So I took my 76 Valiant out for a spin tonight, went up the onramp to Rt93, got it up to 50mph, and the car started stumbling like it was running out of gas or the choke was closing up. Then I started to smell rubber burning, and a little bit of smoke came out from under the dash. The car died, and wouldn't even turn over. I held a screwdriver up to the solenoid, and it will turn over, but I get nothing if I turn the key. All the Accesories still work. I think I might have fried a fusible link . What do you guys think?

You fried something electrical. That was what you smelled. You may have fried the fusible link, but I doubt it if you still have power to the auxilliary stuff. I would check the ignition switch and wiring first. I would also make sure that the wires haven't lost their insulation and are grounding out against the dash or body somewhere.

I would suggest you check the ignition switch-to-harness connections right at the steering column for burned and melted pins; I've seen this happen a number of times, and the damage is usually pretty obvious. The connections oxidize a bit, get hot, oxidize some more, which makes them get hotter, and the process runs away.

There are 2 connectors; one for the turn signal and one for the ignition switch. They are similar in appearance, but don't interchange.

If your fusible link was fried under the hood, you'd have zero power to the acc. and emergency flashers.

The stock elec. ignition draws up to ~6A, the two heavy wires running to the switch connector carry power to the switch and from it to the ignition and alt+ field (another few A). These connections are kind of marginal for the load, and some later Mopars ran a seperate connector just for those 2 leads.

With the right tool, you can remove the pins from the nylon housing, replace any damaged ones, and reinsert them into a new housing. I think KD and Radio Shack sell the tool still. Clean the contacts very well, and I use a smidgen of copper based welding grease (from Eastwood) to prevent corrosion.

If that's difficult, you could substitute a seperate connection only for those 2 leads.

It turns out a fusible link fried (the red one). I changed it out and the car turned over and coughed a little bit but wouldn't start. Then I remembered how when I was younger I forgot to reattach the blue wire on the alternator of a 72 Dodge Monaco, and it would crank but not start. I checked the one on my Valiant, and sure enough, the metal tab the wire hooks up to was loose from inside the alternator. I put in a new alternator, and she fired right up, good as new

It turns out a fusible link fried (the red one). I changed it out and the car turned over and coughed a little bit but wouldn't start. Then I remembered how when I was younger I forgot to reattach the blue wire on the alternator of a 72 Dodge Monaco, and it would crank but not start. I checked the one on my Valiant, and sure enough, the metal tab the wire hooks up to was loose from inside the alternator. I put in a new alternator, and she fired right up, good as new

When a fusible link blows, it is not because the fusible link it bad. It blows because you have a serious problem elsewhere in the wiring system. Better find and fix that.

The wire(s) connected to the alternator or not will make no difference if the car will run or not. I do not know why you observed such symptoms but it would be interesting to know.

Culd be the loose tewrminal in the alternator shorted out the electrical system. But would still check for a short somewhere else.

I dunno. Try disconnecting the blue wire leading to your alternator and see if the car starts.

The blue wire (and also green if I recall correctly) is a field control wire (in my understanding, which is still pretty elementry)

Without the wire connected, the alternator would go full blast! I think 18+ volts is common, and enough to burn out your fusable link. (like when winding the motor up to merge onto the highway)

I wouldn't intentionally pull the blue wire while the engine is running unless you want to burn something else out.

I don't know if you have any other wiring problems, but you didn't appear to understand what had happened. Hope that clears it up. If you want better details, do a search or ask with a more specific topic heading.

_________________
1980 Aspen 225 super six

S6R. if you remove either the blue or green wires from the alternator, output will be zero. If the green wire from the alternator gets grounded, alt output will go max. If the blue wire from the alt gets grounded the engine will not run. It shorts the + terminal of the coil to ground.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

[quote="Slant6Ram"]
I don't know if you have any other wiring problems, but you didn't appear to understand what had happened. Hope that clears it up. If you want better details, do a search or ask with a more specific topic heading.[/quote]

I figured out what happened once there was some daylight and I could see the wiring. There was alot of play in the metal tab the blue wire connects to on the alternator. The screw holding the tab was still in place, but it had split inside the alternator, so it was a connection leading to nowhere. That's all I was saying. I didn't know I had to give the manufacturer's specs on my car's wriring....

I don't know what fusable link burned. But it is possible the split insulator on the alt blue terminal, allowed the terminal to short to the alt case, which is ground. This would cause the no start condition, because the power to the coil is grounded. I don't remember if there is a fusible link in that circuit. If there is, this same short could have burned out the link.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225