Smoked Wiring Harness

[JHumphries]

Well, my 93 w350 dually sat for a year and wouldn't fire. I believe it is a fuel problem, but that is not the reason for this thread. In the process of trying to fix it, I tried to hook up a remote starter pushbutton under the hood to help in bleeding the high pressure lines. It was connected to the solenoid terminal and an insulated terminal on the fender connected to the battery (I believe it's the power to the starter relay, any way it was a more convenient constant hot).

After placing the key in the on position, and letting the heaters time out, I pressed the button. The negative terminal on the battery smoked and the truck now has no power! Not a single electrical component works. The starter never turned.

Looking at the schematics, there are several fusible links. What are the odds that I smoked all of them? By the way, I have no power in the fuse box on any of the bus bars on the bottom.

Does anyone sell a wiring harness or shoud I cut out all of the fusible links and install my own fuse box under the hood?

By the way, the previous owner appears to have already replaced some of the fusible links.

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Definitely sounds like all of the magic smoke has leaked out through a fusible link. Magic smoke is what makes all electrical things work. Once it leaks out everything stops working. #@$%!
Replacing a link is easier than stuffing the all of the magic smoke back into the wires. Use a voltmeter and check the voltage at both the source and load sides of the links. The link with voltage on only one end is suspect. Cut the bad link out and splice a new, properly sized link in its place.
Now, don't use the same connections to power remote starter.

 

[JHumphries]

I was thinking, if all of the fusible links are blown, which is the only way EVERYTHING would stop working, I might just cut out all of th links and install fuses.



"Magic smoke is what makes all electrical things work. "

I'm an electrician in the Navy. I know all about magic smoke. It is hard to convince an Engineer about magic smoke, though.



I will check the links today, if I finish with the passenger side hub disassembly and reassembly.

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

To have ALL fusible links go at one time would be very unusual. You can easily check the fusible links by pulling on them. If they are bad the insulation should stretch. Have you checked any of the fuses in the fuse panel or PDC? Looking at a gen 2 wiring diagram it appears to be totally different from a gen 1 (I don't have a gen 1 so am using my fading memory). Does your truck have a PDC? You mentioned the negative cable leaked the magic smoke. I would look at the negative battery cable and around the area you saw the smoke. Insure the battery cables are clean and tight. See if your battery reads B+ voltage at the battery terminals. Then move the - lead of the voltmeter to a good body ground and leave the + lead at the + battery terminal. This would verify the battery ground cable continuity. From what I understand in your initial post I assume you are not getting either B+ or switched voltages on any of the bus lines in the fuse box. Since you are not getting any voltages it may be a bad battery, ground or positive battery cable or connection, or ignition switch. I was schooled years ago to never substitute a fuse for a fusible link due to the engineered design of the link - a fuse supposedly blows faster than a link ,and the current for the fuse would need to be higher to compensate for the time difference, which in turn may cause a wiring flambe. Newer vehicles are using super fuses instead of links. Things may have changed since my schooling days... check this link for some information - Electrical Issues - MiniMopar Resources.


Yep, magic smoke will get the attention of a any flight crew be it sitting on the ground, flying a high speed low-level run at 200' AGL, to +35,000', especially when accompanied by the confetti of several exploding electrolytic capacitors formerly housed in a power supply.

 

[JHumphries]

The Maxi Fuses should work if it comes down to it.

I have to work tomorrow and won't be home until Monday night. I will check the links and negative cable closely then.