1989 1/2 ton 2wd cheyenne lost all electric

i was driving my dads 1989 4.3l truck and it up and died.It was like you flipped the power swich to off..no spitting sputtering,it was like a fuse blew.the only type of electical power i have is the head lights ONLY nuthin else.I know GM uses a fuse link on some cars.And does this truck have a fuse link and if so where is it!!!!! thx for any suggestions

You dont have ANY lights except for the headlights??? Is that correct?

i was driving my dads 1989 4.3l truck and it up and died.It was like you flipped the power swich to off..no spitting sputtering,it was like a fuse blew.the only type of electical power i have is the head lights ONLY nuthin else.I know GM uses a fuse link on some cars.And does this truck have a fuse link and if so where is it!!!!! thx for any suggestions

The fuse links used on them are down at starter solenoid.
From solenoid big post to fire wall area.

i was driving my dads 1989 4.3l truck and it up and died.It was like you flipped the power swich to off..no spitting sputtering,it was like a fuse blew.the only type of electical power i have is the head lights ONLY nuthin else.I know GM uses a fuse link on some cars.And does this truck have a fuse link and if so where is it!!!!! thx for any suggestions

The fuse links used on them are down at starter solenoid.
From solenoid big post to fire wall area where the battery junction box/block.


Also check battery junction box on front firewall there may be a fuse link between it to ign switck/fuse box.

Does the battery junction stud/box on firewall have 12 vots power to it?

thats correct head lights only and horn...i found a bad fuselink on the fire wall i thinks its the main 12v is bad..heres what i found..some body at a dealer was pokingthe wires at the fuse link trouble shooting and skinned the wires back a little and left wires exposed and i see where there is a arc burn on the firewall.and thats the wire wire that ohms OPEN..the other fuse link have continuity..but you say there is a fuselink near the starter too...the 4.3 starters are a bear to pull, i hope i dont need to mess with the starter..thank for you inputs..

The fuse link down by the starter...I'm pretty sure it will have a small cylindrical shaped piece inline with the wire. it is small...probably about the size of a pencil eraser...just a little bit of info to help you identify it.

yes i can verify that i DONT have 12v at the fire wall junction box,but i do have a #16 fuse link bad at the junction box.and i will try to find the fuse link fron the starter...

so i need to pull starter dont i...to get to that fuselink...this i a bear to pull..i have the hydraulic clutch in the way and they dont give u much wire o work with..any suggestions on how to do the starte fuselink...thx for all you help guys

yes i can verify that i DONT have 12v at the fire wall junction box,but i do have a #16 fuse link bad at the junction box.and i will try to find the fuse link fron the starter...

Is the fuse link where power goes in or goes out of junction block.

The fuse link at starter is not on starter but tied in the battery cabe stud.
It is in the wiring from starter to junction block.
In the pipe where the smal wire from solenoid go up on back side of engine.

I would replace fuse link at junction block first.

mt-2500 im not sure what you are asking when you asked this...Is the fuse link where power goes in or goes out of junction block. the open fuse link i have is the 1st stud on the left side.There is no other wires connected to that stud.Im not sure where power comes in or out at.

Now at my battery + cable there is a small wire fuse link that checked good. im not sure where it goes

to get back at the fuse link for the starter to the fire wall block im confused!!! see if im right...Its a small wire connect to the big stud of the starter and goes up to the fire wall fuse link box.(and that fuse is in the middle some where in the wire.Sorry for the trouble im getting confused,and i hope i didnt confuse you!!! thx for your patience

I know what metal pipe MT-2500 is talking about. that metal pipe is a heat shield, bolts to the back of the head and transmission bolts behind the passengers side exhaust manifold. And yes that is where the fusible link is at. Yes it runs up to the block on the fire wall. I would opt for replacing the whole wire from the starter to the firewall block. Power goes into the starter positive stud and ONLY passes thru the starter when the ignition key is turned to start the truck. The smaller wire (with the fusible link) also attached to that same starter stud sends power to the ignition switch located in the cab of the truck. The OTHER small wire on the starter is bolted to the 'S' terminal of the starter and it sends power to the solenoid and once the solenoid is activated...it closes the electrical circuit within the starter allowing the the (battery) cables electricityto pass thru and allow the starter to spin.

