No electrical power

[rtj731]

1. Ran fine two days ago
2. Centech-RJM harness
3. 12.5 volts at Batt. (yellow top)
4. Humid as all get out Panhandle Florida (she's living outside for now)
5. First attempt click, nothing
6. Checked Batt=good, checked all grounds=good, jumped starter solenoid, no joy. I do have 12V on ING side and 12V on starter side.
7. No headlamps, nothing electrical works, checked all fuses=good
8. Checked relays, one by one with a new relay= nothing
9. Starter is oldish, but the lack of electrical power else where seems to rule the starter out?

Any ideas on where to start looking?

Thanks

 

[tarheeler]

Had same thing on my f150, wiggled the battery connectors and were a little loose. Tightened up real good and worked since

 

[broncosbybart]

I'd clean the battery terminals and try again. Should be very simple.

 

[jw0747]

After tightening down your battery terminals and you still get zero you probably blew the fusible link which is in the wiring on the right in the area near the starter solenoid.

 

[rtj731]

I'll give the terminals a once over again, after the monsoon, first thing in the morning

 

[broncosbybart]

Good luck and let us know what you find

 

[DirtDonk]

If the installer of the Centech harness used their stuff (did you do the install or someone else?) there would be a Gray wire on the battery side of the starter relay/solenoid. It would be crimped to the Centech Red "BAT" wire.
If they opted to change that out for a fuse, look for a Maxi-Fuse somewhere near there.

Definitely check the battery cables as said. Sounds like a stereo-typical internal failure of one of the main cables, or, as was said, the lug at the battery post.

But you said you have 12v on "IGN side and starter side" but is that of the starter relay itself? Is that only in START, or all the time? Are the battery cable and starter cable on the same stud of the relay/solenoid? If so, it sounds like you have a modern PMGR ("mini") starter installed.

While any starter can freeze up for one reason or another, they won't kill all the power to the accessories. Only a main fuse/fusible link, a battery cable, or the main Red power wire from the battery to the harness can usually do that.

Last thing to check then, with that Red wire in mind, would be a crimp connection up behind the dash near the ammeter. Or do you have a volt meter?
Centech leaves the wire whole, but the installer needs to cut and crimp the Red wire if they're going to be using the ammeter instead of a volt-meter. If they didn't do a perfect crimp job or the moisture has had any effect, that connection might have failed.

Oops, another "last thing to check" would be the studs and nuts on the back of the fuse panel. If they've come loose or overheated, you might find some trouble worth fixing there tool.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[Justafordguy]

If jumping the starter solenoid didn't do anything it has to be the battery terminals or the other end of the main battery cables. clean and tighten both ends at Battery, solenoid, and engine block.

 

[rtj731]

If jumping the starter solenoid didn't do anything it has to be the battery terminals or the other end of the main battery cables. clean and tighten both ends at Battery, solenoid, and engine block.

If the installer of the Centech harness used their stuff (did you do the install or someone else?) there would be a Gray wire on the battery side of the starter relay/solenoid. It would be crimped to the Centech Red "BAT" wire.
If they opted to change that out for a fuse, look for a Maxi-Fuse somewhere near there.

Definitely check the battery cables as said. Sounds like a stereo-typical internal failure of one of the main cables, or, as was said, the lug at the battery post.

But you said you have 12v on "IGN side and starter side" but is that of the starter relay itself? Is that only in START, or all the time? Are the battery cable and starter cable on the same stud of the relay/solenoid? If so, it sounds like you have a modern PMGR ("mini") starter installed.

While any starter can freeze up for one reason or another, they won't kill all the power to the accessories. Only a main fuse/fusible link, a battery cable, or the main Red power wire from the battery to the harness can usually do that.

Last thing to check then, with that Red wire in mind, would be a crimp connection up behind the dash near the ammeter. Or do you have a volt meter?
Centech leaves the wire whole, but the installer needs to cut and crimp the Red wire if they're going to be using the ammeter instead of a volt-meter. If they didn't do a perfect crimp job or the moisture has had any effect, that connection might have failed.

Oops, another "last thing to check" would be the studs and nuts on the back of the fuse panel. If they've come loose or overheated, you might find some trouble worth fixing there tool.

Good luck.

Paul

Paul, thanks
I checked the main batt terminals there clean-tight. I will have to check the main red wire to harness. This would be me "If they didn't do a perfect crimp job or the moisture has had any effect, that connection might have failed".

First thing in the morning Ill run down the main red wire and check the ammeter

 

[DirtDonk]

Sounds good.
How old are the main battery cables? Reason I ask is that if none of your searching finds any obvious issues, go back to the battery cables.
They can be clean and tight and still have failed internally. I'm not really sure of the particular dynamic, but several of us have experienced total cable failure even though it looked good.
I had a fairly expensive one at one time (15 bucks when the standard was 5 bucks) that was only three years old when it stopped working consistently. The starter relay would click, then all power would go out until something settled back in. Grabbing the cable and jiggling it didn't always make a difference either. But a brand new one did finally.

Just sayin'
Your issue could be one of the other things still. Just don't think that something is fine because it looks fine.

Paul

 

[rtj731]

Sounds good.
How old are the main battery cables? Reason I ask is that if none of your searching finds any obvious issues, go back to the battery cables.
They can be clean and tight and still have failed internally. I'm not really sure of the particular dynamic, but several of us have experienced total cable failure even though it looked good.
I had a fairly expensive one at one time (15 bucks when the standard was 5 bucks) that was only three years old when it stopped working consistently. The starter relay would click, then all power would go out until something settled back in. Grabbing the cable and jiggling it didn't always make a difference either. But a brand new one did finally.

Just sayin'
Your issue could be one of the other things still. Just don't think that something is fine because it looks fine.

Paul

Total pos. batt cable failure. I could not bring myself to believe the cable was internally bad. I check and rechecked the entire harness. Replaced the pos batt cable for the sake it. Fired right up

 

[DirtDonk]

Hey, congrats!
Those dang things...

Anyway, the good news is that now your battery cable is "upgraded". Did you do the others too? Seems like even though it's likely only one was going to give you trouble, a couple more is cheap insurance.

Of course, then there's the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school of thought too.;D

Paul