1989 1/2 ton 2wd cheyenne lost all electric

[houndog3]

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

[Tony Silva]

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

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by houndog3

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.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by houndog3

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?

[houndog3]

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..

[Tony Silva]

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.

[houndog3]

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...

[houndog3]

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

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by houndog3

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.

[houndog3]

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

[Tony Silva]

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.

[houndog3]

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

[houndog3]

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...

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by houndog3

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.

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

[houndog3]

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????