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no electrical, car won't start

blackmag17

New CEG'er
Joined
Jul 20, 2007
Messages
18
My car (98.5 SVT) was cranking slow. Left it for 2 days, wouldn't start so had to be jumped. Took the battery to O'Reillys, tested bad twice.

After putting the new Super Start battery in there, I turn the key to the On position, the instrument cluster lights come on as usual, then as I turn the key to the Run position to start it all the electrical in the car dies. Now there is no power running through the car, nothing works.

Any ideas what could be the problem? The new battery is fine, it's at 12.4 volts. And the connections at the battery terminals are completely clean.
 
Did you check the clutch pedal safety switch?

Haven't checked it. I will have time this weekend to. The car has no electrical power tho, put it in the On position and nothing works, no lights, radio, nothing.

Does the neutral safety switch kill all power to the car? I thought if that's bad the car won't crank but it will still have electrical power.
 
The car has 4 positions. Lock, accessory, run and start, in that order. I'm sorry, I was under the impression that when you turn it to run it has power bc you said the cluster comes on, but when you turn it to start you have no power. Is this the case or am I incorrect?
 
corrosion caan creep up cables from the battery clamp. use a meter to check resistence? Or get a cheap test light and connect across the cables. Turn the headlight switch on for a load. With the light across the neg post to frame see if it lights. with the light across the positive post to the Main fuses in the under hood fuse panel see if it lights.

If the lights come on while wiggling cables you probably found it.
 
The car has 4 positions. Lock, accessory, run and start, in that order. I'm sorry, I was under the impression that when you turn it to run it has power bc you said the cluster comes on, but when you turn it to start you have no power. Is this the case or am I incorrect?

I didn't explain it very well, sorry. So when I first put in the battery, there was power to the car in the accessory and run position. I knew because the instrument cluster lights came on for their pre-check. Immediately as I turned the key to crank the car all the power went out. Now, no matter what position the key is in (accessory, run, start) there is no power to the car. Nothing works now.

I did notice that the anti-theft light occasionally, very faintly blinks. However it doesn't consistently and brightly blink like it did when the car had power.
 
corrosion caan creep up cables from the battery clamp. use a meter to check resistence? Or get a cheap test light and connect across the cables. Turn the headlight switch on for a load. With the light across the neg post to frame see if it lights. with the light across the positive post to the Main fuses in the under hood fuse panel see if it lights.

If the lights come on while wiggling cables you probably found it.

So I took out the battery to look for where the cable was grounded. There's one chassis ground directly underneath the battery and another to the block. I tested the resistance of the ground wire, both at the chassis and the one at the block, both were at 0 ohms.

I don't have a test light. I will get one soon and try what you said, thanks.
 
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