Ignition Burned up Help Please - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

KTLX · 10-09-2006, 04:10 PM

All, I was driving my 70 chevy, I have a 327 with HEI, the motor began chugging, gauges going crazy, I immediately shut the truck off when the smoke poured out under the dash. All the other electrical works, lights, horn, wipers etc. just does not turn over. Do you think it is something as simple as a ign switch, what else should I look for. I am going to replace the charred wires, mostly to the gauges.

Aarons72s · 10-09-2006, 04:44 PM

Weired? Can you get pics? Did it fry any wires in the engine room? Did your amp gauge work brfore and if yes what was it doing before you shut it off when it started smoking? I am wandering if your alternator over loaded. On my orange and white back in high school I was going to school with my friend and on the way there we kept smelling something electrical. We pulled over several times and checked the wiring, felt for heat. Didnt find everything. Got to school shut it off. Checked everything again then went to start it up and WHOOF! the electrical system fried. We linked it back to the old mechanical voltage regulator had stuck the alternator wide open until the battery could charge no more then that is when the wiring gave. At least the battery didn't explode. That was when I had finally fiqured out why the amp meter didnt work- the small fuses located in 2 palces along the wiring had blown several years ago. Had a parts truck to get wiring out of to repair and replace the fried wiring. After installing, with the amp gauge fuses, new alternator, new regulator-borg warner mechanical ( they suck!), and new battery- hay I got wla-mart to warrinty it! It worked ok for a few years after wards but kept having the regulator stick, causing the overload, but at least the gauge would tell me. And after several warantied borg warners I finally just bought the cheaper wlectronic external regualtor and havent had a problem since, and that was 4 years ago.
Aaron

KTLX · 10-09-2006, 05:42 PM

I wondered about the voltage regulator, I had all aftermarket autometer gauges in the dash, I had a volt meter which read 14 volts when the motor was running. I didnt see any change when the wiring charred. I was in the middle of an intersection when this happened, so I tried to coast through it. I have a feeling what you described is the issue, the system overloaded. I guess it is time to r & r all the ignition components. I just dont understand why the starter wont engage, must be the ignition switch. No wires in the engine compartment are charred.

Aarons72s · 10-09-2006, 08:07 PM

Yes I would try the ignition switch first. They are cheap and can get them at most part stores. I am still trying to figure out why it charred the wires to the cluster? I hate wiring issues, you can be a proffesianal, and steal find stuff that surprises you. i am not a profesional but have fixed some interesting po wiring jobs on my 72s. I think that is why they always call them electrical grimlins, they are sneaky and just about when you get them pinned down they surprise you.
Aaron

cstanley · 10-10-2006, 12:03 AM

funny thread...the exact same thing happened to me a few days ago. smoke pours out of the ignition switch itself. when it first died, i got ot to click a couple times, then nothing. i don't think anything else is fried...63anmp internal alt. ammeter hasn't worked in the 12 years i've owned it. i haven't found that 2nd fuse yet...
i will install a new switch wed.

Aarons72s · 10-10-2006, 01:11 AM

cstanley, the two fuse for the amp gauge is there is one on the right side of the core support where it attaches to the right fender junction block and the other one is on the left side near the front of the drivers fender just look at the harness there and around where the horns and old regulator used to be. There should be a fuse holder down there that looks like the one at the junction block on the passenger fender. Its amazing what you learn about harnesses when you have to redo them do to shorts and previous owners.
Aaron

KTLX · 10-10-2006, 02:20 PM

I hope it is that simple where it is just the ingition switch. My goal is to get it to crank and feed the power to my hei. I have a feeling I might have fried the module in the hei. Time and money will fix all.

sleepyboy · 10-10-2006, 02:27 PM

I had gremlins until I put a whole new harness in mine. I hated spending the money at first but overall, I am glad I did it.

