Posted by daniel on Saturday, January 28, 2006 at 0:17AM :
In Reply to: electrical problem/advice posted by RWR on Friday, January 27, 2006 at 11:26PM :
You want to start by making sure the truck is properly grounded. Take a multi-meter and check for continuity between the negative bat. post and the frame, the body and the gauges.
then check the positive side for continuity between the post an' the solenoid, an' make sure the positive charge is not bleeding through the solenoid to the other side.
You can then hotwire the thing from pos side the coil to pos side the batt. to get it running. Set up a jumper ware(!) to those two and cross the starter terminals wi' a screwdriver to get it to turn over. You must have blown a fuse or burnt an unfused circuit with your wild-assed exhibition previously.
Get a wiring diagram and go through it the hard way- link by link. No one on this site can tell you where you hooked up wrong. Just hard investigation will do that.
All those accessories like the switch and the solenoid, not to mention the gen and regulator should show ground it you touch their body with a multimeter one lead on the negative batt. side.. Irfn they don't, then that's your culprit. You hooked up wrong to that, and when power came on it blew. Replace it.
To Review, old chap, get a good quality multimeter. Study the user's manual. Set the meter on Ohms (the horseshoe-shaped thing). Set one end on the battery negative, and use the other to roam free. Check all the accessories. Then do the same from the positive side. Juice should stop at the solenoid till the switch is turned on, on pos, then you should get power to the other side of the solenoid and then to the starter. There should be another wire off of the switch (acc) energizing other accessories, which you should disconnect. Turn off all the switches and then check acc wire. Should be dead with the cab door closed.
My bet is the regulator, since it is after the switch, which you turned prior to the wild-assed event.
Good luck, Daniel
Electrical boys, double-check me; this wrong?) D.