Where would you start?

superc_1

Member
76 terra, auto, 345 been starting great. I started it up tonight and backed it out of the garage and it died. Turn the key and nothing at all? Clean battery two times and then turn the key and nothing? The battery is charged good and strong. Turn the lights in the on position and there's no lights, no stereo, no nothing on anything????

What would be anybody's guess on the problem? Steering column, battery, starter, fuses or what? Were does a person start checking for a problem like this? I think it's in a connection somewhere?

Help or suggestion, please!!!!!!!

Thanks
 
Follow the current path from the source (battery) checking for the presence of voltage at each and every junction along the way with a lighted test probe. Get to a junction where the light don't light...there's your problem. The bulk head connectors are the most common culprit. They are simply worthless pieces of shit that should be bypassed one wire at a time on each and every binder still on the road. This is an electrical issue, not ignition. Don't be surprised if this gets moved to the appropriate section.
 
Ya I had to rewire the bulkhead one by one, it is tedious.
Do you have the gold box on the fire wall, they just up and die like what you are experiencing also.
Check around the starter solenoid also, the main power gets routed through there, if you have nothing maybe that connection is loose.
 
That is the first junction in the current path from the battery, unless dwight has installed a Ford style remote starter relay. Well worth checking at any rate.
 
Thanks everybody! Where does the power come into the cab? The + battery cable goes to the starter, and then does it go into cab from there? Its weird that everything would just go blank? It does have the gold box, but that wouldn't kill all the juice to everything? Is there a master fuse somewhere? I've got the diagrams, but they look like a plate of noodles to me? :(
 
There should be a fusible link near the starter in that bundle. It will be a 10 ga wire attached to the same post as the battery connects to. Mine was blue. About 12" away from the connection, there will be a bump in the wire. Will look like a cap from a sharpie or a bullet covered in plastic. Something like that. Try to probe for voltage after that link. If you don't have voltage, the link is blown. Auto parts stores have them. No big deal. But, your next move will be to put your volt meter in the ohms mode or continuity mode (beep) if equipped. Probe from the same place on the wire to the frame. If you have continuity here (or a beep), the main feed wire is shorted to ground. That will blow the fusible link. You need to figure out why. That wire eventually goes to the back of the ammeter. If you have had the dash apart recently, is there anything that those posts could be touching? There's some serious wattage connected there, and the fusible link is what keeps the whole harness protected if you short that wire.
However, if you have voltage at the ammeter (your red probe to the posts, the black to a chassis ground), then you'll have to move passed the gauge and into the fuse box. You'll probably have to drop the box so you can probe around. At this point, its smart to disco the ground wire at the battery and proceed carefully. If there is something loose and shorting enough to blow the fusible link, you don't want to find it with your face 6" away!
My guess is its something between the starter and the ammeter. You do have voltage at the starter, right? Otherwise, check both battery cables. Its got to be something simple if the whole truck is dead.
And by all means, check the big bulkhead connector that goes into the cab from the engine compartment. They always come loose.
 
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Db74
thanks for the help! I was in the dash acouple weeks ago, but I've drove it a many timessince then? It started yesturday and I backed it out of the garage and it died when it was warming up? Turn the key again an nothing happen no sounds no nothing. I'll check the fusible link tonight. The engine bulkhead has been taken out by a po and wires spliced together? I'll give you an update tomorrow.
 
Db74
I have no power at the ammeter. What gage or type fusible link do I ask for at the auto store? I got to unwrap all the tape that po have installed over the years. Its a mess but I'll just have to get it fixed. Anything to look for while I'm dug in? Thanks
 
To select a proper fusible link repair segment...

The fusible link material is four (4) awg (wire gauge) smaller than the wire run it's connected in series with. The main feed on these harnesses is a 10 gauge wire run, so a 14 gauge fusible link is used to handle a 10 gauge wire run.

This is standard industry practice for servicing fusible link-protected wire runs.

In most all ihc-produced electrical schematics over the years, the inclusion and/or the location of any fusible link was not documented in an accurate manner. Many of the schematics do not call out a fusible link, though one or more May be present in an oem wiring system, the location and service of such is based upon product knowledge, service letters, and training at the service dealer level.

In the case of a Scout II, the fusible links could be found in several locations, there is no "correct" position/location as long as the wire run was protected. Same holds true for pickalls.

This pic shows typical repair segments of fusible link material (disregard the Ford id, all oem's used something similar) and also some segments of bulk fusible link material I keep on hand for making up wiring systems.
 

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Thanks mm. I picked up some 14 ga. Fl yesturday and hope to get it fixed today. I removed the dash last night so I'm ready to find it where ever it's hinding.
 
Update! Unwrapped the tape, and the lamp cord the po used and the wires fell out in my hand; so, I got my fusible link all soldier up and crimped everything together and I have power now, yawho!

One question were is the best place to hook-up the constant power feed to the cd player? I was thinking since I have the dash half way apart I could hook to the ampmeter? Does this sound good or bad.
 
Superc; personnaly I would not do that. The reason is the + wire from the stereo is only 16 or 18 guage and probalbly has a fuse in it. If you connect to the 10ga wire at the alt guage you woulld be connecting to an unfused high amprege wire that could cause a fire depending if you had a short ahead of the stereo fuse. I aways look for a fused circuit to connect to, one that turns off when the key is off.
Of course if you want the stereo to play without the key on then connect to the + terminal on the bat with a fuse mounted close to the bat. That would reduce the risk of a high amperage short.

Imho
ron
 
I agree with ron, however the wire you are talking about if I understand you correctly is not the primary power feed for the deck, but rather the constant feed for clock and station preset retention. This is a very lower power draw. Like ron said, probe for a fused source that is hot at all times and tap into that.
 
Thanks for clarifying that trev, I forgot about the retention feed to the stereo.

Edited: maybe I should upgrade from my 8 track:cornut::cornut:
not really, I did that about 35 years ago:icon_wink:

ron
 
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A fusible link segment should never be soldered nor subjected to an abnormal external heat condition!!!! That will destroy it quickly! Those are designed to be mechanically crimped in both the oem app and in a repair situation.

The insulation on the link "wire" is silicone which has a very high tolerance for heat. The internal conductor is special grade of alloy that is designed to open when subjected to an overload (heat) and the ends quickly move apart internally leaving the insulation intact though it will appear "burnt".

A fusible link is a one-time use fuse, it is not a piece of wire that is undersize in gauge! In today's automotive world, we have "maxi-fuses" that perform the function of a master protection, or have actual fusible link "segments" that May or May not be replaceable (mounted with retainer screws or in cartridge format).

Fusible links were introduced to the motor vehicle industry and phased in circa 1966, it took several years of production before they became commonplace in the industry.

Additional loads added to any oem vehicle electrical distribution system are best handled through the use of an add-on "sub-panel". Sound systems are typically fed today from an direct tap through a feed arrangement right off the battery, though I consider that kind of work bogus. Typical of most "car stereo" shops who only wanna make a sale and get the "free installation" in and out as quick as possible at very slight expense in materials/labor. Take the time to add a sub-panel and you will then have a electrically correct methodology for connecting additional loads in the future.

Here's one very inexpensive solution to adding additional loads to any vehicle electrical system.
 

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