So I went to go buy my mom a mother’s day gift. I drove the 7 to the store with no problems at all and when I came out to start it the starter did nothing. I think the idiot dash lights went on and the gas gauge moved a little. I then turned the key back to off and decided to give it another go and this time the only thing that moved was the volt meter and the gas meter and they just moved a little then fell back down to nothing and now I have no power at all. I checked the fuses under the dash and there all good now but still nothing. I was able to pop up the headlights but now they won’t go back down. I know the batter is not completely dead as the lights still work. When I tried to jump the car I still had no power at all so I’m almost certain it’s not the battery. My be it’s the main fuse or something. Where else are there fuses other then under the dash. I know plenty about 2nd gens but this is my first 1st gen.

 

There are fusible links under the hood near the coils (looks a like a real small wire with an anchor on each side) and if one of these are blown it could be causing a problem.

- Tech

 

I just saw that in my hains manual..thanks alot i will go check, thank god I have another car.

 

If it is not the fusable links, check the connections for corrosion. Which means remove the cables and clean the posts and the inside of the ends.
Also on the battery it takes very little amperage to turn on the lights. When you tried to jump start did you put the jumper for the negative cable on a good ground of the vehicle you were trying to jump? If the battery is fully discharged or has a dead cell it will not complete the circuit thru the dead battery by attaaching it directly to the posts. The proper way to jump start all vehicles is to attach the cable that goes to the negative side of the the vehicle being jumped to a good ground other than the battery.

 

Exactly. A poor connection from the battery cables will cause what you described.

 

the fusable links where loose.....thanks for all yoru help guys I was really scared there for a little bit.

 

Lol I had the same problem when I got dynotuned. The tuning went well then I was about to leave and my car wouldnt start. Screw had come loose.

I put a nice thick wire from + to the fusible links now and put some heatshrink over it once I had done up the screw, so it shouldnt be able to come loose.

 

In another one of my moments of brilliance I figured out that there was a small range in the motion of the "brights switch" in which both the brights and the normal headlights were turned on...

That lasted approximatly 3 or 4 seconds until all my headlights went out!

This left me to drive to work at dawn with no headlights

God, I felt like a genious LOL


Anyways, after work I checked into the power issue and found it to be one of those "main fuses"