You will need a 14 guage fusible link with a big eyelet on the end of it with the length being about 6 inchs of wire lead, as well as some regular automotive wire to lengthen the fusible link to the block on the fire wall. Sounds silly to have the flimsy fusible link so close to a heat source, But it is actually installed there to keep it as close as possible to the 12 volt power supply just incase there is an electrical short somewhere, the fusible link will burn it's self out and only melt its outter covering rarher than a regular wire catch its covering on fire and possibly burn the whole truck up. It is important also that you run the fusible link thru the metal heat shield.

Ypu should have enough room near the starter area to just unbolt it and 'roll it over' to get to the wires bolted to the solenoid.

ok i understand now!! thank you ..i will ohm it out and see if its bad...thank you all..i will let you know the out come...jeff

ok!! iv ohm the wire from the starter to the wirewall block, it checked good.here is how i ohmed it. i unhooked the wire at the firewall block,disconnected the battery, i took my ohm meter and put 1 meter lead to the big stud of the starter(no i did not disconnect the wire from the starter) and the other meter lead to the unhooked end of the wire and i had continuity..so i hope im in the free and clear on this wire...i will replace the bad fuse link i do have.but i dont think it will fix it because i hot wired it after i cut off the bad fuse link,and i didnt get any kind of activity from the truck,but we will see...

ok!! iv ohm the wire from the starter to the wirewall block, it checked good.here is how i ohmed it. i unhooked the wire at the firewall block,disconnected the battery, i took my ohm meter and put 1 meter lead to the big stud of the starter(no i did not disconnect the wire from the starter) and the other meter lead to the unhooked end of the wire and i had continuity..so i hope im in the free and clear on this wire...i will replace the bad fuse link i do have.but i dont think it will fix it because i hot wired it after i cut off the bad fuse link,and i didnt get any kind of activity from the truck,but we will see...

OHM out the wire does not always mean it will carry a load.
If you are getting 12 bolts to starter stud and the wire firewall stud is good then you should be getting 12 volts on the fire wall stud.

Do you have 12 volts there??????????????????

On the blowed fuse link at stud where does the end of it go?
If it is blowed?
Why not replace it and see what it does.
You can not expect things to work with a blowed link.:sarcasmsign:

And hot wiring a blowed fuse like is asking the truck to burn itself up.

ok i replaced the fuse thats at the left side(#1 position) as soon as i hooked up the battery it burned up....so i take it i have 12v the stud..so what next????

ok i replaced the fuse thats at the left side(#1 position) as soon as i hooked up the battery it burned up....so i take it i have 12v the stud..so what next????

If it blowed/ or burned up fuse you have a dead short.
Did it blow with key on or off?
With fuse blowed Take a 12 bulb test light and confirm 12 volts to that stud.

If 12 volts to it then you need to start looking for your short.
One way to do that is to start unpluging/unhooking stuff that feed from stud.

When hunting for short I always use a circuit breaker tied/wired in where the fuse link that is blowing.
Saves on fuse links and rapid clicking/ circuit breaker tells you you have a short on that circuit.

On the wire/fuse that is blowing try to look and figure out and see where that wire goes.

That stud may feed to altrnator or ign switch or fuse box or even head light switch.
Start unpluging untill you get the circuit that is shorted out.
If short is coming from fuse box pull all fuses and or unbolt fuse box and turn it over and inspect wiring on back side.

Let us know how it goes and what direction the short is.

yes mt-2500 the key was off!!! what size of auto circuit breaker should i use to trouble shoot this with...thx for you advice

yes mt-2500 the key was off!!! what size of auto circuit breaker should i use to trouble shoot this with...thx for you advice

Key and every thing off anything from a 10 amp 40 amp should do it.

ok this what i got now,iv unplugged the alterntor,fuse box,they are not the cause,BUT WHEN I DISCONNECT the wire that goes from the firewall block to the starter(the one that goes in the tube by the exhaust) i dont have my dead short on my little circuit breaker i rigged up,I ohm that wire to chassis ground it checks good!So that wire or starter has something to do with it.any of you guys have more clues???

ok this what i got now,iv unplugged the alterntor,fuse box,they are not the cause,BUT WHEN I DISCONNECT the wire that goes from the firewall block to the starter(the one that goes in the tube by the exhaust) i dont have my dead short on my little circuit breaker i rigged up,I ohm that wire to chassis ground it checks good!So that wire or starter has something to do with it.any of you guys have more clues???

