1979 Not Starting??
12-28-2012, 03:54 PM
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1979 Not Starting??
1.5 weeks since last ride in car. All was working fine...
Get in this morning and notice as I attempt to start, the battery appears a little weak... After a couple seconds, the car fires and dies.
Attempt to restart and battery now dead... Charge battery and attempt to restart. Spins starter good for a couple seconds and battery dies again.
Smell fuel, so probably no fuel issue. Pumps run when meter switch removed. depressed air flow meter and attempted to start - - no luck.
Pulled coil wire and held near ground when someone cranked. No spark seen. Changed CDI Box with rebuilt one, still no spark.
Battery keeps dying quickly, so am heading out to get new battery. 4-yr old interstate 75-mos battery, but appears to be not holding a charge any longer.
In the meantime:
1. My '79 doesn't have a yellow overboost relay. So, is there one somewhere else?
2. Does the overboost switch kill the fuel or the spark - or, both? I will ground the switch when I get the new battery installed.
3. My '79 doesn't have a speed relay under the seat. Is there something comparable?
4. What else should I check that may be suddenly inhibiting spark?
Thanks, Shannon
Get in this morning and notice as I attempt to start, the battery appears a little weak... After a couple seconds, the car fires and dies.
Attempt to restart and battery now dead... Charge battery and attempt to restart. Spins starter good for a couple seconds and battery dies again.
Smell fuel, so probably no fuel issue. Pumps run when meter switch removed. depressed air flow meter and attempted to start - - no luck.
Pulled coil wire and held near ground when someone cranked. No spark seen. Changed CDI Box with rebuilt one, still no spark.
Battery keeps dying quickly, so am heading out to get new battery. 4-yr old interstate 75-mos battery, but appears to be not holding a charge any longer.
In the meantime:
1. My '79 doesn't have a yellow overboost relay. So, is there one somewhere else?
2. Does the overboost switch kill the fuel or the spark - or, both? I will ground the switch when I get the new battery installed.
3. My '79 doesn't have a speed relay under the seat. Is there something comparable?
4. What else should I check that may be suddenly inhibiting spark?
Thanks, Shannon
12-28-2012, 06:02 PM
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Hi Shannon, hope this helps some. Get a new battery first.
1. My '79 doesn't have a yellow overboost relay. So, is there one somewhere else?
For your year, the relay is a standard black round relay, back in the engine compartment fuse panel/relay tray.
2. Does the overboost switch kill the fuel or the spark - or, both? I will ground the switch when I get the new battery installed.
It kills the fuel pumps
3. My '79 doesn't have a speed relay under the seat. Is there something comparable?
Count yourself lucky...you don't need one anyway.
4. What else should I check that may be suddenly inhibiting spark? Report back after the new battery.
When you have a bad cell in the battery, all the voltage is going to the starter when you crank her, leaving insufficient "juice" going to important stuff like ignition. One thing at a time...
1. My '79 doesn't have a yellow overboost relay. So, is there one somewhere else?
For your year, the relay is a standard black round relay, back in the engine compartment fuse panel/relay tray.
2. Does the overboost switch kill the fuel or the spark - or, both? I will ground the switch when I get the new battery installed.
It kills the fuel pumps
3. My '79 doesn't have a speed relay under the seat. Is there something comparable?
Count yourself lucky...you don't need one anyway.
4. What else should I check that may be suddenly inhibiting spark? Report back after the new battery.
When you have a bad cell in the battery, all the voltage is going to the starter when you crank her, leaving insufficient "juice" going to important stuff like ignition. One thing at a time...
12-28-2012, 06:26 PM
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Bad cell in battery. New 850ca battery and it started right up. Was flooded, though 
And, thanks for the clarification on the yellow/black relay on the '79. I'll probably take a moment to learn to bypass it now that I know what it does. BTW: what does the yellow/black relay do when it is bad: Shut off pumps; kill ignition; or both?
Thanks!
And, thanks for the clarification on the yellow/black relay on the '79. I'll probably take a moment to learn to bypass it now that I know what it does. BTW: what does the yellow/black relay do when it is bad: Shut off pumps; kill ignition; or both?
Thanks!
Last edited by mooney265; 12-28-2012 at 06:48 PM.
12-28-2012, 06:52 PM
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Mark,
On a side note, I read an old post you had about the dome lights and how sometimes there was still current being drawn there with the doors closed.
I recently started using the dome lights [had them in the center position], and am thinking that may have been a cause for my battery going down.
I went ahead and moved both of them back to the "off" position.
On a side note, I read an old post you had about the dome lights and how sometimes there was still current being drawn there with the doors closed.
I recently started using the dome lights [had them in the center position], and am thinking that may have been a cause for my battery going down.
I went ahead and moved both of them back to the "off" position.
