Power to everything Nothing works

[matthon]

64 Belvedere, went to start, cranked for 30 seconds then no crank, nothing.
Nothing as in nothing electrical works.

Traced everything, pulled bulkhead connector apart and cleaned.

Power to starter, bulkhead on both sides, ammeter on both sides, fusebox, ignition switch, fan switch, brake light switch, light switch, high beam switch, etc.

Everything receives and sends power as and when it should, for example, headlights get power when switch is turned on but do not light up.
Same for everything else, everything, including ignition switch.

Splice sends power to everything, no blown fuses, both constant and switched circuits receive/send power.

Double checked fsm wiring diagram just to be sure.

I noticed when I turn on anything, ignition switch to run or accessory, light switch, fan, hit the brake, the solenoid wire coming off the starter, not connected to the solenoid, lights up the test light.

I don't believe that's correct, had to check my other 6 cylinder car just for a sanity check.

What is going on here?

Had to edit this, did I miss the obvious, the battery ground on the engine block?

I thought I replaced it, but possibly just the terminal.

 

[Professor Fate]

That would be the only thing that came to mind, and makes sense.
If you've got power TO everything, but nothing works, then it almost HAS to be a bad battery ground.

 

[tonysrt]

A bad ground or positive connection caught me one day. Car started fine, drove 10 miles to gas station filled her up and no start. car was fairly new to me so I had no tools with me. Sign on garage door said no tools to be lent out. I was begging for a 1/2 wrench and I guess he felt sorry for me. I retightened battery connections, started car and gave mechanic $10 and his wrench back. I now carry enough tools to swap motors out.

 

[67Dart273]

Sounds like maybe ground to me. Try testing UNDER LOAD. AKA you put your light/ meter on some point, the battery + terminal, the starter "big stud," or the starter either post and turn the key. Does it still light? I bet not.

YOU CAN NOT TELL by looking. I myself was fooled on my 86 Ranger years ago. The ground cable went from the batt neg to a factory "T TAP" at the frame. That was good to the frame, the lights worked GREAT. But where that T tap was crimped, up in the cable going from there to the engine block, it was severely corroded--no crank.

 

[jpl572103]

Check your fusible links, they can look okay, but you need to pull them, if bad the outer insulation will stretch.

 

[TrailBeast]

Don’t miss the fact that the ground cable could have a bad crimp on the end.

For diagnostics use a jumper cable from the battery negative to the block.
Then the other cable from the block to body.

 

[matthon]

The negative battery terminal, I bought new last year, was rusted where the cable sits.
Yup, I'm a dummy.

I'm always chiming in to have good grounds, and add a ground hub next to the battery, blah blah blah.
I even made sure the test light had a good ground by clipping it to the battery and stretching it all over the car.

This car has zero accessories, lights, heater, wipers, so I just replaced the battery terminals and drove it all last year.

The thing I do not understand is why the solenoid wire on the starter, not connected to anything, would light up the test light when I flicked any switch or turned the key on?