the hell is going on nor can they explain what they did
or
B-they are keeping the full story secret because there might be some rigging up done.

All you need to do is pull up a chair and start typing.
Also,, go to electrical tech or my diy link and there are a tone of wiring diagrams you can run with to compare what you have to whats in writing.

so,, balls in yoru court.  We dont usually ask a million questions to get to the starting line.  We rely on you to provide ALL info of what you knwo you did on the front end. From there, most of the work is done and what remains is troubleshooting.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 11, 2008, 10:53:58 PM
the ground strap is not hooked up.i just also got done putting the heads back on.also thanks to my medicine it screws my memory up.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 11, 2008, 11:01:32 PM
the starter solenied is fixed now bought another one.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 12, 2008, 10:32:32 AM
fixed the soliniod this morning all wires running to the battery sideof the soleniod.the ground cable is hooked up it messing wit me checked it was hooked up.still no power any were.already checked the fuses before.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: ~AC on January 12, 2008, 11:25:28 AM
you might have to splice the 2 harnesses together.  unless you mean a sefi thunderbird harness then i dunno.....  you check the wires to see if any of them got pinched? (along with everything else people said)
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 12, 2008, 12:23:46 PM
the harnesses match thats why we changed the under dash harness and hood harnesses.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Chuck W on January 12, 2008, 12:31:40 PM
You're missing something obviously.

You say your battery is good and you say you have all the proper wires reconnected at the battery side of the solenoid and the starter cable on the other and you have all the grounds reconnected, then you should have power somewhere.

Time to start tracing some of those power wires connected at the BAT side of the solenoid and see if they do actually have power.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: ~AC on January 12, 2008, 12:49:42 PM
couldnt the solenoid have gone bad? unless they're new or without defect its gotta be in the wiring, when you put power to them do they click?  I'd use a meter to determine if the wires are good.  i cant come up with a fool proof way to check the entie length of the wire (like as if it were too long to put the leads at each end) so if someone could fill in there that'd be great.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Thunder Chicken on January 12, 2008, 01:50:13 PM
A bad solenoid wouldn't kill all power, it would just make it so it doesn't start. Like I said, he's gonna have to start at the battery and work his way back until he finds the point where he has no power.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Chuck W on January 12, 2008, 02:22:02 PM
Take a picture of how you have the wires connected to the solenoid.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 12, 2008, 02:43:10 PM
dont have a camera.if i did would have done it .
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Chuck W on January 12, 2008, 03:04:26 PM
Well without any visuals, the rest of us are just guessing.

Time to start digging in and seeing where you have power and where you don't.

You don't need to test each end of the wire...you just need to probe the wire and ground the other lead of your multimeter. 

It's obvious something is hooked up wrong, but you're just going to have to get into it and trace it yourself.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 12, 2008, 04:32:03 PM
waiting on my dad to get home so i could borrow his voltmeter.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 13, 2008, 09:17:33 PM
if a connector is melted/burnt would that cause no power 'cause theres two of them .
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Chuck W on January 13, 2008, 10:11:30 PM
Quote from: superpinto;197599
if a connector is melted/burnt would that cause no power 'cause theres two of them .



Well perhaps.  Wanna be more vague?  What connectors are you talking about?

Did you probe the wires after the damaged connector to see if you have power or continuity?
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: jcassity on January 14, 2008, 12:55:43 AM
got wire colors?
general location of the wires?
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 14, 2008, 11:50:18 AM
1 is  a black connector under the ignition switch.the other is for the climate control.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Chuck W on January 14, 2008, 12:21:44 PM
Quote from: superpinto;197687
1 is  a black connector under the ignition switch.

As in the one under the steering column?  If so, then yeah....

You need to actually take the time to give us the info instead of making us ask you 13 more questions just to get something out of you. You are making it WAAAAYY too tedious for anyone to even bother to help you.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 14, 2008, 12:30:48 PM
sorry bout that.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: jcassity on January 14, 2008, 03:22:55 PM
I have an idea:D
why dont you go to that diy link i have below and troll though the various links which brings you to wiring dagrams i posted up.

With all that info, i am sure you can organize a plan of attack.  I am sure there are diagrams of the ignition system as well as climate control.

can you follow wiring diagrams well?

I would just start off with the starting system and run with it from there.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: cougarXLS on January 15, 2008, 05:39:52 PM
Hello All,

      One of the reasons my posts or replies seem to go on and on and on and on and on and on is that I am attempting to provide as much info as possible, at the risk of sounding long-winded, I find that with more information, I am not bogged down with suggestions of areas I have already visited.

      superpinto, from your posts (or lack there of) I could infer you are a very competitent individual who needs some suggestions, or just another novice without a clue (but hey, that's how we all start).

      Is power getting to the EEC-IV processor?  Can you retrieve error codes?  Sometimes the engine won't start because of a power issue, but the computer is still active.

      I am bringing this up only because I have an interesting issue which could be similar to yours.  In my Cougar X, about every four or five months, I'll go to start her, and everything will be dead.  She seems to be *burning* out her batteries (I still don't know why, especially when I can 'swap' her old battery with her new and continue on, after a charging of course).  I believe the most likely culprit is something keeping the circuit open.  There is an unusual buildup of corrosion (especially at the +Terminal).