Sounds like something is wired up or hooked up rear end to being backwards.

As asked before are you getting 12 volts to the stud on firewall.

The wire from solenoid to firewall stud should feed 12volts from solenoid big post to the stud.

Will it start and run with wire from stud to solenoid unpluged or get power to ign switch.?

ok this what i got now,iv unplugged the alterntor,fuse box,they are not the cause,BUT WHEN I DISCONNECT the wire that goes from the firewall block to the starter(the one that goes in the tube by the exhaust) i dont have my dead short on my little circuit breaker i rigged up,I ohm that wire to chassis ground it checks good!So that wire or starter has something to do with it.any of you guys have more clues???

Unpluging that takes should take away 12 volt power to the stud and whatever it feeds.
So that is probly why you have no short with it unpluged.
You never did tell us what fuse link was blowed or what the blower fuse link feed.

That is first thing to check out.

Have you unpuggd head light and ign switch ?
If not do so to elminated them.

Hook the starter to stud wire back up and chkeck for 12 volts on stud.
Then see if your circuit breaker is triping/shorting.

If so find out where that wire goes because it will lead you to your short.

im getting closer.that wire is linked to tha altenator,it ohms to the main hot wire,i started pulling it out of the loon and the wire does not go directly to the alternator,it goes around to the back of the motor and heads of to the main plug in at the fie wall....

yes mt-2500 i have 12v at the stud,no i cant start it because it will pop the circuit as soon as i hook the battery up.That red wire im messin with is linked to the alernator,and that wire is shorted out chassis ground somewhere because it ohm short to ground

yes mt-2500 i have 12v at the stud,no i cant start it because it will pop the circuit as soon as i hook the battery up.That red wire im messin with is linked to the alernator,and that wire is shorted out chassis ground somewhere because it ohm short to ground

How are you getting 12 volts to the stud with the battery unhooked or testing for short with battery unhooked.?

Unhook what wire is shorted and then hook up battery and the check the circuit on shorted wire or what ever is shorted.

Any thing that has a electrical circuit to run it will ohm short to ground.

The way to find what is shorted is to run your circuit breaker hooked to batery positive to the shorted wire.

But also remember to use breaker that has the amp ratting that is over the amps pull of the circuit.
Like.
If you hook a 10 amp breaker to a heater blower motor it will start breaking.

thats what i havebeen doing mt,but not any circuit will show a dead short to ground,it will have continuity in k ohms ,meg ohms, ect but not a 0 ohm thats what i have on that wire,it goes to my + on the alterator,and to the wire bundle box on the drivers side (where the harnass connects to the cab)Also im usung a 20a breaker and when i do hook it up it pops asap with no key on...thx for keeping up with me

thats what i havebeen doing mt,but not any circuit will show a dead short to ground,it will have continuity in k ohms ,meg ohms, ect but not a 0 ohm thats what i have on that wire,it goes to my + on the alterator,and to the wire bundle box on the drivers side (where the harnass connects to the cab)Also im usung a 20a breaker and when i do hook it up it pops asap with no key on...thx for keeping up with me

If a wire is shorted out it should show ohms.
ost ohm meters will show ohms if wire shorted or has restiance.
But if you leave ohm meter hooked up it will 0 out and show 0 ohms.

If it is shorted out triping breaker start unplugging what ever is hooked up on that wire untill you have no short.

all fixed and returned back to my dad!!! it was the alternator wire going back to the cab that was burnt in to another wire!!!! it dont read 0 ohms no more!! thx for all your guys help!!!!!!i wish i could buy you ll lunch or a beer or both...thx a million

all fixed and returned back to my dad!!! it was the alternator wire going back to the cab that was burnt in to another wire!!!! it dont read 0 ohms no more!! thx for all your guys help!!!!!!i wish i could buy you ll lunch or a beer or both...thx a million

You are welcome.
And thanks for posting back the fix and how it went.

Good Luck