Lost all power for 30seconds the back on

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Waterford, MI - USA

Joined: 9/13/2002

Posts: 1749

Vette(s): 1973 Red coupe

Driving yesterday the power just cut out completely but by the time I could pull over to the side of the road it came back on. I restarted the car and it has been fine since. I am thinking ground wire. Any other thoughts?

Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans

Borgeson Steering box

Re: Lost all power for 30seconds the back on

Posted: 8/24/14 9:23am Message 2 of 16

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Duncanville, TX - USA

Joined: 11/8/2003

Posts: 20214

Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas

Ground, OR fuse link issue. Gotta start with the basics...batt cable connections, grounds from batt to frame, and from frame to engine block at front.
Or aliens blasted ya from above....."Stop that vehicle...we wish to have a look-see....".... LOL

Joel Adams
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Re: Lost all power for 30seconds the back on

Posted: 8/24/14 9:34am Message 3 of 16

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Waterford, MI - USA

Joined: 9/13/2002

Posts: 1749

Vette(s): 1973 Red coupe

Well I was in the city of Warren where we have power outages all the time. Maybe that is why, Hum.

The main fuse from the starter is a 50 amp in a fuse holder instead of a fuse link. The ground connection from the battery to the fame was a little rusty so I cleaned it up. Just really strange the way it cutout and then came back on. Everything went out, lights, engine, electric fans, and even the radio memory was gone. Then back on and running.

any chance the battery may be going, it always starts with no issues.

Just curious, if the ground wire came disconnected from the battery, would the car just die or would the alternator keep it going?

Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans

Borgeson Steering box

Re: Lost all power for 30seconds the back on

Posted: 8/24/14 9:48am Message 4 of 16

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Duncanville, TX - USA

Joined: 11/8/2003

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Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas

Not likely going to be a battery problem. For everything to shut down like that, the vehicle had to have lost complete connection somewhere.You can get away with disconnecting the battery after starting it, as it will run from the alternator, however...the alt HAS to have voltage to it to work. IF the voltage loop(power-to-ground) is interrupted for whatever reason, the alt will not keep it running. I'd still be leaning to a fuse link about to take a doo-doo, OR....the firewall connection for the fusebox is loose/corroded. The fuse links from the starter protect the entire vehicle electrics...if a specific one pops, or looses contact, it WILL kill the entire electrical system. Worth taking a look.

Joel Adams
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Re: Lost all power for 30seconds the back on

Posted: 8/28/14 6:21pm Message 5 of 16

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Waterford, MI - USA

Joined: 9/13/2002

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Vette(s): 1973 Red coupe

Joel, do you know what the fuse link is rated at? I found out that my blower motor is causing the issue. Once I added a fuse block everything is good until I turn on the blower motor (not the A/C)

Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans

Borgeson Steering box

Re: Lost all power for 30seconds the back on

Posted: 8/28/14 7:49pm Message 6 of 16

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Duncanville, TX - USA

Joined: 11/8/2003

Posts: 20214

Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas

Not sure off-hand, Brian. You should have one close to the starter solenoid, and several close to the horn relay on the driver side fenderwell. The wiring diagrams don't list what amp rating any of them are. Fuse links are color coded for amp rating, and some are also embossed with the amp rating.
So....when you turn the blower motor on, the car wants to die?

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link

(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Re: Lost all power for 30seconds the back on

Posted: 8/28/14 8:49pm Message 7 of 16

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Waterford, MI - USA

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Vette(s): 1973 Red coupe

We'll I started out for Ky this morning. I new this could become an issue because I still had not found the original problem from Sayerday. I packed a few things including a fuse block for when it quit again. Lights on and driving for about an hour without an issue. Shortly after I turned the heater blower on to remove se fog off the windshield the power shut down for good. Sitting on the side of the road I attached the fuse block from the alternator battery supply which still had power to the horn relay and walls, I was off and running again. To play it safe I only used a 10amp fuse. No lights needed because the sum was up by then. Drove all the way without using anything on. This evening I tried the lights and had to increase the fuse to a 20 amp. I decided to go through everything one at a time. Once I turned the blower on the fuse would blow after a few seconds, not sure why so I will have to check it out once I get back home.

Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans

Borgeson Steering box

Re: Lost all power for 30seconds the back on

Posted: 8/29/14 4:27am Message 8 of 16

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Duncanville, TX - USA

Joined: 11/8/2003

Posts: 20214

Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas

Blower at any speed, or just on one speed(high, med, low)? The blower motor could just simply be drawing too many amps...might be on it's last leg. Blower motors will draw quite a few amps when first turned on. Low-med speeds run thru the resistor, but high is direct from the blower relay. The relay is there because of the high amperage needed to run it on high. If the problem is only with the high speed, there is an issue with the relay wiring, or the relay itself. If it blows the fuse on the low/med speeds, it could be the resistor block or blower motor itself.
Hope the rest of your trip goes well! Sounds like you at least have a chance......just don't use the blower. Big smile

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link

(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Re: Lost all power for 30seconds the back on

Posted: 8/29/14 9:57am Message 9 of 16

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Waterford, MI - USA

Joined: 9/13/2002

Posts: 1749

Vette(s): 1973 Red coupe

You and I are on the same page. The blower is only a few years old and is a C 4 motor. This morning I tested it again and it did not blow the fuse so it be hit and miss like you said, it will draw more to stRt it then to run. I amhaving a food time here for sure. Thanks for your thoughts on the issue.

Brian - NCM Lifetime Member

73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System

Dewitt radiator and dual electric fans

Borgeson Steering box

Re: Lost all power for 30seconds the back on

Posted: 8/30/14 11:14am Message 10 of 16

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