Where I am going with this is simple; I am obsessed with these cars.  The more information provided, the more fun I will have (and at the risk of speaking for everyone, the more fun we'll all have) in helping you diagnose your current delimma.  Who knows, maybe even your solution will help me figure out my mystery with Cougar X


The MORE the MERRIER!!!!
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 15, 2008, 10:10:26 PM
do you know how mutch a code reader is?i dont have one .
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: daminc on January 15, 2008, 10:32:37 PM
here try this page

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/OBD_I.html (http://"http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/OBD_I.html")
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 15, 2008, 11:01:16 PM
so guess i should have also told you the car wont start right now.sorry for not telling that.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: daminc on January 15, 2008, 11:11:38 PM
So how far have you traced the power? or lack of
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 15, 2008, 11:51:48 PM
to under the dash,the reson itwont start is becuase of the starter to starter solienoid wire.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: cougarXLS on January 16, 2008, 06:48:22 AM
Quote from: superpinto;198036
do you know how mutch a code reader is?i dont have one .


I paid approx $60 Cdn for the OBD-1 Ford Code Reader.

That's an informaive link, daminc.  I think I'll bookmark that one :)

Here's another: http://www.iequus.com/product_info.php?product_id=3145&category_id=1_10_3
You should be able to order it directly off of that website.  At the risk of sounding like a salesman, lol, well, I have bought a bunch of tools off of that company, and they all work great.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 16, 2008, 01:39:16 PM
i fill so f**kin stupid i left the negative batery cable unhooked hooked it up .and for some reason opened the door and heard the most beatiful sound ding ding ....it felt so good :D .thanks to every one that posted.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: Chuck W on January 16, 2008, 02:03:54 PM
:toilet:

Are you kidding me?

That should have been the FIRST thing you checked.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 16, 2008, 02:58:09 PM
it was hooked up a couple of days a go even then it wouldnt get power ,yes im an idioti know that.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: daminc on January 16, 2008, 10:17:33 PM
Dude!!!
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 16, 2008, 10:42:10 PM
i dont know what was different a bout the ground cable it was hooked in almost the exact same place.told my brother he was like told you it was a ground problem.but it all cool right.:D
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: jcassity on January 17, 2008, 02:37:07 AM
Quote from: cougarXLS;198065
I paid approx $60 Cdn for the OBD-1 Ford Code Reader..


compare that to the cost of a paperclip.  A paperclip is all the tool you need.

BTW, your problem is likely a simple solution but  a situation many get themselves caught up in.

Your alternator is partially defective (putting out some AC along with DC) and is boiling the cells in your battery.  Later on you replace the battery again only to find the same happens.  Since the battery did not fix it the last two times, let try an alternator.
Your new alternator is now trying to charge a partially defective battery with partially shorted cells.  This increases the load demand beyond the likely normal limits of a stock alternator so it begins to fail early.

Suggestion for you.........
Replace the alternator and the battery as a matched set.
In additon, fish back into the alternator output harness black/org wires and inspect the splice points leading to the solenoid.  Also inspect the plug for discoloration because this is an area of common failure.  The discoloration is in electrical terms, heat disipation.  Heat disipation is an increase in resistance which equals an unhealthy load on the alternator output.  You may have high resistance across that OEM splice and that in itself combined with a bad plug is why most of the time a new alternator comes with this replacement pigtail for you to install.

check out the 3g alternator upgrad sticky in electrical tech for your wiring configuration and pics.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: cougarXLS on January 17, 2008, 07:17:03 AM
I didn't mean to hijack the thread ;)

jcassity, thank-you for this idea...

Another question.... the metal plate that holds the fusebox up under the driver's left dash, is that actually a ground for the fusebox? Or is just a bracket?  I know the floor lightbulb clips onto this plate, so it does act as part of a circuit, but the whole chassie acts a ground...
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 31, 2008, 09:37:24 PM
im starting to give up on this p.o.s. now no power to the fuel pump or starter .bought new starter new soleniod to starter cable.there are to soleniods that click one is under the hood the other is under the dash ,the soleniod under the hood is all black and on the pass. side the other is brown/black and on the pass. side it is from the under the hood harrness.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: daminc on January 31, 2008, 10:26:38 PM
Are you battery connections clean and tight?
before we go any farther
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on January 31, 2008, 10:59:48 PM
yes they are checked that earlier.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: CougarSE on January 31, 2008, 11:47:10 PM
I've not read this entire thread but did you replace the negative cable?  The fuel pump ground is right off of the negative cable.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on February 01, 2008, 03:57:43 PM
ground was replaced before we started the sefi swap.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on February 02, 2008, 06:54:49 PM
theres not any power to the solenoid tostarter side of the solenoid .thats with the key on.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on February 19, 2008, 09:00:55 PM
its alive ! it runs now started it the other morning open exhaust.it runs a little rich but we'll fix that soon enough.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: jcassity on February 20, 2008, 12:58:51 AM
Quote from: superpinto;201718
theres not any power to the solenoid tostarter side of the solenoid .thats with the key on.


sounds like your solenoid is operating as should with "key ON"

glad to hear you got it running.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on February 20, 2008, 03:26:14 PM
no hooked it up to a push button the is also fuel pump is also on a switch but it runs! am i right
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: V8Demon on February 20, 2008, 04:14:31 PM
Ever find out what the burnt connectors were?

The one you described sounds like a fusible link...
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on February 20, 2008, 05:19:05 PM
the black one was like a position switch i think it was to the neutral safety switch the other was to the climate control.
Title: no power?(solved)
Post by: superpinto on March 14, 2008, 07:11:54 PM
it has a flowtech h pipe right now .sounds good with a open exhaust.