My latest electrical issue--HELP

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After driving for 10 days without any issues I started the engine and the wait to start light just stayed on, but, the air heater relays were not engaged. Non of the other lights in the panel came on. When the engine started it was not showing any alternator charge. So today, I went out to check if it was acting the same. (sometimes changes on it's own) Turned the ignition to on and the panel lights came on as they should for an instant and then went to just the wait to start light just came on and stayed. I removed and then plugged back again the push on plugs on the air heater relays. After that the air heater relays engaged. Started the engine and the 2 fusible links connected to battery were very hot and sort of smoking almost. Now charging, the air heat system cycled several times. It is just 50 degrees here in Florida this morning which seems the air heat system would not be needed very much.

For a year now this has been an on/off accurance and if anyone knows or has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate your thoughts for a permanent fix for this problem.

Thanks Up Front

Will

 

I am sure I did a very poor job of explaining the problem with this truck. I was hoping that someone had a similar experience and could share what there problem was and how it was fixed. If anyone could help with any suggestion at all I would appreciate it greatly.

The latest, after starting Saturday and the heat grid cycling several times, the system seems to be back to normal operation again. At 60 degrees the wait to start light comes on for a few seconds as it should, then after inital start no more cycling of the air/heat grid.

Today, again the system is operating normally.

Any suggestion?

Thanks Up Front

Will

 

On my truck there's a big connector splitting off the (+) cable a few inches from the terminal. It gets squirrelly with age and affects almost everything electrical.

 

After cleaning most of the connection on Saturday, my truck is performing normally again. It is colder here this morning, I had better go check.

 

Here it is again, the fusible link wires were smokin' a little and the air heat system cycled several times. It is still showing the system is charging on the gauge. I wish I knew a way to isolate what is drawing to much current during the cold start process. 43 degrees here this morning in Polk. Co. Florida

 

From what you have said it sounds like your fuseable links may be getting a little "over the hill" I would start there. Have you had a chance to look at the write-up in the stickey about replacing your links with fuses? That was one of the best things I did for my truck when I was having problems like yours. Another idea to isolate your grid heaters would be simply to disconnect the engine harness connections from the relays and rig them up on a remote switch and mount it on the dash somewhere, that may be a help with trouble shooting. You may also want to take a look at the relays themselves and make sure they are functioning properly and not sticking.

 

It sounds like one or both of your air heaters are pulling too much current. If memory serves me Jim Lane, put an ammeter on his and found they pulled somewhere around 100 amps each. If you can find a ammeter you might check their individual current draw. But considering where you live I would just unplug one of the small wires on each relay and forget about it.

It might be a good idea for you to get some contact cleaner and unplug spray and a replug all the connections you can find. You might also consider doing that any connection you can find it surely won't hurt. Just my two cents, Mike.