[duallycrew]

I go out to start my truck today and usually it takes a couple of times to get it going (no choke). It's a 85 d350 crew cab dually with a 440. I get it running and take my foot off the gas and it cut out (usually does a couple of times) tried to restart and nothing. I mean no cranking, no radio, and no lights. The only problems i have had with the truck is in the last two weeks, maybe three or four times i have hit the key and nothing. As soon as i let off and try again it's fine. I think the ignition switch is going bad, but that wouldn't cause absolutly no power would it? I am no electrician but i have 12 volts at the battery, cleaned the terminals, and pulled the ground wires and cleaned. I also have 12 volts at the starter. I am lost, someone please help. John

 

[Evildriver-3]

At the battery there is a # 8 size wire it has a plug on it a few inches from the battery, see if it came apart it sounds like it did.
When looking at the battery there will be 2 wires coming off the positive post 1 will have a disconect see if it is pluged into eachother

 

[duallycrew]

That wire is plugged in. I checked it from the battery cable to the ( i guess it goes to the starter solinoid) and it has continuity till the end. I have never had anything like this happen before.

 

[Evildriver-3]

Check the wires that are laying on the fender just before the firewall, then see if you have corrosion on the harness, then check and see if you leave the key on if you can start it jumping the solenoid outside on the fender

 

[duallycrew]

Went out and tried jumping at the solinoid and it cranked over, now what in the hell is wrong

 

[Evildriver-3]

Your solenoid most likely, did it start or atleast try to start, if so then your solenoid took a unathorized leave of absence without a qualified replacement

 

[duallycrew]

It cranked like it was going to start, but i didn't hold it till it did. I can't believe that the solinoid would cause me to have no lights or power to anything. I'm going to the store to get one now to see if that is it. Thanks for your help, i'll let you know what happens.

 

[Evildriver-3]

Oh wait if you got no power to the lights then you got a problem in either 1 of the wires laying on the inner fender or you got a problem at the harness

 

[duallycrew]

Yeah, i have no lights at all. No headlights, taillights, interior, radio, dash, i mean it acts just like a dead battery.

 

[Evildriver-3]

See if any of those wires that branch out into the firewall are broken, in the mean time you can jump it like i mentioned to get you somewhere if you need to

 

[Chump]

Maybe the ammeter wiring at the meter or the firewall or a funky fusible link?

 

[DDGRC84]

could it also be a funky ground? i had the ground wire come off the battery and it would start sometimes, other times it wouldn't do anything. i don't have interior lights though, so i can't say whether they worked or not.

Jake

 

[duallycrew]

I cut apart the harness that goes to the block on the firewall, and low and behold i found three wires that are broke. Two of them are black and are kind of thick (not sure which gauge but thicker than all the rest) the other is a thin wire and i believe it was black too. It was getting dark. I can't really tell how these wires were put together, it doesen't look obvious as to how they came apart. One of the thick wires has 12 volts all the time, the others don't. I am thinking that they all three go together. These wires are located after the fusible link. I'll have to inspect it somemore tomorrow.

 

[Ram]

Hope you have disconnected the battery for the night? Not trying to insult your intellegence, just don't want to see your truck burn down when this close to fixing it!

 

[duallycrew]

Went out today and stripped and put the wires back together. It worked, i have lights and it starts. I did disconnect the battery because with my luck it would have been on fire in the middle of the night. Thanks for all of the help.

 

[phoenix827]

I cut apart the harness that goes to the block on the firewall, and low and behold i found three wires that are broke. Two of them are black and are kind of thick (not sure which gauge but thicker than all the rest) the other is a thin wire and i believe it was black too. These wires are located after the fusible link. I'll have to inspect it somemore tomorrow.

I am thinking these ARE your fusible links! I think you are talking about the little "Y" where the wires split? IIRC, the wires coming out are the links, not the "Y" itself.