Completely dead 74 help please

[ramairthree]

I was about to take it on the weekly little trip around the neighborhood.  (needs front end rebuilt, etc. not serious road worthy but a few miles here and there fine)

I was all started and warmed up (edelbrock 4bbl on intake, no choke hooked up), which takes a few minutes even in summer.

I put it into reverse and it died.

Electrically.
Not it was not warmed up and going out of parked stalled it.

Like you have when you lose  the ground.

Neg terminal to block ground is good and tested.

No power at any fuses.

I am scratching my head about why the lose when go out of park.

My seat belt safety is looped off, and connections are good.

Last week, the fasten seat belt message light was on, which I do not remember seeing before.  But not on the drive after that.

I am thinking my first step then might be I should pull the seats and carpet and see if it is a short in the seat belt wiring.

Any better ideas on where to start if good ground off batt and it happened shifting.

Thank you for any tips.

[ws23rt]

The first thing I would do is remove and clean both battery terminals.
Many times I have found a problem like yours to be just a poor connection at the battery.

[ramairthree]

Yep, x2.

No change.

[nvrbdn]

is the connection at the fire wall clean and making good connection? we are talking absolutely no power at the fuses. battery have power? i know this sounds funny, but with no power to nothing? starter relay have power? can you jump across it to spin the engine? just plugging here.

[nvrbdn]

im trying to think here about the wiring of a 74. the main power wire go to a relay? branch off from there? i have a complete wiring book for all makes and models up to and including 69, but im not sure past that.

[Pete in NH]

Hi,

I'm wondering if the fusible link is blown, if you don't have power to anything. On my 71 the link is between the battery stud on the starter relay and a single pin connector in the wiring harness. On the 71 the starter relay is just to the right of the battery as you face the battery from the driver's side. It might be in the same place on a 74. The link is a short length of Blue wire that often has a small flag label on it.

[ramairthree]

I will have some time for diagnostics in a few days, but out right now.

If it is the link,
what overloaded it...

it leads straight to the back of the ammeter I think.

happened exactly as move shifter from P to R.

[moparguy01]

Go to the bulkhead connector. There is a main power wire on I believe the second of the connectors, the middle one. Pull it apart. Look for burnt terminals. I have had them burn at the bulkhead connector due to a bad ammeter, but it burns up there instead. It does not allow any power through even to the ammeter and the car goes stone cold dead.

[myk]

Go to the bulkhead connector. There is a main power wire on I believe the second of the connectors, the middle one. Pull it apart. Look for burnt terminals. I have had them burn at the bulkhead connector due to a bad ammeter, but it burns up there instead. It does not allow any power through even to the ammeter and the car goes stone cold dead.

Agreed!

[Pete in NH]

The bulkhead connector is easy to unplug and check visually, I'd start there first. Some times just unplugging it and then plugging it back in cleans the contacts enough to restore power. Although, if it does that's a sign a good cleaning is in order. If you don't already have one, a small, inexpensive test meter from Radio Shack or Harbor Freight is real handy in seeing where you have power and where it stops. You can use the ohm meter function to check the fusible link. The fusible link usually only opens on a major short circuit or overload and there can be many causes. Although sometimes it's just age and corrosion that catches up with them and they can no longer carry even a normal current load. Chrysler never though these cars would be on the road 40 years after they were built.

[ramairthree]

Thank you.
I stopped on the way home from work and picked up a 14 and a 16 gauge fusible link in case I needed them.

Jump to red to yellow on the relay did fire up the starter.

fusible link showed good on multimeter.

red from fusible link to bulkhead male spade showed good on multimeter.

The bulkhead looked great.

I cleaned both male and female up, put it back together, and I had power again.

Not sure why shifting from park to reverse was the exact moment it went out.

Not sure why only one time I have seen the fasten belts message light a drive or two before this,

but it is running right now.

My harness is on borrowed time.  Old, dry, stiff, and splices everywhere.

[moparguy01]

Sounds like you had a short to ground in your harness. Is the car a column shift car by chance?

[nvrbdn]

great to hear.

[ramairthree]

Sounds like you had a short to ground in your harness. Is the car a column shift car by chance?

console shift automatic

[myk]

My harness is on borrowed time.  Old, dry, stiff, and splices everywhere.

Time for a rewire!  It might be expensive and a complete pain in the arse, but it's well worth it...

[moparguy01]

hmm usually console shifts dont tend to move wiring around much. I've seen column cars move the dash harness abit and cause issues.

I'd also recommend rewiring. I just did my 74 with an ez wire kit.

[ramairthree]

I was looking at those EZ wire kits,
I do not have any power options,
which one did you use?

I think total cost would be about 1/3 to 1/4 of a repro harness.

Maybe not as plug and play, but how close was it for you?

[nvrbdn]

i think that the shifting into gear thing had nothing to do with it other than giving the car a little jolt. just enough to kill the connection.

[Nacho-RT74]

Check the harness to the tranny... I bet one of the outer wires ( black traced white ) is shorting with chassis due is burnt or isolator broken. The one who sends the signal to turn on the reverse lights must be the culprit. Check for that just in case

[ramairthree]

Good call.
I checked the harness from trunk to R light
(my rear harness is made from salvaging sections from 2 1/2 trashed rear tail light assemblies' harnesses and spliced in bulb sockets)
but did not check from tranny to there.

[Nacho-RT74]

Tranny section is really affected by enviroment ( oil vapors and leaks, exhaust and engine heat ) and they tipically get isolation dried so then broken OR burnt ( BTDT )

not saying it the cause since this circuit has it's own fuse allong with some other accesories and should blow way before the fuse link BUT I think could be the time to check it.

Three wires where center is ground to relay ( for Neutral safety, brwon traced  ) and both outers drive positive, one is constant when key in RUN or ACC, the other one is hot just in reverse when switche inside sense the reverse position.

[moparguy01]

i used the 21 circuit kit. Wires were labeled every 5 or 6 inches. it went pretty easy honestly, but took a good month to get it all run since i did not ever have a solid day or two to work it.

[myk]

i used the 21 circuit kit. Wires were labeled every 5 or 6 inches. it went pretty easy honestly, but took a good month to get it all run since i did not ever have a solid day or two to work it.

Yes, take the guesswork out of electrical work with new wiring.  'OP if originality is a concern for you then you can go that route, just be ready to spend a little more.  Again, the expense are well worth it...