Electrical system Failure

I am repairing a 1987 Plymouth Gran Fury, and the electrical system seems
dead. I know the battery is shot since I tested it with a battery charger. I
am using the battery charger both on the 10 amp recharge and the startup
settings. I have replaced the distributor cap, the rotor, the 8 spark plugs,
the air filter pcv valve and the breather element. The horn, the lights-
interior and external, the radio etc do absolutely nothing with the battery
charger. The car does not even start to crank. Does anybody have any idea
what may be wrong? Does anybody have any suggestions?
Thanks

Mike wrote:
> I am repairing a 1987 Plymouth Gran Fury, and the electrical system
seems
> dead. I know the battery is shot since I tested it with a battery
charger. I
> am using the battery charger both on the 10 amp recharge and the
startup
> settings. I have replaced the distributor cap, the rotor, the 8 spark
plugs,
> the air filter pcv valve and the breather element. The horn, the
lights-
> interior and external, the radio etc do absolutely nothing with the
battery
> charger. The car does not even start to crank. Does anybody have any
idea
> what may be wrong? Does anybody have any suggestions?
> Thanks

The following is fairly generic but this should apply to your car...

Look for the pigtail ground wire coming out of the negative battery
terminal. It should go to the body of the car. Without that wire your
car's complete electrical system may be ungrounded except for the
starter / block. Even the starter won't work if the ignition switch
circuit is ungrounded.

Toyota MDT in MO

Also look for the fusible links in the harness for an open circuit.
"Comboverfish" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Mike wrote:
>> I am repairing a 1987 Plymouth Gran Fury, and the electrical system
> seems
>> dead. I know the battery is shot since I tested it with a battery
> charger. I
>> am using the battery charger both on the 10 amp recharge and the
> startup
>> settings. I have replaced the distributor cap, the rotor, the 8 spark
> plugs,
>> the air filter pcv valve and the breather element. The horn, the
> lights-
>> interior and external, the radio etc do absolutely nothing with the
> battery
>> charger. The car does not even start to crank. Does anybody have any
> idea
>> what may be wrong? Does anybody have any suggestions?
>> Thanks
>
> The following is fairly generic but this should apply to your car...
>
> Look for the pigtail ground wire coming out of the negative battery
> terminal. It should go to the body of the car. Without that wire your
> car's complete electrical system may be ungrounded except for the
> starter / block. Even the starter won't work if the ignition switch
> circuit is ungrounded.
>
> Toyota MDT in MO
>



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Shep wrote:

>>>charger. The car does not even start to crank. Does anybody have any
>>
>>idea
>>
>>>what may be wrong? Does anybody have any suggestions?
>>> Thanks
>>
>>The following is fairly generic but this should apply to your car...
>>
>>Look for the pigtail ground wire coming out of the negative battery
>>terminal. It should go to the body of the car. Without that wire your
>>car's complete electrical system may be ungrounded except for the
>>starter / block. Even the starter won't work if the ignition switch
>>circuit is ungrounded.
>>
>>Toyota MDT in MO
>>
>

Good things to check, but on a Mopar also be sure to check the fusible
link(s) that feed all the electrical systems except the starter.
Driver's side firewall and fenderwell area, near the starter relay and
the bulkhead connector that brings wires to the interior.

Also, get a good battery in it. With a dead battery, any testing is
somewhat moot. A battery charger on "boost" is not a substitute for a
good battery.

That screams no body ground to me. I would run a booster cable from the
battery negative to the body and see what happens. Then try to the
engine block.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Mike wrote:
>
> I am repairing a 1987 Plymouth Gran Fury, and the electrical system seems
> dead. I know the battery is shot since I tested it with a battery charger. I
> am using the battery charger both on the 10 amp recharge and the startup
> settings. I have replaced the distributor cap, the rotor, the 8 spark plugs,
> the air filter pcv valve and the breather element. The horn, the lights-
> interior and external, the radio etc do absolutely nothing with the battery
> charger. The car does not even start to crank. Does anybody have any idea
> what may be wrong? Does anybody have any suggestions?
> Thanks

Mike wrote:
> I am repairing a 1987 Plymouth Gran Fury, and the electrical system seems
> dead. I know the battery is shot since I tested it with a battery charger. I
> am using the battery charger both on the 10 amp recharge and the startup
> settings. I have replaced the distributor cap, the rotor, the 8 spark plugs,
> the air filter pcv valve and the breather element. The horn, the lights-
> interior and external, the radio etc do absolutely nothing with the battery
> charger. The car does not even start to crank. Does anybody have any idea
> what may be wrong? Does anybody have any suggestions?
> Thanks
>
>
>
Are you trying to charge the battery you know is shot? I don't
understand the reason for that. If the battery is shot, why not replace
the battery? A short in a battery will prevent the charger from
applying voltage to the electrical system. If it (the battery) is open,
you are risking damage to the entire electrical system, since most
chargers, especially the cheap ones, expect to see a given load and will
overvoltage if they don't see that load. Most chargers are not
regulated (as in voltage regulated power supply).