Author Topic: dead as a door nail. (Read 2301 times)

91 super yoda · « **on:** Jan 08, 2006, 11:32:09 AM »

i went out to start my truck this morning and nothing happened. i had my roomate try to jump it off ans still nothing. the optima battery was not dead at all, but there was still no power to the truck, all of my externals, rock lights, cb, etc. all worked when i flipped them on but truck still no worky. i even pushed it down a hill to try and start it but all it did was turn the motor over and still didnt start, checked all fuses under hood and on fuse box and all of them were good, i checked my cables on the battery and they were nice and tight to. i followed the cable to see if they were cut and they were still mounted and without any abrasions. my mechanic ability usually stops with i dunno WTF is wrong with it so i need any and everybodys help asap..
thanks
91superyoda

Rockdiver · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 08, 2006, 12:54:03 PM »

Did you check for power at the solenoid?

reklund5 · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 08, 2006, 03:05:17 PM »

Is there any sound when you turn the key? Any "click" at all?

What engine/trans do you have?

91 super yoda · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 08, 2006, 04:20:18 PM »

no sound at all, 22re and w56, there is also no power to gauges or radio. everything controled by the computer doesnt work, but everything that i put on does.

Cheesemaker · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 02:19:54 AM »

Fusible links?

BigMike · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 04:37:40 AM »

Yup, I was gonna mention the fuseable link, because I am betting that you wired your rock lights and cb directly to the battery...

Can you turn your headlights on? (they get power through the fuseable link)

91 super yoda · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 06:12:46 PM »

hey mike how do i find the fuseable link

79coyotefrg · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 06:16:58 PM »

can you turn your headlights on ??

91 super yoda · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 06:18:58 PM »

no headlights

79coyotefrg · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 06:20:17 PM »

pm mike hes online now, or recklund

BigMike · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 06:32:41 PM »

You won't be able to find the fuse itself, as a fuseable link is a fused wire, meaning that beneath the insulation there is a fuse within the wire. Once the fuse melts and "opens" there is no way to replace or reset the fuse, you just replace the whole wire.

Check at the Engine Compartment Fuse Box that sits next to the Battery, and look for the ONLY Hot Wire that goes from the Battery to the Fuse Box. I believe it is a 12 or 14 gauge wire, so its pretty big. The Wire should divedown and enter the fuse box from the bottom. It is a White wire with a black or gray sock covering it. I have also see blue fuseable links, but not as often as white ones.

To test the fuseable link, you can use an ohms meter to check for continuity on one side of the wire (at the + battery post) and to the other side. Take to top cover off of the fuse box like you normally would to check for blown fuses, and there will be a couple large fuses with a clear plastic cover above them. I don't know for sure, but maybe one 80A and one 50A. The Fuseable link wire runs into the fuse box and splits into both of these main or "primary" fuses. So if you can pop off one of those clear plastic covers, then you could put a probe down onto the metal fuse to check for continuity on that end of the circuit.

If you have infinite ohms (no continuity) then that fuseable link is blown and must be either replaced or bypassed to get your friend (your truck) back in action.

I have never replaced a fuseable link wire, but I know how it is connected, and it can be a PITA to replace it. Just be patient and you can get it done. Its more time consuming then difficult. You will need to disconnect the battery, unbolt the fuse box, flip it over, carefully remove the bottom cover trying not to break any of the plastic clips, and then you will be able to get into the fuse box. Follow the Fuseable link wire, and it should be bolted down to a flat metal bridge piece via a 8 or 10mm bolt. But I think you have to drop both the 80A and 50A fuses out the bottom to get in there, so look around for some more bolts needed to remove these two larger fuses (these large primary fuses do not pull out the top like a normal fuse, but instead are unbolted and removed internally from the bottom).

*Hopefully* your problem is something as simple as this fuseable link. It would sure save time by not having to run around looking for a problem else where.

GET ER DONE

BigMike

91 super yoda · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 07:15:45 PM »

wow, mike you are a geneous. i spliced taht wire and ran a small gauge wire from teh hot on the battery to the fuesable link and the truck fired up.

reklund 5 said i can run a wire just like that with a fuse between in and be the same as a fuseable link. he said to use a 100A, personally i think thats a little big, not to say he isnt right or anything cause obviously im the one that is dumbfounded on the situation. but is taht recomendable istead of replacing that whole FL wire?

reklund5 · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 08:52:19 PM »

To clarify, you can use a NEW piece of wire and add an in-line fuse rated at 80-100A. I've seen some repairs made with car audio amplifier power wire (4Ga.) and and amplifier in-line fuse that work perfectly well. Do not add an in-line fuse to a fusible link wire.

As BigMike stated, you'll have to disassemble the fuse box to get to the terminal inside where the fusible link wire attaches. I believe it is attached via a ring terminal to a stud with a 8 or 10mm nut on it. The correct way is to make up a new fusible link wire, but if you can't find one easily, you can go the inline fuse method.

Secondly, you need to find the cause of the damage to your fusible link. Generally, they don't just "go bad". Something caused it to overheat and short (wrench from alternator + term to the frame, jumper cables hooked up backwards, battery terminals hooked up backwards, etc.) Sometimes they just go bad due to the corrosion from the battery terminals. At any rate, be sure to correct the cause of the failure before proceeding.

FWIW, you can get very very nice battery terminal ends at the dealership, instead of the stupid crimp-style terminals they sell at auto parts stores. They have a stud on them to attach cables to (by using ring terminals on the cable ends), and a 10mm nut that tightens them around the battery post. Also, they loosen up nicely for removal, compared to the stupid cast lead ones at the parts stores...

Ryan

91 super yoda · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 09, 2006, 10:44:27 PM »

ok that one makes more since, so anyway i go i still have to take apart the fuse box. and i think the FL shorted somewhere past where i cut it. i cut it about 8in outside of the box and ran just a straight wire to it to test it and was thinking i could run a fuse between taht wire and the old one, i may be wrong but that just seems easier cause i have a bad habbit of breaking the plastic clips when i try to pull them off.
but thanks for the help from everybody, im glad i have somewhere to turn to when the chilton is pointing and laughing at me.
although i did some welding on the truck recently, do you think that could have effected the FL in any way, cause i have welded on it before and nothing has happend, but i do always manage to disconect the battery. but maybe the battery cables were laying on the fender were they would ground out with the arc, i dunno.