Well this is what happened... I was driving down the freeway at about 65... and the radio totally went off... Then it came back on.. then about 5 minutes down the road when I was getting off of the freeway... My whole car died.. Everything... The Engine won't even turn over... I know the battery is good, I know it is something electrical.. but I don't know what...

Sounds like a fuseable link to me. I blew one a long time ago and the car just died. Nothing with the radio that you described though. The link that went out on my Elky was in the wire leading to the starter. It was located in the metal tube that protects the wires from the heat of the engine just before above the starter.

Just adding my 2 cents worth, but maybe you have a ground problem. Worth looking into??

Check the ground wire from the back of the engine to the firewall to see if it has broke or is corroded. Could be a bad connection in the fuse box also.

Had almost the same thing happen to me once. It ended up being the main wire coming out of the alternator. After unwrapping everything found it had just dried and wore in two from the heat coming up off the motor I guess. Spliced in a new piece and no problems. When it drained the battery that was it, dead.

How do you know the battery is good? Did you check the voltage after this happened? The battery may have discharged because the alternator was not recharging it at the required voltage. Do you have a voltmeter? If so, first check voltage across battery terminals (where the cables bolt to the battery) with the engine off, should be at least 12 volts. Second, start the engine, check voltage across battery terminals (same place) again. Should be between 13-14 volts. If it is not, your alternator is bad. Your alternator puts out slightly more than 12 volts in order to keep your battery charged up at the required 12 volts. If your alternator does not put out the required voltage it will slowly drain the battery while you are driving, this will happen faster at night (because of lights being on), and at a higher rate of speed. You are running the motor/accessories off the battery rather than off the alternator and the alternator can't keep up with the voltage drain. Once the car has died, and the car sits for awhile, providing you do have a good battery, the battery will come back up to 12 volts because of the corrosive action taking place in the battery (acid eating the lead plates). Let us know if the car restarted OK after it sat for a few hours and we can go from there. If it is a good distance from your home, it may do this again while driving home. Leave anything that uses electricity OFF, no radio, no lights, no air, you'll get farther before it dies. This may have been happening for awhile but you may not have noticed it if your driving the car short distances and you have a good battery. Just because an alternator puts out voltage doesn't mean it's the required amount. You may have a bad voltage regulator within the alternator. PS If you don't have a voltmeter, do you have gauges or idiot lights in your dash? If you have the gauges check to see what the altmeter reads...although I don't rely on factory gauges, it may give you an indication of a bad alternator if it is not reading MORE then 12 volts with the engine running. Hope this helps.

I know the battery has enough juice, because I did the plier test to it, and it sparked like crazy... It has to be something electrical because nothing inside comes on.. the idiot lights, the radio don't come on. The headlights work, but not the tailights, the dome lights come on, the ignition key thing buzzes... I think there is a short somewhere.

Well, I'll throw in my $.02 also.

The radio ground is tied into the dash ground along with the WW/Sw, HL/Sw, gauges, clock, lighter, etc... So, if it's a ground problem none of those functions will work either. But, that ground has nothing to do with the ignition system.

There are two fusable links at the starter in the gas 83 Elky, (3 in the diesel Elky). One of these fusable links feeds the headlights. The other feeds the ignition switch which (when turned on) sends the 12V to two of the fuse boxes primary 12 volt circuts (I'll call them circut A and B) through two independent contacts in the ignition switch. The fusebox then feeds the radio with voltage from circut A (one part of the ignition switch)and the ignition system gets voltage from circut B (a different part of the ignition switch). If everything shut off at the same time I would have said it's the fusable link. But, since the problem with the radio happened at a different time than the problem with the ignition system I'll say there's a good chance the problem is in the ignition switch.

:mrgreen:

I know the battery has enough juice, because I did the plier test to it, and it sparked like crazy...

That would scare the crap out of me. I've seen a Battery explode, actually several. Things like hooking up cables backwards and grounding the hot side are very dangerous.

Good luck

Don't short the battery terminals! :bomb: I had one go off once in my face because I wasn't watching someone who I thought knew what he was doing. Scared the livin $#!+ outta me. Battery acid ruined the paint on the underside of the hood. Imagine what that will do to you if you get it in your eyes! Very dangerous practice....go buy a cheap tester.

I know the battery has enough juice, because I did the plier test to it, and it sparked like crazy... That would scare the crap out of me.

