No power from the battery to the car..

530

Asked by Dave Sep 07, 2014 at 10:14 AM about the 1992 Pontiac Firebird Base

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I was driving the car for 3 weeks now
everyday... But yesterday I got into the car and
turned the key to acc.. The radio came on.. But
when I fully turned the key I had no power at
all.. Now there's nothing going to my car.. I
checked the voltage and its reading 12.7 u
need help on what else it could be..

45 Answers

200,895

Check tighten and clean all battery connections.

4 people found this helpful.

Right on. and if battery is 5+ years old it's likely near the end of it's reasonable expected life span Voltage is one thing, but cranking amps is what you need to start the car,,the voltage can be fine but not delivering CCA's. G'Morning dandy welcome back

4 people found this helpful.
200,895

Morning fordnut. Been working a new project vehicle and to busy to get on here.

2 people found this helpful.

Has your wife said "get this transmission out of here, I want to take a bath?' if so, you might be... (Foxworthy)

2 people found this helpful.
200,895

Have you checked the frame and motor negative battery connections. Also check voltage on battery while placing negative tester lead on metal of the motor.

3 people found this helpful.

Also has it been acting up in any way before? any warning lights on?

2 people found this helpful.
530

No there were no signs... Car was running like a pro...it looks like the bolt that the negative wire goes to on the motor is all gummed up..and rusted..

3 people found this helpful.
200,895

Also check battery voltage positive lead on large bolt back of alternator. If no power here then follow this wire back to battery. There is a fuseable link in this wire. If it's blown then you will have no power to rest of car.

3 people found this helpful.
530

I checked the negative on motor like u said it was reading 12.80

2 people found this helpful.
200,895

Might want to try and clean that connection. Hook jumper cable to negative of battery and the other end of negative jumper cable to metal of the motor. Did you get power to rest of car. If so bad negative connection. Can do same thing with positive side. Hook positive jumper cable to positive of battery and the other positive jumper cable to large nut back of alternator. Did you get power back to rest of car? If so either loose/bad battery connection or blown fuseable link.

2 people found this helpful.
530

From the back of the alternator it was reading 13..

2 people found this helpful.
200,895

Ok then ground good. Test the positive from the large bolt on back of alternator to negative of battery.

3 people found this helpful.
200,895

And you have no power inside of car? No radio or lights?

4 people found this helpful.
530

No power at all.. No dome light no radio my motor for my headlights won't even go on..

1 people found this helpful.
530

I'm so lost on this... Like I said it was running perfectly fine yesterday... I hooked a battery charger to the battery and it sounds like the battery was gurgling

1 people found this helpful.
200,895

Ok. From your battery you should have one large positive wire and one smaller positive wire. Follow the smaller one about a foot and you should see the fuseable link. Carefully probe the wire behind the link and test voltage to negative of battery. If none then it's probably blown.

3 people found this helpful.
530

No fusible link on that wire it is just astraight wire.. Runs to a box on the side of the radiator with a bunch of other wires and there are fusible link wires there.. Looks like its running tothe fan

1 people found this helpful.
200,895

And you had no power on large bolt back of alternator?

2 people found this helpful.

Is this like yours? I am trying to find schematic ..click to full screen

5 people found this helpful.
200,895

In junction box models one should be going to the fans.

1 people found this helpful.
200,895

Ok. Tighten and clean the negative battery cable on the frame and motor. Also if side post connections on battery might want to trim some of the rubber from around the connection area. Have seen where this rubber on older model cars gets in the way of a good connection. Specially around the bolt area.

3 people found this helpful.
200,895

If power to the alternator then it's probably not the positive side that's giving you the issue. Do same test on alternator with negative lead of tester touching metal of the motor. If no power then it's a negative connection issue.

2 people found this helpful.
530

I did what u said to the alternator.. And it said 000 just gave me a minus sign.. So that means its a ground prob??

1 people found this helpful.
200,895

Yes. If you go from alternator to battery and get voltage. But when go alternator to motor and get no voltage then you have a negative battery connection issue. Either at the battery or on the motor/frame.

1 people found this helpful.
530

Thank u.. I'm cleaning the negative to the frame as we speak... Its rusted all to hell...

530

I wish I knee how to post pics on here from my phone so I can show pics

email them to yourself, save (on desktop is easiest) then click 'add photo' (you must have some text first even one character)..browse, right click on the image and "select" ..if that is not possible with your phone there are other ways

530

I cleaned that ground to the block and I still have nothing..

1 people found this helpful.
200,895

Use your meter and check continuity between the negative battery terminal and the metal case of the alternator.

1 people found this helpful.
200,895

If none then remove the negative battery cable from the battery(if side post) remove bolt from inside the cable. Now Do same test but push meter lead up into the opening where the bolt came out of on cable end. Make sure the test lead is digging into the metal of terminal end. Do you now have continuity? If so the problem is with the cable end. Trim all the rubber from around where the bolt goes thru it. Visually inspect when reattaching it to battery that you have good metal to metal contact between the cable end and the battery.

1 people found this helpful.
Best Answer Mark helpful
200,895

This picture is of my positive post but note that all the rubber is gone where the bolt goes thru it. This will give you an idea of what I talking about you doing to your negative one.

3 people found this helpful.
530

I hhooked a jumper fromgg the bhhig bolt on the alternator to the two wire and got power.. Whatx does that mmean...

200,895

Sorry Not sure how you hooked up jumper. Jumper from where to where?

1 people found this helpful.
200,895

Jumper from negative battery terminal to big mounting bolt on alternator? If so and got power then it's still a negative battery connection issue. Either battery frame or motor connection.

1 people found this helpful.
530

I hooked up a jumper from the big bolt on the alternator and to the two wire connector on the alternator... Got power.. Then I went under the car to the starter grabbed the wires and got power car started up.. Not sire what that means.. But car is running..

2 people found this helpful.
200,895

By doing that you are by passing some fuses. Did you check for blown fuses?

1 people found this helpful.
530

Yes I did I pulled every fuse they were all good.... Still don't know what happened but like I said I pulled on the wires at the starter and the car started up and is still starting up...

2 people found this helpful.
530

Well its starts up fine Now... After I got it started it was acting up for a few days like as I was breaking.. U could hear it swaying from all most during to running good.. occasionally it would shut off but now it seems fine.. Just the batt voltage jumps around... Do u think the positive wire had something to do with it...

3 people found this helpful.

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