need some trouble shooting help. Trucks got no juice, battery has 13.05 Volts

RXN

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Alright my Mechanic friends. I'm in need of some troubleshooting help.
My 65 has a 350 with electronic ignition. On December 31st i washed the truck. All seemed good. Drove home, Approx. 10kms. and parked it. It was plugged in for the cold snap. Went out this morning. Stone dead, no clicking sounds, no dim lights when i flicked the switch, nothing.


Thinking it was the battery, I pulled it and brought it inside the house, left it on the trickle charger all day. When I got home, I metered the battery. 13.05volts. I put it back into the truck. Nothing, no sounds when i turn the key. again no lights when i turn the switch on. nothing. the voltage does not drop. it stays at 13.05. All fuses i could find look good. I left the positive probe on the positive terminal and metered to the truck frame (thinking ground) and read 13.05 Volts across there.


Any suggestions? Can coils freeze? would a frozen MDS box cause this? I should still have lights.... even if the alternator was pooched the lights should still work????


Any suggestions?


Also i jumpered the starter posts, nothing. Somewheres i lost all power.


Thanks
 

the_real_wild1

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Check the starter solenoid first. Test the cable going to it from the battery for 12v. If you are good there then check the small cable for 12v when the key is turned.
 
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the_real_wild1

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Also check resistance between your battery ground and the engine block. Issue might be on the ground side.
 

RXN

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Check the starter solenoid first. Test the cable going to it from the battery for 12v. If you are good there then check the small cable for 12v when the key is turned.

I'll give this a try either tomorrow night after work or on the weekend when i have day light. (Truck won't fit in my garage).
 

lloydguy

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So, you have no headlight's? I maybe never read your info properly.
Solenoid is froze IMO if you turn the key and you have NODA.
If you have lack of power in other area's of the vehicle the 10 gauge wire from your starter post
going up your firewall is loose(starter pos. post nut) or fuseable link is burnt.
 

brian h

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those trucks have a fusable link by the starter, sounds like fusable link burnt which will kill power to all accessories of vehicle{key}.pull on wire if stretchy then only outer coating is in tact meaning link burnt or can test with a test light
 
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TROLLCAT

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So, you have no headlight's? I maybe never read your info properly.
Solenoid is froze IMO if you turn the key and you have NODA.
If you have lack of power in other area's of the vehicle the 10 gauge wire from your starter post
going up your firewall is loose(starter pos. post nut) or fuseable link is burnt.

those trucks have a fusable link by the starter, sounds like fusable link burnt which will kill power to all accessories of vehicle{key}.pull on wire if stretchy then only outer coating is in tact meaning link burnt or can test with a test light

what they said
 
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InFeRnO

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Test your starter first buy jumping the starter terminals then if it turns over you know it's a problem further up in your ignition circuit ( ignition solenoid, fusible links, ignition key and cylinder itself). Test the ignition solenoid by jumping the two posts then turn your key and you should have power coming to the starter.
 

CamoKVF700

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No headlights? It's a fusable link issue. Like said. ... pull on the wires down my the starter one at a time. Keep pulling the one that stretches and it'll pull apart.
 
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RXN

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Test your starter first buy jumping the starter terminals then if it turns over you know it's a problem further up in your ignition circuit ( ignition solenoid, fusible links, ignition key and cylinder itself). Test the ignition solenoid by jumping the two posts then turn your key and you should have power coming to the starter.

Nothing happened when I jumpered across the starter posts
 

InFeRnO

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Nothing happened when I jumpered across the starter posts

Then your starter is dead. Do you have a multi meter handy I can guide you throw the tests to make sure exactly what the issue is.
 

Summitric

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U need a test lite or voltmeter and see if the main battery cable on the starter has power..... Next would be the ignition switch wire on the starter, so see if there is any power down on the starter when someone is trying to start the truck... Please report your findings


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

kawasakikx250

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Ryan do your headlight come on at all? Do you have power to anything? use your volt meter and see if your have 12v at the ignition switch. if you have no power there your truck will never start.
 
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RXN

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Ryan do your headlight come on at all? Do you have power to anything? use your volt meter and see if your have 12v at the ignition switch. if you have no power there your truck will never start.

I got nothing Shawn, Of course Not having room in the garage to put in it, I'm procrastinating on going out side now to start looking.
I was looking over a wiring diagram. and off the + of the battery i have one red wire that runs across my rad to my horn rely, then off that same post on the rely into a plug, through the fire wall where it then splits. it provides power to my fuse block, my light switch, and my ignition switch.

This summer, that same wire had melted at the plug. I didn't know what it was, we were on holidays in BC when it happened. so I just cut out the melted section and spliced in a piece of wire.

I'm going to start with that. If it proves good, I will then look for the fusible links everyone is talking about.

I'm just sitting down for meds, and lunch, then I will bundle up and go poke wires with the multi meter, see where i lose power at.
 

RXN

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Okay, got it figured. Not a fusible link. Nothing to do with my starter. Still unsure if its a break in the wire, But I got the truck to start. see below pictures. this is my wiring digram, the black circle surounds the soldered "T". I had 3 Volts here. The two black diagonal lines are roughly where i spliced in a new wire this summer. (wire melted). at both splice points I had 12volts.

When I jumpered the two points, she started up. So come sunday, it should be warmer. I'll break out the soldering iron and fix it up.
 

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