Ok, this is one of the dumbest things Ive done mechanically in a while. After driving all day yesterday we pulled into our campground north of Trinidad. I had not hooked up my battery isolator since having my alternator rebuilt and discovering my new sears battery had a bad cell. We pulled in, my Lady wanted lights, so I go to hook up the isolator. Well, in my tired, stressed out state I didn't disconnect the negative on my truck battery. While taking the postive off the alternator I touched the ratchet to the oil filter and heard a click. I knew instantly what I had done. No power, all my fuses are good. I pulled the ground off, put it back on and had power in the cab, until I went to start the pile, and click, no juice. Now the under hood light is barely on, no power to the cab. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, as this truck is now my home, and I want to head up the coast tomorrow. We can pull the subaru off the trailer and go to a parts store, so im not completely screwed.

 

OK, I understand that you arced your alternator hot lead to ground and now it won't start. I also see that you had a battery with a bad cell that I assume has since been replaced. Several questions:
- Am I correct in assuming that you have a separate camper battery?
- What is the voltage reading on your truck battery?
- Can you switch batteries to start the truck?

Sorry that I have more questions than answers but trying to assess the situation.

 

I wuuld be willing to bet the purple alternator fuse on the fender is fried. I did the same thing with channel locks removing the oil filter. It was a dealer only part at that time???? Are you sure the battery's are still up enough to power the lights etc? I would check the fuse and then have the battery's checked again.


TallTom

 

My truck is showing 13 volts, I have a separate good camper battery that is showing 12.6, along with the bad battery that I have to turn back to sears when I find one. The strange thing is that I had power in the cab, like normal, after I screwed with the ground, then turned the key, and click, dead. I have the ground off the battery now. There is an alternator fuse? thanks guys.

 

In the wiring harness under the drivers hood hinge, are fusible links no replaceable fuse. I'm not positive, but apparently the alternator power wire must run through one of these links. It'll take some investigation with a multimeter but i'm sure that is where the problem lies.

 

so I can replace fusible links? Im electrically retarded. I guess I need to read the instructions for the mutli meter.

 

The fact that you had lights in the cab until you tried to crank it would lead me to believe that you toasted a fusible link or wire to the point where it would carry low amp current (lights) but high amp current finished it off.

If it were me, I'd hotwire from the battery to the fuel solenoid and then jump the starter to make sure that the truck would start. Then I'd start looking at the fusible links to see which one(s) toasted. Check this thread from the sticky for information on replacing fusible links.

Good luck and keep asking questions until you get it figured out.

 

well, Im completely lost. My shop manual doesn't show much of a wiring diagram as far as where the fusible links are. This sucks.

 

Theye are on the driver side fender behinde the battery. Look just like wires. Find a big noe that splits nto several different colored smaller ones and that's what you are looking for. You'll have to Ohm them out to find which one is bad unless it fried enough to be obvious. Once you find the bad one, just bypass it with an inline fuse holder.

 

what size fuse? I don't have access to a sotter(sp?) What about butt splices? I hate electrical, especially when its my own stupid fault. At least the weather is nice, not that 100 f valley garbage.

 

Size depends on which one blew. Probly a 15 or 20 amp will be OK. Butt splice and some tape will survive until a more permanent repair can be made.

 

most of time you can tell when a fuse link is blown by pulling on the two ends and if stretches it's bad. fuse links look like heat shrink arond the wire and will have printed on it the load rating (size and amp rating)



GOOD LUCK

 

well, I spent a couple more hours looking around, I felt like a moron. I talked to Jay(12valve@heart), he through some good ideas out, but I was still lost. So I broke down and called Cummins West. This ol' boy Bob showed up in a fl70, took him about an hour and he tracked it down. Fusible links were good(Im glad I quit poking around and didn't make it worse) but it was a coroded connector near the battery. I would of never figured it out. I was pulling out the plastic and he sais 160 bucks, wow I thought. I was figuring at least 3 big ones. So now Im in Brookings Or. at a campground. I want to say thank you gentlemen for your help, this is a great website.

 

Glad you are back on the road!

 

GLAD all went well, be safe on the road.