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#1
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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