Car batteries contain sulfuric acid and produce hydrogen and oxygen gases. Hydrogen gas can explode if it contacts an open flame or a spark. Sparks that occur when connecting or disconnecting a charger or battery cables, or doing a pliers test will ignite the gas.

:mrgreen:

I actually just touched the terminals for a short second, I didn't hold them on. I know that it is dangerous. :oops:

I got another question.. If I bypass the neutral saftey switch, and the car starts, does this mean that only the neutral saftey switch is bad? If you bypass the neutral saftey switch and it does not start, then can I assume it could be the fusable link coming of the starter?

Well I've been hammered on by someone that feels I over react from time to time and "Post Jump". So I was giving a friendly warning about the battery. If you already know then just disregard what I said.

If you can bypass the neutral safety switch and it starts then it is possibly in that switch. You can test the switch contenuity with an Ohm meter. Find the "common" wire and the input/output. Put it in park, unless they make them differently now, the meter should show a short when in park. I guess you could do it with a Bug light also.

No not a "Bud Light or a Butt light" :D

Good luck

Check the main plug on fire wall where the main harness comes through. Turn everything on and move it. If not, then probably a fuseable link like mentioned above. Does anything work inside?

The only things electrical that work, are the headlights, the dome light, the two lights under the dash, and the buzzer for the ignition.

I think it is time to pull that starter and check those wires. Don't forget to disconnect the cable from the battery. I know it sucks working under that thing when it is 105 + out. :( I just did mine today.

I got another question.. If I bypass the neutral saftey switch, and the car starts, does this mean that only the neutral saftey switch is bad?

Assuming you had a neutral safety switch...maybe? http://elcaminocentral.com/users/elcamino/Dunno.gif

Do you think you have a neutral safety switch? And if you do...where is it? I don't think I've ever seen one on an 83 El Camino.

The only things electrical that work, are the headlights, the dome light, the two lights under the dash, and the buzzer for the ignition.

All of those circuts get their power from fusible link "B". Everything else gets it's power from fusible link "A". Maybe it's time to crawl under the car and check fusible link "A" http://elcaminocentral.com/users/elcamino/Investigate.gif

Disconnect the ground wire from the battery first.

:mrgreen:

It was the starter. The guy I bought the car from said he just put a new starter on it, but it was a piece of crap I found out, so I will be putting a delco starter on it now. ThanX for all your guys help!

...I was driving down the freeway at about 65... and the radio totally went off...then about 5 minutes down the road when I was getting off of the freeway... My whole car died.. Everything...

It was the starter.
Sorry, but that doesn't make any sense at all. How did the starter cause the car to die?http://elcaminocentral.com/users/elcamino/eusa_think.gif

I forgot a part, the starter died, and somehow it blew one of the fuseable links. That is why there was no power. :oops:

I got another question.. If I bypass the neutral saftey switch, and the car starts, does this mean that only the neutral saftey switch is bad?

Assuming you had a neutral safety switch...maybe? http://elcaminocentral.com/users/elcamino/Dunno.gif

Do you think you have a neutral safety switch? And if you do...where is it? I don't think I've ever seen one on an 83 El Camino.

Neutral safety switches have been on cars for a while. Have you ever tried starting your car in gear? My 82 has one. In fact I need to rewire it into the new Camaro shifter that's in my center console. Currently it's in the column. It's funny because I removed the shifter from the column because I kept reaching up to shift the car from there. But without the shifter in there the column will rotate from vibration and the car will not start unless I move that portion of the column back to the 'Park' position. Right now it's kind of an anti-theft device.

I removed my neutral safety switch so that I could use my starter to move my car when I go shopping. Kinda like those 3-wheeled battery powered things you see old-timers on when they're going through the aisles at the supermarket. They use to make me mad cuz they would almost run over the top of you with those things. NOW they can't get outta the way fast enough when they see my Elky comin at em, especially at the checkout line...you should see the look on their faces! 8O Now I don't get mad...I get even! :lol: Plus my Elky holds more groceries. I am a sick puppy. "Hey you, Grandma, get the heck outta the way, I don't care if this is the 10 items or less line and I have 2,246"

:cool:
Maybe, from what I have read...Perhaps it is your ignition module under the internal coil in the dist?? Great product GM's HEI! Any Help?

74 elky owner
Cheers!