Electrical issue...lights, ignition

[Viperwolf1]

What about headlights Viperwolf? Does power to the switch come through the key first? I thought it got it's power independent of that, which might give a clue that it's at least got some issue before the ignition switch.

Ha. That's what happens when I don't look back at the beginning of the thread. If there's a problem with the main loop though there won't be anything on the yellow wire to the ign switch. It's feed directly from the loop.

I'm betting on a corroded connector on the pass-side firewall.

 

[mudwisr2]

Voltage is 15 at the switch on the yellow wire. In the start position the corresponding wires are showing around 5. Same for other positions. As for the headlights and dash lights...where would I be looking on the passenger side firewall?

 

[mudwisr2]

One thing I left out. The yellow wire comes off the starter solenoid and goes to a small box on fender (maybe 1"x1"x2") forming a 3 prong plug. The other two wires go into harness and head back to the cab. They are yellow w/green stripe and blue w/ yellow stripe. Would this little box be a fused link or something? The prongs on it were rusty/dirty so I cleaned them but still nothing. Trying to get some pics but no promises.

 

[Viperwolf1]

Voltage is 15 at the switch on the yellow wire. In the start position the corresponding wires are showing around 5. Same for other positions. As for the headlights and dash lights...where would I be looking on the passenger side firewall?

That points to a suspect ignition switch. Does the voltage on the yellow also drop to 5V when the key is on? If it does you're not getting enough current from the battery. If it doesn't the switch is bad.

In the first photo you can see where the wires come through the firewall, between it and the inner fender at the corner. About 6" from the firewall is the suspect connector. I had to remove mine because it was partially melted and had exposed terminals. In the 2nd pic you can see the terminal stripe I used to connect/terminal the three wires.

 

[Viperwolf1]

One thing I left out. The yellow wire comes off the starter solenoid and goes to a small box on fender (maybe 1"x1"x2") forming a 3 prong plug. The other two wires go into harness and head back to the cab. They are yellow w/green stripe and blue w/ yellow stripe. Would this little box be a fused link or something? The prongs on it were rusty/dirty so I cleaned them but still nothing. Trying to get some pics but no promises.

That's the horn relay, different yellow wire.

 

[mudwisr2]

OK...when the switch is in the "ON" position the voltage drops to around 5V

Let's make sure the wires are the correct color coming off the solenoid:
Yellow-goes into 3prong box on fender.
2 ga- going to pos post on battery
Brown(maybe) with fusible link. Appears as though it goes into a plug that sends wires back to cab

Man I can't wait to get this figured out

 

[mudwisr2]

That points to a suspect ignition switch. Does the voltage on the yellow also drop to 5V when the key is on? If it does you're not getting enough current from the battery. If it doesn't the switch is bad.

In the first photo you can see where the wires come through the firewall, between it and the inner fender at the corner. About 6" from the firewall is the suspect connector. I had to remove mine because it was partially melted and had exposed terminals. In the 2nd pic you can see the terminal stripe I used to connect/terminal the three wires.

I am not seeing a connector of any kind. Just the wires that come through the firewall.

 

[Viperwolf1]

I am not seeing a connector of any kind. Just the wires that come through the firewall.

Ok. I'll assume your battery is good and you know how to check it. Follow the black-red wire (you called it brown above) from the fusible link end to the firewall. It should be about a 10 ga wire. Near the firewall it'll be ganged up with another big black-yellow wire and a small green-red wire. They should all go through the same connector. The black-red and black-yellow are the two ends of one big loop that carries current under the dash and to the ignition sw, headlight sw, fusebox and ammeter. Somewhere in that loop you have a very poor connection.

 

[mudwisr2]

I just went and checked the battery...again. First reading with the meter was 00.0! So I checked it again and got 12.2. Checked again and got 00.0 again! The meter should be perfectly fine.

Can a battery act like that? I have never seen one do that if they do. I can't see how the battery could be the culprit but guess I will stick ANOTHER battery under there and see what happens.

 

[DirtDonk]

Seems more like a loose connection on the meter. Have you checked the wires?
I guess a battery post that's broken internally could do it too, but I'd think you'd notice something wrong on the top. Maybe?
But no, it doesn't sound right for a battery to act like that. As you figured.

Paul

 

[mudwisr2]

I am going to try to take the battery in for a test tomorrow. Maybe a new battery will solve the problem.

 

[RRRAAAYYY2]

If you are dropping to 5volts, you either have a huge draw like a dead shorted starter, a wire that has a major voltage drop on it (put a test lead from a multimeter on each end of it and it will tell you how much voltage is lost down the wire), or a bad battery.

Since you have evidence that the battery is going from 0.000 to 12.2, I would suspect greatly that you have a broken interplate connection. This is a very common problem in Optima batteries. Can happen in any battery, just really common in them.

 

[mudwisr2]

Pulled the battery out of my wifes car and still nothing. No lights, no ignition, etc. Any chance I could have wired the solenoid backwards?

 

[Viperwolf1]

Pulled the battery out of my wifes car and still nothing. No lights, no ignition, etc. Any chance I could have wired the solenoid backwards?

The only thing you should have on the starter side of the solenoid is the cable going to the starter.

 

[mudwisr2]

Correct. The large poles aren't wire specific?

 

[mudwisr2]

Brake lights work (well one of them) but it seems dim

 

[mudwisr2]

Just installed another new ignition switch. Still nothing. Haven't had a chance to really dive in on checking wires behind dash but all are seemingly factory wrapped until about a foot from the ignition switch.

 

[RRRAAAYYY2]

For giggles, take a booster cable from the positive of the battery over to the positive output post on the alternator. See if that changes anything. (If it does, then the main wire feeding power to your fuse panel has an issue)

 

[mudwisr2]

Can someone post a pic of their starter solenoid area?

 

[mudwisr2]

Any help appreciated