The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Sudden loss of everything on startup.

For about a week I have been starting the truck and letting it run for a while every day. Today I was going to drive it down to the recycling center and drop off some cans and it cranked over like usual, sputtered but didn't start which is not abnormal so I tried again and it cranked over a few times then there was no power to anything. not a click or wiggle or nothin'.

I went to investigate and discovered my positive terminal had a little corrosion build up so i cleaned that.
then I saw that the negative was hardly connected to the motor, so i cleaned it and put it back on.
but that didn't do it, I checked and my battery had power, but I have no lights when I hit the switch.

Now it's on a charger, I will update with next findings when it's done but I don't think its a dead battery.
while I was cranking it over it sounded strong and the timing of turns was consistent with what it always had been.

I think the truck knew I was going to drive it off the property today and it didn't like that.
any other thoughts?

I'd get a handheld meter and find out where current stops. When you say no power to anything, does that include headlights and brake lights? Those are outside the ignition switch, so if they're not working it suggests current stops either at ground or at the negative battery connection or where it connects to the starter. Good luck.

These old 6 volt trucks need all of the grounds to be cleaned very well. Back when I ran shops, my mechs would get stumped and come in to ask for advice... it was always

CHECK YOUR GROUNDS...!!!

@Jon G - No lights either.

@Rusty Rod - I've been cleaning grounds since it happened, but there are more to go.

I've cleaned the battery terminals, the negative ground at the motor, the positive where it connects to the starter solenoid, and everything at the voltage regulator.
I may have over looked the other wires on the solenoid, so I will clean them tomorrow.
I guess I will just keep cleaning connections down the line until it comes back to life.

There is only one ground for motor to start. (battery negative cable to motor bolt, you said you cleaned/checked that). If it won't turnover AND no lights. You have a bad battery or a charging system that is not keeping it charged, or both. After battery charged up, check for it to be 12.6V at rest and about 13.5V-14.5V when at high idle. (if it starts). Also a bad battery can show a charge of 12.6V but will fail after a few starts or drives. A load test will show that type of cell failure.

Get a meter that measures volts DC.

Switch from Delcotron externally regulated alternator to Delco 10si. Throw it away with voltage regulator and all that silly wiring.

Also: The other day I saw something that made me think of you. I saw a picture of a GMC instrument cluster that had been fried. As in: shorted out somehow. All of the PC copper runs were black and chipping off. I think that is what you had. I think the black stuff was the protective plastic sheet getting burnt/melted right above the runs and I thought is was a coating on your other post. Now I think it was burn trace. Charred "plastic".

Got it to start up and light up and all that good stuff.
Turns out the culprit was hiding inside of my positive battery cable, when I removed the terminal clamp on that side I saw that the inside of the wire was full of corrosion (like completely white).
replaced that and all is good

@bartamos - I plan on replacing the charging system when I get a little more money.

thank y'all for the help

Was still typing, Recheck my post about your cluster. Glad you found the culprit.

P.S. The alternator change over cost is $30.

Well If the truck gets me to the recycling center today then I can afford it lol