Help!! No Power at Ignition. Stranded Truck

[cwlehner]

I was on my way up to Northern Michigan tonight, but thought I would stop at the store real quick to get a few things before heading out. 10 minutes later go back out to the truck, turn key and nothing..... Batterys are charged, just performed Dr. Lees battery connection upgrade and those are tight. Headlights come on bright, horn honks, dome comes on, 12V to GP controller, but everything after the switch won't work..

Here is the kicker! My power door locks quit working too, and those aren't on the ignition circuit. I have replaced the ignition switch on another truck that went bad so I am familiar with that operation, and would think it was that, other than the fact that I have no door locks..

Basically my Thanksgiving with family is contingent on me getting this thing running tonight. I did get it towed home too. Any help is greatly appreciated, and if someone knows the answer and is willing to call, my number is 248 83O 8396..

[cwlehner]

BTW the truck is an 85 K30...

[moody]

I have a 86 6.2 that has no starter no glowplugs when I try to start. I have lights and horn. I am asuming that its the ignition switch. The door locks might be due to a fuse that whent when the ignition switch failed. Did the door lock quite before or after the start failed.

[cwlehner]

good point, the door locks quit after the fact.. I am going to go outside and start tearing it down in a minute.. Will make sure to check the door lock fuse, thanks!

[DmaxMaverick]

I won't jump in on your troubleshooting, but can offer some help. If you don't have a wiring diagram, you can find one on my "truck stuff pics" link in my sig. Just click on the link and select "diagrams". The diagrams are the same for all full size GM trucks for '85.

Good luck!

[cwlehner]

Quick Update...

I don't have power at the fuse block for a lot of my circuits. I can measure 12V down the left side, but 2nd and third rows are dead, need to figure out if those are switched somehow. I am thinking ground or loose connection at the firewall.

I really appreciate all of the help, you guys are awesome!!

BTW it figures this would happen the day I park my car for Winter cause we got our first official snow storm, while on my way to my parents place for turkey day, and before I get to my dad's nice heated shop to do all of the work I mentioned in the other posts..... I have the worst luck sometimes. I guess it could always be worse.

[cwlehner]

another update. Put new ignition switch on, no luck. 12V is getting to the switch, ground is grounded. I am running out of ideas..

[DmaxMaverick]

CW

I didn't have time earlier, but do now. Looks like everyone else is gettin' ready for the holiday.

I studied over the diagram and have a couple ideas. Right off the starter solenoid (same post connected to batt+), there are, or should be, 2 fusible links. One goes to the ignition switch batt+, alternator, and fuse #13, and the other goes to the fuse block, #9 and #11. Both, according to the diagram, should be red in color. These things fail with age, as well as an overload. I suggest checking this first, as an open link could cause exactly what you are experiencing. If necessary, you can temporarily jump the connection (if you have no reason to suspect a short somewhere) using a smaller guage wire or a fuse. Replace it with the correct link or Maxi-Fuse replacement ASAP.

I'll be online for a while, so I'll watch this thread.

[ 11-23-2005, 11:26 PM: Message edited by: DmaxMaverick ]

[cwlehner]

Another update..

I pulled the harness off of the firewall and touched a jumper between battery and the starter solenoid. The solenoid engaged and then I pulled the jumper off. To me this would indicate that the fusible link at the starter is fine (BTW can you believe the local Murrays Auto PArts no longer carries fusible link). Now I really do think the issue is inside the truck. Nothing switched works and few non-switched items too.

Get this, everything turned on for about a second all by itself (I was a few feet away). It has to be a loose connection under the dash. If the switch is getting 12V but I don't see anything back at the fuse block, what would that indicate? A bad ground??


I have installed a new ignition switch and it doesn't seem to make a difference. I do see 12V at the switch.. My Haines manual is missing the page with the fuse block on it and I am trying to piece together the scans that Dmaxmaverik(sorry if I butchered that) has posted.. some sections are a a little fuzzy, but I really appreciate him keeping them up there for all of us to use. I gotta get a factory manual.


The temp outside is 18F and the wind is howling and I have been working on it for almost 12 hours... Time to get warmed up, end this incoherent conglomeration of words, and get a few hours of shut-eye.

Thanks again to all who helped!

Happy Thanksgiving

[DmaxMaverick]

Originally posted by cwlehner:
Another update..

I pulled the harness off of the firewall and touched a jumper between battery and the starter solenoid. The solenoid engaged and then I pulled the jumper off. To me this would indicate that the fusible link at the starter is fine....The fusible links are AFTER the battery to starter cable, and go FROM the solenoid to power nearly everything in the truck, but the starter itself. They are much smaller wire (~10ga), and may be located near the firewall. Don't abandoned the links just yet.

[84 C2B2]

I just fixed this problem on my 84 K30. It turned out to be a bad crimping connnection on the junction block on the firewall.

Try checking for power on the alternator. Carefully pull out the two wire plastic connector and read voltage from the red wire. This wire has voltage coming from the starter via a fusible link. If no voltage - bad link.

I verified voltage on my fuse panel by checking the following;

A 3 red-2 wire feeds power to the T/L CTSY fuse slot (right side of fuse). If no power here, then you have to back up to the junction block on the firewall and check for a bad fusible link or connection(This assumes that their is 12V at the junction block.

If you have juice to power headlights and horn then move onto;

Pull the fuse from the STOP-HAZ and check for voltage from the left side of the fuse slot. If no juice then you should have a bad wire from the junction block to the fuse panel.

Hope this helps,

Jerry

[rwpierce]

The left battery positive feeds ignition,glow plugs,starter solinoid,etc, Right battery positive cable goes to starter. A cable comes across the top of radiator shroud from left battery to right battery and they are tied together at right battery positive post.Either bad connection there or loose conection on battery cable to starter solinoid.That my guess as it happened to me.

[cwlehner]

Guys, Thanks for the help!!

My dad ended up "rescuing" me Thursday afternoon so I could enjoy Thanksgiving with the family. I finally got back at it last night.. The fusible links were fine, but the connection at the starter was bad (never should have doubted you guys). The electrical tape was crispy around the wire from the battery to the starter (which could explain the smoke seen earlier) and the connector that runs from the starter to power the rest of the truck was 98% gone.. I broke the starter solenoid trying to snug things up so I ended up pulling the starter off. I put a jumper between the two wires that go at the (+) connection at the starter and my door locks started working again (couldn't test anything else cause the ignition switch is off - and I was tired). Now that I look at it, I can see why the solenoid engaged when I made the jump at the firewall, it was getting juice from the other battery....


Tonight I will get the starter tested and if it the windings are OK, I will put a new solenoid on..