Hood is causing a shortthe hood, If anyone has had this to happen or knows what the solution is, I

JasonNC
JasonNC Expert Adviser
in HUDSON
i don't know if anyone else has ever had this probllem.  It's a first for me.  As long as the hood is raised, the car cranks fine. If I put the hood down and latch it, the car clicks like the battery is dead.  Lift the hood and it fires right up. I can't see where any wires are touching the hood as far as the battery or the wiring harness is concerned.  Help with the solution will be greatly appreciated.  

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  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    edited June 2017
    Jason, is this on your '41, perchance?
    If so, have you used the correct battery size (2L, I think?), so that the terminals won't touch the closed hood?

    (Sorry, I got temporarily deranged, and confused you with another "Jason" who has a '41!)
  • Jay_G
    Jay_G Expert Adviser

    Make sure the positive (if wired positive ground) is the terminal nearest the lowest point of the hood.  That way if the hood contacts the terminal it will not burn a hole through the hood...... been there do that!  You may need longer wires just to be sure.  It is amazing how fast it will heat up and put a hole in the hood.  All those amps just love to find the shortest path back to the other battery terminal.

    Jay

  • JasonNC
    JasonNC Expert Adviser
    It's the 49 Super Six that I installed the  Autowire Highway 15 wiring harness.  The car has been converted to 12 volts and there is plenty of clearance for the battery terminals as far as I can tell. The crazy thing is that I can lower the hood until it catches and the car will still crank.  But if I slam it completely shut,it won't crank. If I crank it with the hood open or partially open and then shut it, the car will keep running but won't crank when I tr
  • KustomKreeps
    KustomKreeps Member
    edited June 2017
     try disconnecting the hood logos light. Its about the only thing with power on the hood that could be making a circuit /short.

    Doubt it is this as it should be on your lights circuit to turn on with the park lights but still...

    oh and do it at the fuse box/junction end.
    that wire that feeds the light isnt pinching when the hood closes is it? shorting out etc?
  • Glowplug
    Glowplug Expert Adviser
    The wiring goes through the firewall, does the installation include original rubber insulator?  Sounds like either a power wire shorted to ground, or a wire stretched to the point it is disconnected.  
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    It sounds like the starter solenoid circuit.  Is the solenoid on the firewall or inner fender (where it might be affected by the hood position)?  Or is it mounted on the starter itself?
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    It must be something causing an open circuit, not a short circuit.  if it was shorting out the battery you would definitely have either a huge hot spark, or smoke, or most likely both.  Something is causing the battery to disconnect when you shut the hood
  • Glowplug
    Glowplug Expert Adviser
    edited June 2017
    Geoff is right...I misspoke on the shorted part of the answer given. :/
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    If indeed the closing of the hood disconnects the battery, then NOTHING electrical would work with the hood closed.  Lights, heater, horn, whatever.  Do you in fact have electrical power at all, with the hood closed?
  • lostmind
    lostmind Expert Adviser
    It's possible the hood is being used as a ground circuit for the start solenoid and
    when it's fully closed you loose that ground.
    Did you change the start solenoid when you switched to 12 volt?

    You may need to have a grounded base wire to it.


    Only other answer is the wires are being pulled open some where , but that would seems very obvious item to see.
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Just for fun, disconnect the starter switch wire from the solenoid.  Fasten a short piece of wire to the terminal on the solenoid and then devise your own "starter switch" for it.  (Can't recall whether your solenoid needs power, or ground, at the starter switch.)  Now, close the hood.  If your new "starter switch" activates the starter when the hood is down, this is an indication that the original solenoid-to-starter button circuit is the source of the problem.  If it is, just bypass it and tape off the ends.

    If your improvised "starter switch" fails to activate the starter with the hood down, then at least you know where NOT to look for the problem!

    Another wild possibility: do you have an under-hood light mounted to the underside of the hood, that automatically comes on when the hood is raised?  I haven't the foggiest idea how this would affect your starter, but it IS a circuit that is closed when the hood is up, and open when it's down.
  • JasonNC
    JasonNC Expert Adviser
    I have a Ford solenoid attached to the inner fender that goes to a Chevy mini starter.  The lights and all the accessories work when the engine is running, even with the hood down. I'm out of town for the weekend but I will try the remote starter idea as soon as I get back home. 
  • RichardD
    RichardD Member
    Guess the Ford thing is scared to start the Chevy thing when the hood is down and they are out-of-sight together.
    lol, this is like a snipe hunt !!!
  • JasonNC
    JasonNC Expert Adviser
    I'm not a hunter, but if killing a snipe would solve my problem, show me what it looks like and if I see one, you can believe I will do my best to kill it.  
  • RichardD
    RichardD Member
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snipe_hunt
  • 29sptphaeton
    29sptphaeton Member
    I just converted a 46 to 12 volts, and used a gm type side terminal battery so that there is no way for the hood to hit the terminals.  You have to watch out for the folding arms that hold the hood open to make sure they don't contact anything when the hood is closed.
  • JasonNC
    JasonNC Expert Adviser
    JasonNC said:
    I have a Ford solenoid attached to the inner fender that goes to a Chevy mini starter.  The lights and all the accessories work when the engine is running, even with the hood down. I'm out of town for the weekend but I will try the remote starter idea as soon as I get back home. 
    RichardD said:
    Guess the Ford thing is scared to start the Chevy thing when the hood is down and they are out-of-sight together.
    lol, this is like a snipe hunt !!!
    Richard, my old mechanic friend drove 20 miles to help me solve my problem.  Turns out you were right.  We eliminated the Ford solenoid from the mix, slammed the hood, and she fired right up.  I have my 48 wired essentially the same way and it works perfectly.  We still don't know why shutting the hood completely caused the problem, but at this point, I don't care.  
  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Senior Contributor
    Yep ! I'll take luck over skill anytime ! LOL
  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Senior Contributor
    Ford solenoids are not all alike, Some need the small terminal grounded to engage, some need voltage. Early flat heads used the grounding type.

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