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77 bronco - won't start without parking brake set. Electrial



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 4th 05, 08:06 PM
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Default 77 bronco - won't start without parking brake set. Electrial

I have a 77 bronco with a strange electrical problem. (I think) I have
been ignoring this problem for months but now I can't.

1. the batter is draining
2. when I jump the car, it will only turn over if I set the e-brake.
3. when I release the e-brake all gauges, lights, and radio cut out.
sometimes they come back but less and less.

does anyone have any idea why the e-brake would have anything to do
with the electrial? I don't even know where to start. I've looked at
the brake cable and it doesn't seem to be pulling or rubbing on
anything.

Thanks,
Karen

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  #2  
Old January 4th 05, 08:10 PM
Comboverfish
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Have you looked at the actual brake mechanism under the dash? It is a
footbrake, right? See if the footbrake lever or any other moving parts
have pulled on any of the wiring under there and around the fuseblock.
Toyota MDT in MO

  #3  
Old January 5th 05, 03:06 AM
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Yeah, that was one of the first things I did... no luck. thank you tho-


Comboverfish wrote:
> Have you looked at the actual brake mechanism under the dash? It is

a
> footbrake, right? See if the footbrake lever or any other moving

parts
> have pulled on any of the wiring under there and around the

fuseblock.
> Toyota MDT in MO


  #4  
Old January 5th 05, 03:21 AM
Comboverfish
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>Yeah, that was one of the first things I did... no luck. thank you tho

Sorry, I know you said something to that effect, but I just wanted to
make sure...

That battery drain issue is really puzzling - so I have no clue about
that, unless its unrelated (an unfavorable coincidence).

Maybe there's an important ground wire near the bracket thats losing
contact when the ebrake frame flexes. The only electrical wiring
that's directly related to the ebrake is the switch that lights up your
brake light in the dash. I'm just typing outloud here... The problem
has got to be in that area. Does it matter how far down or how hard
you push the pedal down? Not to be redundant, but the
locking/releasing mechanism is kind of scissors like - maybe it has
pinched a harnass somewhere that you haven't looked yet.
Good luck,

Toyota MDT in MO

  #5  
Old January 5th 05, 05:45 PM
Al Bundy
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Comboverfish wrote:
> >Yeah, that was one of the first things I did... no luck. thank you

tho
>
> Sorry, I know you said something to that effect, but I just wanted to
> make sure...
>
> That battery drain issue is really puzzling - so I have no clue about
> that, unless its unrelated (an unfavorable coincidence).
>
> Maybe there's an important ground wire near the bracket thats losing
> contact when the ebrake frame flexes. The only electrical wiring
> that's directly related to the ebrake is the switch that lights up

your
> brake light in the dash. I'm just typing outloud here... The

problem
> has got to be in that area. Does it matter how far down or how hard
> you push the pedal down? Not to be redundant, but the
> locking/releasing mechanism is kind of scissors like - maybe it has
> pinched a harnass somewhere that you haven't looked yet.
> Good luck,
>
> Toyota MDT in MO



Hey, that bad ground idea has legs. A '77 rustbucket is almost surely
going to have ground problems. Check the ground wire from the battery
and maybe try it with a jumper cable between the engine block and the
negative side of the battery.

  #6  
Old January 5th 05, 07:09 PM
Mike Romain
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That usually means the body ground strap has rotted away. Setting the
e-brake is giving it a place to steal some ground when the cable comes
up tight.

I would be looking for a wire mesh strap from the block or head to the
firewall or a cable from the battery negative to the fender that has
broken or is corroded.

A booster cable from the battery negative to a bolt or good contact
firewall should allow it to start up.

This lack of ground will also stop the battery from charging so it will
go dead. It will put a bit of a surface charge in it if it can steal
enough ground to run, but it won't charge it up. This can give you
starts during the day, but it will die if left over night.

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

" wrote:
>
> I have a 77 bronco with a strange electrical problem. (I think) I have
> been ignoring this problem for months but now I can't.
>
> 1. the batter is draining
> 2. when I jump the car, it will only turn over if I set the e-brake.
> 3. when I release the e-brake all gauges, lights, and radio cut out.
> sometimes they come back but less and less.
>
> does anyone have any idea why the e-brake would have anything to do
> with the electrial? I don't even know where to start. I've looked at
> the brake cable and it doesn't seem to be pulling or rubbing on
> anything.
>
> Thanks,
> Karen

  #7  
Old January 5th 05, 11:44 PM
Comboverfish
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>Setting the e-brake is giving it a place to steal some ground when the
cable comes
>up tight.



That's a great (and obscure) point about the brake cable tension.
Haven't run into that one...

Toyota MDT in MO

  #8  
Old January 6th 05, 05:18 PM
Mike Romain
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Comboverfish wrote:
>
> >Setting the e-brake is giving it a place to steal some ground when the

> cable comes
> >up tight.

>
> That's a great (and obscure) point about the brake cable tension.
> Haven't run into that one...
>
> Toyota MDT in MO


I live in the land of rust and see that a fair bit on older beasts. Gas
pedal cables and gear shifts can provide a ground sometimes too.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
  #9  
Old January 7th 05, 01:20 AM
Al Bundy
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Mike Romain wrote:
> Comboverfish wrote:
> >
> > >Setting the e-brake is giving it a place to steal some ground when

the
> > cable comes
> > >up tight.

> >
> > That's a great (and obscure) point about the brake cable tension.
> > Haven't run into that one...
> >
> > Toyota MDT in MO

>
> I live in the land of rust and see that a fair bit on older beasts.

Gas
> pedal cables and gear shifts can provide a ground sometimes too.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's


Not only will those cables provide a ground, they also tend to burn up
after a bit.

 




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