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How I Spent My Afternoon

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DougF

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So, the forecast today was no rain, a short reprieve until it starts back up tomorrow....a good day to drive a Triumph....

As I'm driving to my first call of the day, thoughts are rolling in my head of the mistake I've probably made. As I'm leaving my customer, a twist of the key does nothing...dead silence. A good long charge, thanks to my customer and another key twist with the same results.

A quick test shows that there is power to the starter but nothing to the ignition, lights, electric fan, etc. The only indication that the car has an electrical system is the interior light.

A call to AAA got things moving towards getting a flatbed. Subsequent calls an hour and two hours later finally got the needed truck after a 2 1/2 hour wait....so much for the 1/2 hour promise.

Now it's out to the garage with the multimeter and a cooler full of Dale's IPA. I'm thinking the beer might win.
 
I'll check the Ammeter, thanks. It was showing a strong positive reading while driving. It hasn't been giving seemingly inaccurate readings since the new engine was installed this summer.
 
Gotta love these cars. That's why I never take them when I positively, absolutely have to be somewhere on time. They've never left me down, nor do I expect them to, but I'm not tempting fate with a business trip either. A show or cruise, who cares?
 
Just wire nut the ammeter leads together and bypass the gauge. You will find out if it's the issue in about 5 minutes.
THANK- YOU AGAIN.. RANDALL!
Gordon
 
The TR6. The TR3 is the next project in line.
Thanks Gordon, I'll try that out.
 
Dale's and conversation won over Triumph last night. I went out to the garage an hour ago and tried to access the ammeter. After an extended interuption, I walked back to the car an noticed that the tail lights appeared to be lit. A turn of the key and the electric fan kicked on, a little more twist and the starter began cranking.
Must have been a little corrosion at a connection that broke lose. Pulling the dash this afternoon.
 
Hmmm...before you pull the dash, maybe you should pull, clean and reconnect both ends of both battery cables and other "major" power cables to ground, solenoid, starter, etc.! I'd thought of mentioning that right after I posted my "ammeter" guess; it might still be worth doing!
 
When my Six does that, it has ALWAYS been the spade connector, solenoid, starter. Loose or fallen off. Put the connector back on- Vroom, starts right up.

But then, I'm just a fisherman.

tinster
 
I have coated all of my battery, ground and exterior connections with a conductive copper anti seize with anti corrosives that I sell, and recoated everything when I installed the new motor this summer. The only thing I was able to do earlier was wiggle the ammeter wires before being pulled away. So I was figuring the quick slide connections had a little build up on them. I haven't touched anything in the interior with the antiseize.

We checked the starter connections yesterday before calling for the flatbed and everything was good.

I appreciate your ideas very much.
 
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