Good afternoon folks! I apologize for making my first post on this awesome site without an introduction; however I have been lurking here since I bought my truck in December. What I have is a 92 extended cab w/ 324k miles. She is a strong runner, and I used this site as a tool to complete the preventitive maintenance she had been lacking. Anyway, here is the problem:
After driving her on a 130 mile round trip, she sat for couple of hrs before I returned to start her up and drive home. Engine fired immediately like always but only ran for 5 seconds. After dying, I smelled that unmistakeable electrical burning smell. I popped the hood and began searching for the problem. I only caught one very faint wisp of smoke on the drivers side of the engine bay. I couldn't find any obviously burnt wires or leads before it got dark.
I returned today to begin troubleshooting. My initial thought was a fusible link. I don't know much about these, so I slit the wires before and after to measure batt voltage. I cut a couple links out and ran a jumper wire between to observe any change; there wasn't any.
The most obvious symptom is that the lights work as does the door buzzer and dome light. When I turn the key to run, none of the message center lights illuminate, the air heaters do not cycle and the engine doesn't turn over. Additionally, on the fat black duck foot looking connector that runs a black and red wire from batt to 4 other wires going to main vehicle wiring harness, there is one empty hole next to the orange wire with a little copper wire sticking out of it. This measures 12v with key off, but I see no loose wire that it is supposed to connect to. Where are all the locations of the fusible links and how do I test them?
Any thoughts? Possibly a smoked PCM or fusible link? Like I said, I can't see any obvious burnt wires. BTW, it has a brand new alternator and Deka battery. I will post pics when I return home. Thank everyone so much for even taking the time to read this long winded post.
-Alan

The cut wires you see are from me during troubleshooting. What is supposed to be connected to the black plug between the orange and white wire on the left side?

 

i hate electrical- on my ford conversions i ditch all the dodge factory wiring so not much help but im bumping you to the top, good luck.

 

there is a write up in the sticky, about the rewiring of the fuselink groups, at the same area of your problem, go to the electrical section, 2/3 down youll see fuselink

 

I have been reading through that sticky to educate myself on what each of those links connect to and run. However, I am hesitant to start making modifications without knowing the source of my problem. What could cause the lights and buzzer to work but not turn the engine over or power the grid heaters?
Perhaps the start relay? Bad PCM? (Not inclined to think it is the PCM)

 

did you check your fuses under the dash?