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Dead Starter? New battery

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Dead Starter? New battery #1
scottflory Scott Flory Fairfax, VA, USA Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB "The Orange MGB"	Topic Creator (OP) Oct 25, 2014 10:41 AM Joined 11 years ago 114 Posts

I am in the final phase of putting everything together.
I had the electrical all set - tested all circuits, tested cranking the engine. All good.

Then, I did the carburetors, put them on and connected the fuel pump. Got fuel flowing and got it to stop - so that all checked out.

I went to crank it again (just to prove it, had the spark plugs wires unplugged) and it made a short noise and stopped.

Now, everything is dead. I can't get anything to work at all. I can test 12.54 volts at the battery, and on one of the brown wires leading IN to the fuse box.
No blown fuses.

Could the starter be dead?

I'm guessing my next step is to remove the starter from the chain and see if I can get my electrical back.

Any other ideaS?

Scott

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Re: Dead Starter? New battery #2
29desoto M Wayne Sanders Otis, OR, USA Sign in to contact 1965 MG MGB V6 Conversion "Carmine" 1973 MG MGB GT "Eliza - FIRST PLACE - MG2013" 1984 Chevrolet Corvette "The Green Weenie" 1994 Chevrolet S10 "Lil Red"	Oct 25, 2014 11:41 AM Top Contributor Joined 13 years ago 13,098 Posts

Scott, testing power going into the fuse box is good, but testing it coming out is better.

Sometimes the old fuse box just don't make good contact. Check it out! smiling bouncing smiley

Wayne Sanders
Rose Lodge, OR
(TD 4288)

"I don't care to belong to any club that accepts people like me"-joined Willamette Valley Club in 2011

79/65 MGB - Carmine- V-6 - T-5

This car is now very nearly completely done. Sure to find something else, but not now.........And 12 years later, I'm starting to fix things that were new when we built the car. It's pretty well de-bugged!

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Re: Dead Starter? New battery #3
scottflory Scott Flory Fairfax, VA, USA Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB "The Orange MGB"	Topic Creator (OP) Oct 25, 2014 11:51 AM Joined 11 years ago 114 Posts

Actually, just tested again. I get 12.25 volts on both sides of the fuse box for the brown wires....

but - my 12v tester light lights on the battery, but will not light on either side of the fuse box.... so, it reads 12.54 v, but my 12v tester light does not light...

still have not tried disconnecting the starter.

Scott

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-10-25 12:18 PM by scottflory.

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Re: Dead Starter? New battery #4
rrmgb robert schau Ft Myers, FL, USA Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB 1973 MG MGB	Oct 25, 2014 12:56 PM Top Contributor Joined 17 years ago 11,922 Posts

Test light is probably not grounded properly or light is out.
Power on 2nd fuse from bottom, both sides, w/ignition on?
Power to starter relay w/ignition on? Does it click when power applied?
Power through white/brown wire from relay to starter?

"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time."
Sir Winston Churchill
---------------------------------------------------------------
"It all starts in your mind's eye, then it goes to your heart
and finally to your very soul."
G.S.George PHD

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Re: Dead Starter? New battery #5
scottflory Scott Flory Fairfax, VA, USA Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB "The Orange MGB"	Topic Creator (OP) Oct 25, 2014 01:28 PM Joined 11 years ago 114 Posts

I can't get anything to work... no horns, lights, hazard, anything.

My 12v tester light will light up when connected direct to battery.
My multi-meter shows 12.54 v on both sides of the "brown" wires (bottom) of the fuse box.
My 12v tester light will NOT light up on either side of the brown wires of the fuse box (using a head bolt on the engine as ground for both multi-meter and tester light)

just disconnected the starter motor.

Tried my tester light on the starter end of the huge cable coming from the battery and grounding to a bolt on the endplate/transmission connection - no light.

Now I will be simply testing whether the ground my battery connects to is continuous with a head bolt (checking ohms).

I'm not very knowledgable at this, but am patient and willing to do a lot of tests.

Scott

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Re: Dead Starter? New battery #6
scottflory Scott Flory Fairfax, VA, USA Sign in to contact 1973 MG MGB "The Orange MGB"	Topic Creator (OP) Oct 25, 2014 02:25 PM Joined 11 years ago 114 Posts

Very curious.... I took off my ground at the battery - where it connects to the body - cleaned that up down to bare metal, re-attached - and now I have power back at horns and lights !!!

How did that ground work at all before? why did it drop out just now? hmmm....

anyway, now to connect the starter and see if I can turn it over.

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