Smoking Wire(s) at attempted start

Have a 1990 K1500 4x4, standard, 5.7. Was running fine but now when I try to start, turn the key, no sound, gauges refresh, radio, etc., come on but 99% of the time, the starter will not engage.

Sometimes it will and will start. I have not had any problems or symptoms that something was going wrong.

When it does not start, in the junction box on passenger side, firewall compartment, from the passenger side, there is the fuel pump relay, then the two bolts next in line from the fuel pump relay heat up to the point of smoking.

Anyone know what the wires attached to the two bolt positions next to the fuel pump relay in this junction box go to or come from ?

I have checked the battery, I think I have a short somewhere but could it be a starter issue or ignition switch issue or ?


Any ideas or help would be appreciated.

I'll have to double check on my 88, but I think one of the lines go to the alternator and then to the battery for charging. None of them go directly to the starter. Good luck. I have had starting (wiring) problems in the past w/mine. They are a bitch to figure out. My starter would work great when bench tested but it would quit working on the truck, man I had the steering column all pulled out testing wires and connectors etc..... and it ended up being a faulty bearing in the starter.....like i said....good luck!

Have a 1990 K1500 4x4, standard, 5.7. Was running fine but now when I try to start, turn the key, no sound, gauges refresh, radio, etc., come on but 99% of the time, the starter will not engage.

Sometimes it will and will start. I have not had any problems or symptoms that something was going wrong.

When it does not start, in the junction box on passenger side, firewall compartment, from the passenger side, there is the fuel pump relay, then the two bolts next in line from the fuel pump relay heat up to the point of smoking.

Anyone know what the wires attached to the two bolt positions next to the fuel pump relay in this junction box go to or come from ?

I have checked the battery, I think I have a short somewhere but could it be a starter issue or ignition switch issue or ?


Any ideas or help would be appreciated.


You have a bad ground in your start circuit. Check the connection for the ground cable at the battery, frame , engine, and chassis. It will be one or all of these.

could it also maybe just be a short somewhere? when my battery slid over once and hit the side of my fender (due to corroded battery tray) it was smoking pretty bad, in fact it was litterally tack welded to the fender and i had to twist it off just like when the rod on a stick welder gets stuck on the thing youre welding. it was a real bad short and it happened to occur when i was turning across traffic on a busy street. my engine lost all spark and me and my buddies had to push the damn thing two blocks in the middle of rush hour traffic. makes for a good story i guess... lol

It could be a bad ground, loose connection or corrision or all of the above.

Once you have properly cleaned and retightened your grounds, move to the positive battery terminal and work your way to the starter. Your truck is 15 years old and you live where it snows. I.E. they use salt and other chemicals to clear the roads. This wreaks havoc on electrical connections. If you clean them all up and treat the with corrosion preventative every couple of years, you will go through fewer electrical parts, like starters and altenators etc.