sonnylynnvick75

Alright guys, Monday I pulled my gauges out and fixed the wiring to my windshield wipers. I replaced the starter solenoid and put a fuse in the socket for dash illumination and the cigarette lighter. Yesterday the truck dies on me at a red light, I push it to the side and jump it off, I make it to the parts store and replace the battery terminal and the altenator after failing an altenator test. I'm driving down the road headed home and it does it again. I grab a test light and check wires coming into the altenator. Power on the 2 battery wires, but no power on the stator wires with the switch on. I stripped a section on the wire that connects the two and jumped it directly to the battery to get me home. I disconnected the jumper when I got home. I Woke up this morning and connected the jumper again and it wouldnt turn over, battery was dead. Battery was bought in November so I doubt its that but I'll have it checked. any thoughts to what may be causing my issue?

88xlt

What did the volt gauge show when the engine was running? Was the little red battery light on?

One problem these trucks had was the connector on the back of the alternator wiring was bad. Yours has likely been replaced at least once already. You get a pigtail at the parts store and cut the old connector off and solder the new pigtail wires on. These pigtails are readily available at many parts stores, at least they used to be. If your volt gauge is showing close to 14 volts with the engine running, this likely isn't your problem.

sonnylynnvick75

PO actually went through the hassle of taking the gauge cluster out, removing the Voltmeter, Oil pressure, and Water temp gauge and then epoxied up the holes. He installed aftermarket gauges but only wired up the Oil pressure gauge. I'll wire up the voltmeter once I get the chance. That connector did seem "gooey" would this have anything to do with the stator not being energized though?

88xlt

I don't know. What they would do, and what mine did on my 1988, is basically burn up the back of the alternator where the electrical connector plugged in.

It sounds like you got a good mess on your hands. Hopefully someone else here can advise you. Good luck.

sonnylynnvick75

I checked with a mechanic friend of mine who said he's willing to bet that everything I'm dealing with falls back to that connector being melted. I replaced the starter solenoid on Friday and Monday it went bad again. He said the altenator not charging the battery and providing it with low voltage is actually causing the solenoid to weld itself shut.

Chris_1

iTrader: (1)

Previous owners ..... 'nuff said.
You would probably be best to hunt up a 91 cluster and wire things back up the way they were originally. From a reliability standpoint.
I noticed in there that you put a fuse in for dash illumination. Wonder if it was out because it caused problems ?
Anyway, I'd be getting rid of all the bs that the po installed and start from scratch. If you can't depend on it, it's no damn good to you - no matter how cool aftermarket gauges look.

sonnylynnvick75

It was once a victim of the headlight switch mishap that shorted out the instrument illumination wire and caused it to basically fry. I've been hunting for a new cluster on ebay, Just want to be able to drive it in the mean time. I checked the back of the fuse panel and the wires leading to the illumination fuse have been cut off, apparently after the short.

sonnylynnvick75

I just found this wiring Diagram that explains it all. It has to be the plug that goes back to the battery. If I drove it home (20 or 30 miles) without it dying and the battery didn't charge but instead drained, that means the truck was running off the alternator completely. If the bottom plug is bad then it isnt allowing power back into the battery which wouldnt allow the battery charge. Hopefully this straightens me out. Then I'll move onto addressing the gauge light wiring.

sonnylynnvick75

So, I cut off the plug and found my plug to look like this. I think I have found the issue. New one is on its way.