Topic: Headlights and emergency flashers not working...

[TRHS1980]

Okay boys and girls, like the topic says, my headlights and emergency flashers stopped working. I'm no electrician, but I'll do the best to tell you what happened. Engine died at beginning of the year, truck was down for about 6 months. New drivetrain was installed. Got the truck back on the road to find out the flashers and headlights don't work anymore (yes they did before the engine died). The parking lights work, the turn signals work... Fuses are good, and test light says the problem must be before the fuse box since it doesn't seem to be getting power. I've messed around for awhile with them and my best guess is that it's the headlight switch. Not sure if this also powers the emergency flashers, also not sure why, if it was out, the parking lights would still work... but anyway, any help would be appreciated... Since the time changed and it now gets dark at 4:45 or so, I am going to have to pay someone to fix this if i can't figure it out soon. Making sure I'm home before dark sucks... it's like being 12 again... 

[79coyotefrg]

fusible link fried,  thats what made the truck die  to begin with im sure,  engine fuses  and headlights, e flashers  on the same circuit

[TRHS1980 [OP]]

Truck died because it threw a rod bearing... but that still sounds like it could be my problem. Where might I go about finding those? Thanks a lot for your help coyote. 

[Cheesemaker]

There should be a whole slew of wires connected to the positive terminal of the battery!  The wires that feel softer than regular wires are fusible links!  Alot of people would rather replace these with fused links that way you can easily carry fuses and you can easily see if they are blown or not!  Fusible links discolor when blown, but if your engine bay is dirty it's hard to tell!  Also have you checked your relay?  Start at your battery and start by following the wires with a test light!  They might have pinched a wire in the engine compartment! 

Good luck!

[TRHS1980 [OP]]

Hmmm... well the only things that hooked up to my battery is the starter, so I guess my problem could lie there... but then again, I'm almost positive that was all that was hooked up back when the lights worked. Of course, as I said, truck was down for awhile so I could be wrong on that one. I've got a couple misc connectors on the battery side of the engine bay that aren't hooked up the anything, but I'm almost positive that these were hooked up the smog that's MIA from the engine bay (IE the thing that sits on the fender thats filled with about 1000 vacuum lines on the 20R....).  I guess one of those wires might need to be hooked up. I wish I had an fsm wiring diagram, since all the ones I've managed to come up with either don't match or aren't very specific.... If only I knew what I was doing...  Alright, well I guess I'll mess around with some of the wires that aren't hooked up in the area of the battery and see if I can get them to light... please feel free to send any more suggestions my way! As this is my first attempt at trying to troubleshoot an electrical problem.