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Major problem

2K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  docvette 
#1 ·
Well today i went out to start my truck like i do every morning. I tirned the key to find the battery was dead... so i thought i went to get my battery charger and used the start assist and still nothing. I checked my fuss panal and there was a blown fuss so i replaced it and still nothing. I have run out of possilbe problems. Anyone have any idea what could be wrong? Thanks for any help James
 
#2 ·
Doc here, :pimp:

Not knowing what truck or year or engine it is...

I'd say IF everything it totally DEAD..the Fuse link has opened cutting off all power to the buss support system of the vehicle..(the fuse panel)

Look at the starter battery cable on the solenoid , there will be a 10 gauge purple, or orange or yellow coming off that big terminal..follow that back a few inches to a few feet, and you'll find the fuse link. most likely it burned up.

We , of course assume, you already have cleaned , inspected and tightened the battery cables, AND checked the battery condition as good and eliminated those as possible sources FIRST..

IF you find the link open, FIND OUT WHY it opened...SOMETHING MAJOR is wrong..fuse links just don't pop at the drop of a hat..it takes a lot of current a lot of time to open one up..good enough to start a fire!

Doc :pimp:
 
#8 ·
James Kroener said:
My truck is a 1977 chevy cheyenne with a sb350. Nothing works light radio nothing...
Well you need to start with the basics. Put a meter across the battery terminals to see if you get a reading, should be in the area of 12 volts DC. If you cant get a reading on the battery then you have located the first issue that needs to be addressed. Either the battery is total junk or the terminals are dirty or loose.
Next if you do have voltage across the battery you need to start chasing wires both positive and ground. The positive cable should go right to the starter. on the stud on the starter there are probably alsoa couple of other wires that feed power to everything else. Check here for voltage. Be sure the negative lead for your meter is grounded to the battery and the positive connected to the stud on the starter. If there is voltage there you may have a blown fusable link or a bad ground.
Test for ground, meter set to OHM scale X1 go from negative battery terminal to a good clean spot on the engine block. Meter should read zero or less than 1 ohm. Run same test but to a clean spot on the body. Result should be the same less than 1 OHM.
If either of these test fail you need to check for a bad connection or a missing ground strap. I have seen the ground bolt that holds the neg cable to the block loosten up. I have also seen the ground strap that goes from teh head to the firewall rot off. These are fairly common issues, especially with older vehicles.

Where you say nothig at all works I am leaning to the ground being bad.

All this assumes a few things, 1 that you removed and cleand the battery terminals and that you have a multimeter. If you didnt clean the terminals and it is a side post battery the jump will not help as the side post bolt relys on a mechanical connection to attach to the cable. It is not one piece like a top post.


A good quick test to see if the ground is somehow missing is to take a regular jumper cable and attach 1 end to the battery and the other to a body ground somewhere and see if the lights or radio come on.

Check the battery connections first, take them apart and be sure they are clean. A solution of a quart of water and a fer TBL spoons of baking soda will get rid of the buildup if you have it.

Good luck
 
#9 ·
James Kroener said:
What are possible things that could make it pop? How would i got about fixing it?

Doc here, :pimp:

If in fact you determine it is the link, Any MAJOR short will cause a link to blow..

Keep in mind, a link requires current loads of OVER 50, 70, or 100 amps to open AND time to heat and melt....so if it went, It wasn't a co~winkey Dink..you have a MAJOR problem somewhere in the harness system.

A shorted Solenoid could cause it..The most popular I see is the wire that is on the fuse link from the starter is so close to the header it melts and shorts to the manifold.. or the wire from the link chafes, and just touches the body with the uninsulated end...(FULL battery power to ground) ..A shorted Ignition switch can take a link out..The way to find out is start at the link,WITH a schematic and follow it forward, inspecting as you go..

Links are not like fuses..(well they are but work slightly different) Think as the fuse link as a master circuit breaker for your home..It rarely trips..

However when you overload, or plug a shorted item into a wall socket a 15, 20 or 30 amp branch circuit breaker trips..you relieve the load and reset the breaker and all is right with the world..and you never think twice about it..

If the master trips..you have problems equating to an overload of at least 125 amps .. you reset it and it hums real loud and trips again..you have a dead short on the buss line that feeds your house to ground..a REAL fire hazard..don't know about you..but I wouldn't sleep at night knowing my master keeps tripping..A fuse link is like that..

Instead of seeing a short duration current spike and opening , a link must first see an over-current for a specific amount of time to do it's job...heat up a wire joint and melt open..It's not a random thing..Where a standard fuse sees a spike , say 10 amps on a 5 amp fuse and almost immediately opens..

Check out everything in this thread that has been offered to you..and let us know what you find.

Doc :pimp:
 
#10 ·
My old 78 4x4 had 3 links

2 by the starter
1 up on the bulkhead---directly above the dist.

Bought that truck for next to nothing, as the previous owner could not get it started for a year. I paid him, started the truck and put it on the trailer for the ride home.

Fusible link at the bulkhead shorted due to an accessory lead to the trailer harness. If you have trailer wiring with Aux power, it may have shorted in the rear.

My 79 has two on the starter---never has the entire car gone dead. Some things will work and others won't.

As these have burned on me before, I can now tell which one by what accessories quit----or voltage drops.

Had this truck over 27 years now---got to know it pretty well.

Bryan
 
#11 ·
Finally!!

Well today i fixed my problem. althought im still not quite sure what was wrong i moved the psitive battery cable and every came back on and it started but as soon as i turn it off you have to moved the cable again. its like its broke inside the casing around the cable. I guess i will just hvae to pick up a new one tomarrow and put it on. Thanks for everyone advice.
 
#13 ·
Doc here, :pimp:

Which end of the cable is it that "fixes" the problem? battery side? or starter side?

Very rarely does one do that without blowing apart under load..(not being so loose it won't conduct, then it will..) although stranger things have happened..

If it's at the battery end, and you have secondary red cables coming off the main terminal, I'd check there also..(also used as link taps)..If that's good, your battery post may be broken INSIDE the battery, stressing the cable opens and closes the joint..

If it's on the starter end...The terminal on the solenoid may be loose or MELTED, and the cables and link wire loose..Or the fuse link may be blown open, and the uninsulated parts "just touching" when you move the cable..and you may not be able to see the open joint..

Replacing the cable is a good first step..but If it crops up again after..the above is where I'd look..

Post back and tell us what you finally find! :thumbup:

Doc :pimp:
 
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