No electric power to engine.

[freedombro]

Bought an '87 345 with a 454 that a friend is helping me get back on the road. It's been sitting for awhile. He said that it was idling fine and then stopped. When he tried to restart, there was no electrical power to the dash/starter. The battery is apparently good. He's an auto mechanic, and he's stumped. I am not a mechanic, so I am asking the forum for suggestions?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time!

-Keith

UNLEADEDZEPPELIN.COM

[Protagonist]

So it started once, died, and wouldn't restart? First place to look is the alternator and voltage regulator. If the alternator didn't provide power, then the whole time it was idling it would have been drawing from the battery, which also wasn't recharged after the engine started. Once the battery ran down, the engine died, along with the other electrical users.

Just a guess, but it seems to fit the symptoms you described.

[mayco]

Start by cleaning your battery cables then your ground strap from the battery to the frame.
Simplest first. Could be a bad connection on your ignition circuit but start with the batteries and ground. Youll need to unbolt the ground strap where it meets the frame and clean the eyelet on the strap and the frame where it bolts.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by freedombro

Bought an '87 345 with a 454 that a friend is helping me get back on the road. It's been sitting for awhile. He said that it was idling fine and then stopped. When he tried to restart, there was no electrical power to the dash/starter. The battery is apparently good. He's an auto mechanic, and he's stumped. I am not a mechanic, so I am asking the forum for suggestions?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time!

-Keith

UNLEADEDZEPPELIN.COM

I think we're going to need a little more info to be of much help. Is the entire dash without power or is it just the starter not turning over. Power to the gauges comes from a couple of different sources.

Do the headlights work? What happens when the ignition switch is in the Aux position? Does the heater fan blower run?

Brad

[Waipio Rim]

If there is no power anywhere, the next place to check after battery cables and ground strap will be to follow the battery cables to their connections on the back of the battery box. We had a cable terminal break there, those cables flex every time the drawer is opened and closed.