please help - '89 troubles

[CDR]

Our '89 farm truck (auto) up and quit. As it was being driven along the engine stopped as if it were being shut off with the key. Current condition - it is in our yard and buzzers and lights work. The wait to start light/guages do not come on/move and when you turn the key to start there is no solonoid click. Dead in water, but there is battery... Logic says some kind of blown fuse or something for such an instant shut down. If anybody has any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated. I posted in Engine/Drive forum as well, hoping for maximum visibility here.

 

[Howard Durand]

The ignition switch itself may be the problem.

Also, I believe there are fuse links in some of the cables connected at the battery terminals. Check them for voltage on the load side.

If you don't have a shop manual, you might be able to find a Hanes manual for those years at a local auto parts store.

An electrical schematic is essential for that kind of trouble shooting.

Sometimes you can find information and make copies at a local library.



Good luck.

 

[bvanetten]

Throw 12 volts directly at the fuel cut off solenoid on the pump. If you hear a "click" it is working. Then have someone turn the key to the run position while you are listening to the cut off solenoid. Did you hear a "click", if so you are getting fuel. Do the same for the starter. If not then Howard's probably right. I always like to check the devices that arn't working first... can't stand diggin into a harness if I don't have to.



Bruce

 

[CDR]

Hey guys, we do have the manual and a neighbor and I have been going over the truck. We have determined we have a smoked fuseable link... now the question is why. In for lunch now. I will let you know how it goes thanks.

 

[CDR]

We've got the truck going again. Still need to find out what the cause was. The fusable link was lacking wire in a couple of spots. As luck would have it, the original owner had fog lights and left the wires in the truck, so we have just used the wire already hooked to the battery that has and inline slow blow fuse already, so we just put in a 20A fuse to replace the 15A in it and used that as a jumper wire to complete the link... now fused properly again.

 

[Howard Durand]

Glad you have it going again. Electrical problems can be real frustrating.

If the fuse link just burned in two, chances are that it was overloaded.

If part of it was blown away, that would indicate something shorted out.

Have other loads been added to that circuit increasing the load on it?

If so, you might consider moving something to a different circuit or adding a new circuit with it's own fuse.



If something shorted out, it might have burned itself in the clear at the same time the fuse link blew. In that case, something on the truck would not be working any more.



Sounds like you are pretty good at figuring things out so am sure you'll get it straightened out.