The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay <sigh> Electrical problems.

Tried starting my truck today to see if the sending unit would stay open or plug. Well, I got it started for a while and then it starved of fuel and died. After that, I decided to find out if the fuel line or the sending unit was plugged, so I unhooked the fuel line, ran a hose from it to a gas can, and turned on the ignition switch........ Nothing, no gauges move, horn won't blow, nothing. Only the starter will work. I have no clue as to what the culprit is. Hopefully it is just that the wire on the starter switch that supplies electricity to the rest of the truck has gotten a dirty contact but that is optimistic. Any clues?

Only one wire 8 or 10 gauge wire goes from the starter to the Ammeter. Use a test light at the ammeter. Wires can loose contact inside the terminal at the starter or ground and burn where they go through the firewall. If you have voltage at the Ammeter, make sure it goes through the Ammeter. If not you could have a bad Ammeter. From the ammeter it branches out to the ignition switch, lights, and regulator. I doubt that it's going past the ammeter if nothing works. If you have a foot starter, it is totally independent of the rest of the wiring. You could have hit the wire at the starter and broke the terminal when you were working with the fuel line.

I really hope it is just the wire at the starter just got burnt on the terminal, it looks like it's been burnt.

So much for hoping. Now I have to figure out a way to test the ammeter. I have no clue as to what is what behind that dash gauge. I don't know what even connects to the ammeter.

Trace the 10 gauge wire that goes through the fire wall to the ammeter, put a test light on that terminal. If it lights up try the other terminal. If it doesn't light up, run a jumper wire between the two terminals. In other words, bypass the ammeter. If things work then, you know the ammeter is bad.

Of all the things that need worked on with these old trucks, the electrics seem to give me the fits more than anything. The only thing I've found that works is to take a walk and just cool off when it seems it's getting the best of you. Remember this...if it's been built, it can be fixed. Patience Grasshopper. You'll get it done.

YAHOO!!! I figured it out. Took a test light to the ammeter(it sure is hard getting to stuff when there's all of those wires for the turn signals, 8-track, and radio/fire wall mounted speakers) and both terminals had power so I took a test light to the ignition switch and got nothing on both terminals there, so I figured that it HAD to be a loose wire on the ammeter and I was RIGHT!!! Tightened the nut a little and turn the key and it works again! Thanks guys.

I would say Crenwelge figured it out for you...thanks Crenwelge!



Stuart

Yeah, THANKS CRENWELGE!!! Did I just make it possible for you to work on my truck?