no start due to bad earth or rear lights?

[chicagojeff]

All,
forgive this electrical post...I have been combing the archives but just can't find anything close. Here I think is a weather and grounding related question...

It's been crazy weather in Chicago. Was 35 degrees, then 77, then 45 and pea-soup fog (think Hound of the Baskervilles!). So, I go to the garage to start up the Elan which worked fine all winter long, and I get nothing. Battery is definitely charged (I had it out on a charger), but no lights, no clicks, dead. Acts as if I did not install a battery in the car.

Then I notice that the block and the gas tank have a lot of condensation on the outside. Damp to the touch, and I start to think that somewhere a grounding strap is wet, or perhaps a bullet connector is wet.

So here's the question...can a wet grounding point up front cause complete dead symptoms? Or can a mere bullet connector wreak this kind of silent havoc? The ground from the battery to the rear trunk mount is shiny and good.

Or, is this more likely a bad hot (positive) connection? I tried the fuses (all 2 of them), and the jumper wires at the fuse box. All okay. Remember, it worked fine just a few days ago.

Now, one last piece of info...the only other thing I did was change the tail and brake bulbs. Cleaned the flat part of the metal bulb holders where it meets the backside of the light casing to insert the bulbs.

Any thoughts before I crawl under there again tomorrow will earn virtual internet beer for you.

thanks all. Jeff

[john.p.clegg]

Jeff
You need a voltmeter,you can pick them up for a couple of quid,better than groping around in the dark (excuse the pun)then you can chase those volts all the way from the battery to the coil/ignition switch/starter solenoid,etc,etc....

john

[Emma-Knight]

Apart from checking batterie and main power supply to solenoid - light corrosion between contacts might stop current. As all systems are off, I would suggest to test main supply route and main earth path.
Moisture, temperature might ruin contact surface. Don't forget to check if rear light work caused short circuit - on early cars (two fuse system) main / rear lights are not fused! (only brake / indicator lights run via fuse box)

Anna

[1964 S1]

I'd make sure the battery does have a charge, if yes then the ignition switch would be my next item for inspection.... Good Luck.

[Frank Howard]

Battery is definitely charged (I had it out on a charger)

Jeff,

The fact that the battery was on a charger does not necessarily mean that it is charged. You could leave the battery on a charger all day but if the battery is bad to begin with, it will not take a charge.

First thing I would do is swap batteries off another car to see if it makes a difference. Good luck.

[chicagojeff]

well...much good advice. you'd think after all the old cars I've had that I couldn't be fooled by a dead battery. Frank was right. dead. not sure why, since it's not that old, but who cares! Another mystery solved. thanks all.

jeff