Slick 60's

f100 ran great for a week after sitting for 10+ years. However, after I started it and attempted to turn the lights on, it died (no lights, anything). There is power up to the ignition switch power wire. But when this wire is connected to the ignition switch the voltage drops to zero. Is this an indicator of a bad ground or bad switch or electrical storm?

If you had a bad gruond in the starting system, you would melt down the wiring when it.s connected.
Are you getting voltage to the switch and nothing out of the switch?

That's the odd thing, the wire from the solenoid, when disconnected from the switch shows 12v. When I connect it to the ignition switch the voltage disappears at its terminal. The truck was running fine until last night. I'll check the starter cable for grounds.

kuby67 wrote:That's the odd thing, the wire from the solenoid, when disconnected from the switch shows 12v. When I connect it to the ignition switch the voltage disappears at its terminal. The truck was running fine until last night. I'll check the starter cable for grounds.

likely the ignition wire has a break or bad spot in it ,bent one way it connects but then moves when its tightened down loses the power. could be right at the ring terminal at the end.

thanks, I figured it has to be something simple.

I agree. I think something probably broke off.

had a simalar problem power all the wat to the ignition then nothing. turned out to be a resister wire to the coil or distributer cant remember which i ended up bringing it to the doctors because i couldnt figure it out runinning cotinuity tests evry where was good.. even the resister wire showed cotinuity but i didnt know that it was a resister wire and even though it tested good it wasnt workin properly

thanks for that info about the resistor wire. I'll just replace that and see what happens. Strange how it would affect the entire ignition system.

ya know, A few years ago I put in a Pertronix, and hooked it up to 12v. I disconnected the resistor wire, thinking it just ran the coil. It started and ran, but cranked over really slow, groaning. I don't know how it is incorporated into the system, but it is deeply involved.



Oh yeah, Cruzin, it says "RESISTOR WIRE DO NOT CUT" the entire length of the wire... how did you not know it was the resistor wire? HAHAHA sorry.

Oh yeah, Cruzin, it says "RESISTOR WIRE DO NOT CUT" the entire length of the wire... how did you not know it was the resistor wire? HAHAHA sorry.

dont remember it saying that, not saying it didnt though. 40 years worth of grease and grime buildup on it. it could have not been clearly visable. i dont spend alot of time reading the fine print on wires. but from now on when ever dealing with wires i will make sure to clean them all up and spend plenty of time reading all the fine print. should i read from one end of the wire to the other? what if i just read the first few inches, or can i just skip to the end of the wire? please tell me so i dont over look something like that agin i just cant bare the thought of you laughin at me agin blackagatha. also gramps had his worthless son-inlaw repaint the entire truck now most of the wires are covered in blue or white paint

It turns out that this electrical problem has just corrected itself after sitting for a day. This is an extremely dangerous condition. Now the problem cannot be tracked down and will likely rear up again when the vehicle is furthest from home. (likely a bad ground)

i just hate when that happens too.

kuby67 wrote:Now the problem cannot be tracked down and will likely rear up again when the vehicle is furthest from home. (likely a bad ground)

Or as you're trying to make a quick left in front of a speeding city bus before the light goes red.

It died at the junk yard, so I wiggled wires, the problem suddenly revealed..... The fire wall wire connector had gotten corroded (8 or so wires in a rubber socket) -three seconds, a wire brush, and back in business. Now for a new radiator, horn, bezel, paint, steering wheel, neutral safety switch, seat belts, throttle cable bracket. etc. etc.

Neutral safety switch? What sort of slick do you have?


Haha sorry crewzin. I've made you into a beaten puppy.

On my '63, the wire is kinda orange-pink, used to be wrapped in a cloth insulator that is still partially present, and as far as I am aware is the only wire in the vehicle with anything written on it except an occasional FOMOCO. It's written basically the full length of the wire... I think in kinda silver letters.

1965 Ford f100 with cruise-o-matic 3 speed transmission.

That pink wire is to the coil from the ignition switch. It steps the voltage down for the coil since it doesn't get 12v.
It shouldn't have any effect on the rest of the electrical system.

mystery deepens, while attempting to hook up a petronix system, I noticed that the wire going to the coil was not pink but some other color. A voltage test revealed that the coil was already being supplied with 12 volts. Perhaps the coil has suffered some damage. The truck seems to run OK.