VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 31 Chevy Electrical loss

Strange one just yesterday on my 1931 Chevrolet Independence. Was starting and running fine. Moved it out of the garage into the driveway and parked it while I went into the house for a brief moment. On return, all power on the car is gone. Starter, headlights, horn and deader then a door nail! I had a battery tender on it and the light is green indicating full charge. First thought was it blew a fuse but that doesn't make sense since it's all gone. What gives!

Is it possible the starter motor, lights and horn are all linked in series with a single fuse?

One of the cables and/or battery posts need cleaning. The starter is not fused, lights and horn are.

Hi TG1931,Was the car left running when you left it or was it off? If you lost all power to everything is it possible that a battery cable vibrated off or your ground strap came off the frame somehow from vibration while idling ? I would check those things first......My 31 Coach lost power similar to that when the lead to the battery disconnect came off because I missed tightening the nut fully after some work ! How old is the battery?? I have had a battery just "conk out dead" on one other vehicle some years ago,even though it had what I believed was a good charge on it.....Also I would check your trickle charger to eliminate that----they can sometimes be less than reliable,even though the light is green !! Best of luck!!

Had turned the engine off. Just minutes earlier it had started off quick with no issues. Battery connections are tight and the battery itself is newer. Need check the tickle charger output. Strange a battery would just quit entirely unless a cell shorted out?

Hello TG1931,
Load check the battery. Try a different battery and test the starter motor. Is the 1931 stock? Does it use a 6 volt or a 12 volt battery. Original battery cables and associated connections may have passed away as things do. Try refreshing these items. I recall that a dead short condenser killed a vehicle electrical system in a more modern system that used a key ignition to starter and not the toe push button start, but who knows. Check it out.

Your on to something. Battery tests at 6 volts but under load drops off significantly. Assume it's a bad cell? Connected
instead to a 6 volt charger and the cowl lights came on. The charger shows 5 amps on the dial. Previous owner had installed the current battery and claimed it was current. No warranty card in the papers anywhere to substantiate it but it appears brand new. I have had a tender on it since and the light shows full charge. Cables also fresh and new in appearance and secured well. The car is 100% stock.

RESULT - It was a bad cell in a newer battery. Purchased a 6 volt replacement from NAPA and she started right up. It was the first thing I had checked but it showed a full charge. On demand the old battery choked and didn't start the car.

New issue having taking out the headlight switch during the seek and find phase. Can't find a correct position for the dash knob shaft to insert into the switch itself. Until resolved no lights. Frustrated.

The short wire on the light switch shaft slips into a hole in the arm swivel and held in position with a set screw.

Thanks Chipper. I will take another look at it.

Removed the headlight switch and reinstalled correctly. Gauges, and horn now function but headlights and cowl lights still dead. I swear this car hates me.

Remedy - The plastic 3 way switch had seized in the off position. When attempting to force the lever to the on position the control shaft kept slipping out of the notch. Need find a means to either free the switch up or source a new headlight switch for the final cure.

Troubleshooting an electrical system can be painful. Just keep after it in an organized approach.

The best approach I have for these classic cars is to trace each circuit end to end. Start with where that circuit gets power and then work through to where the device is grounded.

Headlights and cowl lights function If I bypass the switch. The notch in the switch for the control shaft insertion has hollowed out from use over the years. The shaft keeps popping out of the slot. Tried lubing the switch function to make in glide easier but it hasn't helped any. Suggestions??

Can you bend the shaft or end to go deeper into the switch?

It appears where the switch and shaft meet the plastic has worn down over the years. The slot is very shallow.

Maybe you can find a used not working switch but the handle and shaft are usable.

Agree some of the parts can be retained. Have been looking on the web for a couple days for a replacement switch but no luck. May need to find a means to retrofit something else but hate to ruin the originality of the car.

The slot is fairly shallow on a new switch.

What if I positioned a dab of epoxy at the pivot point?

Now you are thinking like a true “rejuvenator”! I go there way too often. What can I do to save this original part?

The first question I ask is whether the change I want to try will possibly make things worse. If not, I give it a try.

I am a little more cautious if I know that it will be difficult to find a replacement part or that I might not be able to return the part to the “before” configuration.

I utilized a cable tie around the shaft. Tighten to snug the shaft against the switch but free enough to allow movement. It works fine for a while but has a tendency to slip out of position. Need either find the correct sweet spot for it or perhaps employ two ties to the task. Done for now since my backbone feels like jelly. Replacement switch nowhere to be found.