No Power to anything

[Dusten]

71 Duster with a 340. The problem-no power to anything, no dome light, no headlights, no wipers, no ignition power. The car had not run for 12 years. I just rebuild the engine and put it back in. Went to start it up and had no power to anything. One day I go out and there was power to everything. It was a miracle and had not done anything to it. It was like that for a couple of days and now it is back to having no power to anything again. I know the battery is good and the connection to the battery is good. I have a good ground from the engine to the firewall. I do have power to the starter relay. I studied the wiring diagram and read several threads on here. I wanted to run my conclusion by you experts. With my test light I followed the red wire that go's to the ammeter. I have power at that red wire side of the ammeter but no power at the black wire side of the ammeter. Could this be my problem? Can I bypass the ammeter by connecting the red wire to the black wire terminal?

 

[Lee Robinson]

71 Duster with a 340. The problem-no power to anything, no dome light, no headlights, no wipers, no ignition power. The car had not run for 12 years. I just rebuild the engine and put it back in. Went to start it up and had no power to anything. One day I go out and there was power to everything. It was a miracle and had not done anything to it. It was like that for a couple of days and now it is back to having no power to anything again. I know the battery is good and the connection to the battery is good. I have a good ground from the engine to the firewall. I do have power to the starter relay. I studied the wiring diagram and read several threads on here. I wanted to run my conclusion by you experts. With my test light I followed the red wire that go's to the ammeter. I have power at that red wire side of the ammeter but no power at the black wire side of the ammeter. Could this be my problem? Can I bypass the ammeter by connecting the red wire to the black wire terminal?

Could be bad positive battery cable. When I bought my son's Dart, it started fine. Stopped for gas and wouldn't start, nothing. It was bad positive cable.
Had it towed home and the next day my son was messing with the cable and it started.

 

[Mattax]

I have power at that red wire side of the ammeter but no power at the black wire side of the ammeter. Could this be my problem? Can I bypass the ammeter by connecting the red wire to the black wire terminal?

Yes and yes.
Check a few things while you're in there.
Disconnect the battery pos and then check for continuity through the ammeter (stud to stud). If its open, or there is a little movement, the studs must be loose from the plate (the shunt inside the ammeter). If there is continuity, then check for a break or poor connection at the wire crimps and ring terminals.

If it is internal, then yes absolutely connect both ring terminals on one stud. Just make sure the stud isn't loose.

 

[67Dart273]

OP sound like you are on right track. Could ALSO BE the wire end terminals themselves. Certainly ammeter sounds suspect. If you have not done so read this article. It gives a great simplified diagram and overview of this type problem

Catalog

This diagram is simplified but follows the functional path of the main power distribution is same for most these girls

Main problem areas are fuse link, bulkhead connector, ammeter, back out the bulkhead connector to the alternator

In rare cases the welded splice opens up, VERY rare but does/ has happened. This is a welded splice a few inches away from the ammeter, in the black wire, up under the dash

 

[George Jets]

We had a bad connection at the Bulkhead Connections on the Firewall side of a 67 Corronet R/T doing the exact same thing.

As you are looking at the bulkhead from the front of the car, wiggle the wires at the lower left of the bulkhead on the firewall side with the driver's door open. As you are wiggling the wires see if your dome light comes on. When the dome light comes on this is the wire connection that you should clean up and reinstall. We squeezed the Female part of the spade after cleaning it up and cleaning up the spade to help hold it tight after we slipped it back together. All is well now on this one, and that was last Summer. All is Good . . .

 

[Dusten]

Well I bypassed the ammeter and that fixed it!! I now have power to everything. Thanks for all of the advice and insight. This site is a real life saver.