10-09-2006, 04:10 PM	#1
KTLX Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Fort Mill, SC Posts: 71	Ignition Burned up Help Please All, I was driving my 70 chevy, I have a 327 with HEI, the motor began chugging, gauges going crazy, I immediately shut the truck off when the smoke poured out under the dash. All the other electrical works, lights, horn, wipers etc. just does not turn over. Do you think it is something as simple as a ign switch, what else should I look for. I am going to replace the charred wires, mostly to the gauges. __________________ Kenny

10-09-2006, 04:44 PM	#2
Aarons72s Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: oklahoma Posts: 10,670	Re: Ignition Burned up Help Please Weired? Can you get pics? Did it fry any wires in the engine room? Did your amp gauge work brfore and if yes what was it doing before you shut it off when it started smoking? I am wandering if your alternator over loaded. On my orange and white back in high school I was going to school with my friend and on the way there we kept smelling something electrical. We pulled over several times and checked the wiring, felt for heat. Didnt find everything. Got to school shut it off. Checked everything again then went to start it up and WHOOF! the electrical system fried. We linked it back to the old mechanical voltage regulator had stuck the alternator wide open until the battery could charge no more then that is when the wiring gave. At least the battery didn't explode. That was when I had finally fiqured out why the amp meter didnt work- the small fuses located in 2 palces along the wiring had blown several years ago. Had a parts truck to get wiring out of to repair and replace the fried wiring. After installing, with the amp gauge fuses, new alternator, new regulator-borg warner mechanical ( they suck!), and new battery- hay I got wla-mart to warrinty it! It worked ok for a few years after wards but kept having the regulator stick, causing the overload, but at least the gauge would tell me. And after several warantied borg warners I finally just bought the cheaper wlectronic external regualtor and havent had a problem since, and that was 4 years ago. Aaron

10-09-2006, 05:42 PM	#3
KTLX Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Fort Mill, SC Posts: 71	Re: Ignition Burned up Help Please I wondered about the voltage regulator, I had all aftermarket autometer gauges in the dash, I had a volt meter which read 14 volts when the motor was running. I didnt see any change when the wiring charred. I was in the middle of an intersection when this happened, so I tried to coast through it. I have a feeling what you described is the issue, the system overloaded. I guess it is time to r & r all the ignition components. I just dont understand why the starter wont engage, must be the ignition switch. No wires in the engine compartment are charred. __________________ Kenny

10-09-2006, 08:07 PM	#4
Aarons72s Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: oklahoma Posts: 10,670	Re: Ignition Burned up Help Please Yes I would try the ignition switch first. They are cheap and can get them at most part stores. I am still trying to figure out why it charred the wires to the cluster? I hate wiring issues, you can be a proffesianal, and steal find stuff that surprises you. i am not a profesional but have fixed some interesting po wiring jobs on my 72s. I think that is why they always call them electrical grimlins, they are sneaky and just about when you get them pinned down they surprise you. Aaron

10-10-2006, 12:03 AM	#5
cstanley Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,229	Re: Ignition Burned up Help Please funny thread...the exact same thing happened to me a few days ago. smoke pours out of the ignition switch itself. when it first died, i got ot to click a couple times, then nothing. i don't think anything else is fried...63anmp internal alt. ammeter hasn't worked in the 12 years i've owned it. i haven't found that 2nd fuse yet... i will install a new switch wed. __________________ "Anybody who would paint his truck like this, would go to a minister's funeral dressed in feathers!" - Big Enis Burdett '72 Blazer Restoration Blog: http://sportchicken.blogspot.com/

10-10-2006, 01:11 AM	#6
Aarons72s Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: oklahoma Posts: 10,670	Re: Ignition Burned up Help Please cstanley, the two fuse for the amp gauge is there is one on the right side of the core support where it attaches to the right fender junction block and the other one is on the left side near the front of the drivers fender just look at the harness there and around where the horns and old regulator used to be. There should be a fuse holder down there that looks like the one at the junction block on the passenger fender. Its amazing what you learn about harnesses when you have to redo them do to shorts and previous owners. Aaron Last edited by Aarons72s; 10-10-2006 at 01:13 AM.

10-10-2006, 02:20 PM	#7
KTLX Registered User Join Date: May 2000 Location: Fort Mill, SC Posts: 71	Re: Ignition Burned up Help Please I hope it is that simple where it is just the ingition switch. My goal is to get it to crank and feed the power to my hei. I have a feeling I might have fried the module in the hei. Time and money will fix all. __________________ Kenny

10-10-2006, 02:27 PM	#8
sleepyboy '69 Step Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Marion, Texas Posts: 722	Re: Ignition Burned up Help Please I had gremlins until I put a whole new harness in mine. I hated spending the money at first but overall, I am glad I did it.



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