MiniC

Well sort of. The wife and I are moving from FL to TX. We drove there today so I can work and she can house hunt so she followed with the kids in her Tahoe. About 500 miles into the trip we stopped for one of what seemed like 1000 potty breaks (2 and 4 year old). I went to start the truck to leave and she did nothing. The lights worked, horn worked. No radio, ignition, no cig lighter. I fumbled around under the hood looking for things out of place, loose battery connection etc, nothing. I got out my service manual and started to read, fuel solenoid seemed a like the culprit. I noticed two wires plugged into the top of it, a small black wire and a larger blue wire. I first ran a wire from the battery to the fuel solenoid and had the wife started it. It started as it should, as soon as I took the wire off it died. This tells me what ever supplies 12 volts to the solenoid isnt working. I ran a jumper from the battery to the solenoid and got back on the road. This worked fine for the last 400 miles although I did have to pop the hood and shut it down manually every time we stopped however the ABS light and parking brake light stayed lit and the brakes did not work worth a darn. What am I looking at folks?

Onemoparnut

I would suspect a burnt fusable link near the driver side hood hinge.

MiniC

So Ive been searching and reading the board, most people that have this problem also have to jump there starter as well as jumping the fuel solenoid. Once my solenoid is jumped my starter operates as it should I just have to manually shut it down or pull off the jumper wire. I believe this should eliminate the ignition switch......right? I have inspected the fuseable links, they appear to be fine but Im sure looks can be deceiving. Ill find someone with a meter and check them. The only other thing I can think of is maybe the clutch switch? I looked at it and for the life of me cant figure out how it works. But if it was the clutch switch that wouldnt explain the lost of power to things that get power when the key is turned on like the radio, cig lighter, etc. Is there anything Im missing?

Onemoparnut

Check the fusable links with a meter or a test light. I don't think the clutch switch would interrupt power to the fss cause then you wouldn't even be able to pop start these trucks.

ppiggppenn

Mine did the same several years ago, spin but no start. The wire energized by the ignition sw was dead. Rather than mess with the sw I just ran the fuel sol off the park lights, which of course is on one of my home made fuse/relay circuits. Makes it a bit more theft proof in that unless you know something under the hood it will spin and make lots of noise without starting ...

Onemoparnut

So you are good unless someone tries to steal the truck at night hahahahaha.

MiniC

You might of misunderstood me. My truck will do nothing when the key is turned. With a jumper to the fuel solenoid only it will start with the key just fine. I just have to shut it down manually. There is no cranking and cranking but no start.

Crossy's son

so it will not crank at all unless the shutdown solenoid has 12v to it?

I don't see how that's possible unless someone int he past owners of your truck have tied the starter and the fuel solenoid together?

Which fuel solenoid unhooked the truck should crank over and not start......something is fishy here

MiniC

That WAS the case, however Its fixed. There was a larger red wire that ran into the same loom as all of the fuseable links. Someone at one point spliced an inline glass fuse and a small white wire that was coming from the same direction as the battery. The fuse appeared to be good, it was actually the first thing I checked when I was "stranded". I sliced in a newer style fuse and viola shes back to her old self. FWIW anyone know what those to wires go to? Thanks for the help everyone!