Car won't start - Electrical

[CHills]

I'm trying to get my Festy ready for next weekend's Gambler 500 here in Ocala, FL.
It's a good running car (90 EFI), but the previous owner modified it to start with a button and removed the ignition. ugh..
I know it could be anything when someone changes wiring, but I really need help going backward through the electrical until I find the short / ground problem.

there is a switch in the center console that use to turn everything on (like the "run" position on the ignition), then you would push the starter button and it would run fine...
Now regardless of the position of the switch, NOTHING turns on, but... the starter will turn.
No dash lights, no outside lights, no fuel pump sound, no spark,... nothing

I've driven it several times, so either a fuse is blown (can't find one blown), a wire came loose, or one is grounding out somewhere... is what I've been told.

Just looking for what to look at and what to make sure is connected... to where.

Thanks for any help, I've been trying to make this event happen for months now and, 1 week before, the car stops running.

[firebush357]

Sounds like the Main Fuse to me. Have you replaced them with the long leg PAL fuses yet?

Also I am about an hour or two from you in Clay County. I didn't realize there was going to be a Gambler until it was too late but I will be going next year if they decide to do it again.

[WmWatt]

The wires are colour coded so a wiring diagram should help understand the wierd setup. Try doing a search of this forum for wiring diagrams or look in the back pages of the Haynes manual if you have access to one. As for the original problem of a non-funtioning ignition switch spraying something like WD-40 or contact cleaner in the key hole and working it in solves some problems or taking them apart and cleaning the contacts also works. There have been photos posted here showing how to do it.

[Icedawg]

Check that the 3 fuses in the engine bay are OK. They look like wires, not fuses, and are actually fusible links. They should always be live with 12 V on both ends of them.

Normally the start switch receives power independently of the ignition switch being on, and you have that, so this problem sounds like the wiring to the ignition-on switch has failed. Best to test the switch itself, to find out if it functions. Inexpensive, after market switches may not be up to carrying/switching the current of the ignition circuit, and so could fail.

Check the wires coming and going to that switch to find out if one of them is hot. One should have 12 V on it even when the car is off. The other should get 12 V when the switch is on.

Locate the main relay in the engine bay, and find out if there is a wire with 12 V on it. Find out if there are two wires with 12 V on them when the ignition switch is on. Listen for the sound of the relay click when the ignition switch is turned on and off.

There are many more things that could be wrong, but testing these will tell you if the basics are working, or not working. After these tests, you need to be looking at a wiring diagram to trace out more in the way of problems.

[CHills]

Yep. It ended up being the Main 40A breaker... It looked fine, but was busted. Thanks everyone. I was really panic stricken there for a minute.