89 F-150 burning battery to chassis ground.
05-28-2013, 01:56 AM
#1
89 F-150 burning battery to chassis ground.
Hello all!
I'm here posting for a friend. He has a 1989 f-150 LWB Regular cab; 4x4, 5.0 efi (supposedly slightly built... Unsure if true... idles at 1000 rpms with a nice lope. Supposedly has a mild cam, port, polished, gasket matched heads and intake and an over sized TB....), headers, 4 speed, Goodyear Wrangler MTR 31x10.50 15s on 15x10 wheels, 3 inch exhaust (y pipe, SISO Flowmaster Super 44 series w/7in tips), brush guard, cheap aftermarket stereo: kenwood HU, sony xplod speakers, 1000watt xplod amp and a single Pioneer 10in sub. And a blue set of truck nutz... (I bought them for him for Christmas a few years ago... I said "since your truck has no *****, I bought it a set" It was a 93 f-150, just a joke though) The truck also has a bad header gasket, throw out bearing slipping and needs some bed work due to an accident. Most info doesn't apply to the problem, but I like to be thorough...
Back on topic now. On a cold start, the truck starts fine, no issues. After it reaches operating temp (thermostat is removed), it will not restart unless it sets about a hour or so. If you attempt to start while it is still warm, the battery to chassis ground (the short one attached to the radiator core support by the battery) will smoke and sometimes catch fire. The started sometimes just clicks and sometimes slow turns, but this one wire burns up every time unless it cools down. The starter has been tested and swapped out with another known to be good starter. All of the relays and the solenoid have been checked/replaced, along with the battery. We have also undone all of the stereo equipment and the problem stays persistent. Each time a hot start is attempted, the wire has to be re spliced in. It is currently replaced with 6-8 gauge wire and still burning it up. It literally melts the shielding and burns the wire in to.
Attatched is a picture I borrowed from Google as an example. He does not have this set up, it is in stock form wit an aftermarket terminal. Circled in red is the culprit.
I'm here posting for a friend. He has a 1989 f-150 LWB Regular cab; 4x4, 5.0 efi (supposedly slightly built... Unsure if true... idles at 1000 rpms with a nice lope. Supposedly has a mild cam, port, polished, gasket matched heads and intake and an over sized TB....), headers, 4 speed, Goodyear Wrangler MTR 31x10.50 15s on 15x10 wheels, 3 inch exhaust (y pipe, SISO Flowmaster Super 44 series w/7in tips), brush guard, cheap aftermarket stereo: kenwood HU, sony xplod speakers, 1000watt xplod amp and a single Pioneer 10in sub. And a blue set of truck nutz... (I bought them for him for Christmas a few years ago... I said "since your truck has no *****, I bought it a set" It was a 93 f-150, just a joke though) The truck also has a bad header gasket, throw out bearing slipping and needs some bed work due to an accident. Most info doesn't apply to the problem, but I like to be thorough...
Back on topic now. On a cold start, the truck starts fine, no issues. After it reaches operating temp (thermostat is removed), it will not restart unless it sets about a hour or so. If you attempt to start while it is still warm, the battery to chassis ground (the short one attached to the radiator core support by the battery) will smoke and sometimes catch fire. The started sometimes just clicks and sometimes slow turns, but this one wire burns up every time unless it cools down. The starter has been tested and swapped out with another known to be good starter. All of the relays and the solenoid have been checked/replaced, along with the battery. We have also undone all of the stereo equipment and the problem stays persistent. Each time a hot start is attempted, the wire has to be re spliced in. It is currently replaced with 6-8 gauge wire and still burning it up. It literally melts the shielding and burns the wire in to.
Attatched is a picture I borrowed from Google as an example. He does not have this set up, it is in stock form wit an aftermarket terminal. Circled in red is the culprit.
Last edited by SCOTTYINWV; 05-28-2013 at 02:26 AM.
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SCOTTYINWV (05-28-2013)
05-28-2013, 07:33 AM
#6
Okay, got the battery ground taken care of. Now there are 3 wires coming out of the wiring harness behind the battery burning up. Same symptoms, just these three wires that ground by the battery burning now...
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11-03-2013, 01:03 AM
#8
Junior Member
What year is your LeMans? I had a 72 Luxury LeMans that looked just like yours, same color and vinyl top. I put a Crane cam, Edelbrock street dominator intake, and Holley carb on that thing and it was a beast. Shortly thereafter I wrecked it and sold the motor to my buddy who put it in his 69 LeMans ragtop. He's been running it for 25 years now.
11-03-2013, 01:33 AM
#9
What year is your LeMans? I had a 72 Luxury LeMans that looked just like yours, same color and vinyl top. I put a Crane cam, Edelbrock street dominator intake, and Holley carb on that thing and it was a beast. Shortly thereafter I wrecked it and sold the motor to my buddy who put it in his 69 LeMans ragtop. He's been running it for 25 years now.