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Chevy S10 - GMC S15 and Sonoma Electrical Problems

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Comments

  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    2=green
    1 = brown
    3 = black
    5= white
    4= gray
    We all do dumb things, it's called being human.
  • timmah1987timmah1987 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks a million! Yeah, I struggle with being "human" :)
  • 93s104x493s104x4 Member Posts: 1
    I have 1993 S-10 that caught on fire under the hood about two years ago i put a wiring harness in it out of a 91 S-10 auto mines a five speed. The truck runs but very rough and has no power at all. I talked to a local mechanic and he said that i have to find the exact harness to that year pick-up so does anyone know where i can find a wiring harness for a 1993 five-speed S-10 if let me know cuz i've been looking and haven't had any luck thanks
  • mulchdiggumsmulchdiggums Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1984 s-10 Tahoe. the horn and all the dome lights except for the one under the glove compartment quit working.when I hit the horn it wont blow but the radio quits and goes dim, if you turn on the dome lights or open the door the radio losses all its memories. I was told it was a groung. the problen is where is it? any ideas?
  • duesty102duesty102 Member Posts: 1
    I have a quick question. What could be the problem that my rear blinker and brake light does not work but the tailight still works. It's the same bulb so why would one work and not the other. I've tried new bulbs but nothing is working. Thanks
  • mulchdiggumsmulchdiggums Member Posts: 2
    if the new Bulbs dont work then it may be your socket is bad and needs replacing
  • serealsereal Member Posts: 1
    hi, and thank you all for the help that im sure is to come with this problem!!

    i run a 2001 s10 3door 4.3L v6 and recently i have had my high beam indicator light start comming on and staying on when the truck is turned off, none of my DRL, Lo beam, hi beam nor any other light on the truck are on, i dont know whats causing that light to illuminate, but i do know that at the RDO BAT fuse on the left side of dash is drawing almost 0.9 amps on a 10 amp setting, and 12.3 volts at the same fuse.

    i haven't how ever pulled the insterment cluster and read amp/voltage at the light bulb socket, this is the only fuse ( between underhood and and left side dash fuse blocks aside from the int bat 30amp maxi fuse which controls the RDO bat circut + others ) that has any draw when the truck is off.

    im not sure if there are any other fuses, relays, fusible links, inline fuses that i have missed, but if my truck sits for any length of time over 16 hours the battery is dead, posibility of the GMC anti-theft/security light staying on and causing the truck to not start.

    back in july 07, i had the right side lower control arm and ball joint seperate, dropped front end onto the tire, towed it home and the tow truck found a sink hole hidden under my driveway which gave way and thus dropped my front end a 2nd time in 2 days.

    i dont know if this situation would have any impact on my problem now but may as well throw it in there.

    cheers and thank you all now for any ideas thoughts or solutions
    Ser

    PS when the truck runs every thing works the way it was intended to high beam light off when in DRL and lo beam settings, hi beam dash light comes on when i turn high beams on goes out when i turn them off and go back to lo beam and DRL settings, this problem only occurs when truck is not running and every thing is off.. closed it up locked the doors was sitting on my drybox in the back and noticed this
  • mattlancmattlanc Member Posts: 1
    I have a 95 s-10 and the daytime running lights and the highbeams work fine, but the low beam lights will not come on. Everything else is working properly, the rear lights and the dash lights come on. Does anyone know what the problem could be?
  • tnesstness Member Posts: 1
    I had the very some headlight problem with my 94 S 10 with the addition of having to manually help start my wipers. I did not pursue any mechanical help until my alternator died. Installed a rebuilt alternator, and my electrical problems are gone. It has been three months now, still fine. Worth a try. Worked for me. tness
  • boilrmakriboilrmakri Member Posts: 4
    I was driving along and my radio, ac, cruise, and odometer quit working. The engine runs fine and starts easily after shutting down. I checked the fuse and everything seems ok. I saw the AC relay but do not think this would control the cruise and odometer. The radio came back on after restarting the engine.

    Does anyone have an idea on which way to go from here or even preferable a fix to my problem? Could it be a ground that I can't find?

    Thanks in advance,

    Boilrmakri

    :confuse:
  • mickeymouse2mickeymouse2 Member Posts: 161
    Sounds like it might be a bad ground somewhere. Look for the small ground wires that lead to the fenders from the negative post on the battery. The things you mentioned I do not think are on the same circut and fused together. Also look and make sure the firewall is grounded inside the cab. Going by my memory, I think there is also a ground strap on the engine side firewall also on the passenger side.
  • boilrmakriboilrmakri Member Posts: 4
    Thanks,

    Will try it asap!!!!
  • boilrmakriboilrmakri Member Posts: 4
    The Sonoma sage continues. Today I got a chance to get back into the electrical problem. I took apart the dashboard and did not see anything obviously wrong with the grounds I could see.

    Then I thought, lets check the fuses again. I looked at the big fuses this time and the 50 amp fuse on the IGN2 circuit had blown. Alright! Now we are getting somewhere. I took the smaller fuses out of the HVAC and turned the key to the ACC position. Everything worked (wipers, radio, odometer, ect) like a charm. I turned the key to the ignition on position and I could hear the fuse pop. I pulled the fuses for the radio and even pulled the radio out, in case someone had done something to it and the fuse blew when the key was moved to the run position.

    I know I have a short somewhere, but have no idea on where to start. As I said, I saw nothing obvious under the dash. Would pulling all the HVAC fuses also kill the power to the heater blower? The AC was turned off so I don't think that was a problem.

    Any ideas on where to start looking again,

    Thanks for the help!

    Boilrmakri

    :sick:
  • 98sonoma98sonoma Member Posts: 1
    I have a 98 sonoma with 120k on it. I have been having a problem for a while now. I will be driving down the road and all my dash light will come on and the gauges go crazy and the truck just dies. most times i can turn the ignition off and then it will restart. any ideas?
  • bonnie19bonnie19 Member Posts: 1
    Had very similar problem with my truck when new less than 3000 miles on truck same thing just dies. Had dealer replace wiring harness now have 235,000 miles on truck have not had the problem again.
  • oldtimer22oldtimer22 Member Posts: 1
    While investigating a problem ( intermittant at first, now won't start/turn over ) I found that one of the three Ground/Negative leads on the battery was going nowhere... It wasn't connected! [ Probably the result of shoddy workmanship at the Body Shop during some front-end repair work. :-( ] So: Where should the Black w/White tracer lead go to? Since it was working fine before, even with the mystery wire not connected, what else should I be looking for? Battery Voltage/Charge seems OK, Starter relay on the Fuse Block 'clicks'. But I don't seem to hear anything from the Starter Solinoid... Thanks in advance.
  • mickeymouse2mickeymouse2 Member Posts: 161
    That ground goes to the fender. As for checking the no crank situation: Sounds like the relay is being switched by your ignition switch. Verify power on the small wire of the starter solinoid with a test light or volt meter as the key is turned. Should have about 12v, On the large battery positive cable at the starter verify the voltage doesn't drop below 10v when you attempt to start. You probably have a bad starter, bad battery, or bad grounding to the engine. Don't assume your battery is good because of voltage. It is the amps that start the vehicle. Load test the battery. Without proper tools, turn your headlights, wipers, and heater blower motor on and see if the battery voltage drops below 9.6 volts, within a 4 to 5 second period. If it does, bad battery, or loose or dirty conections at the post.
  • boilrmakriboilrmakri Member Posts: 4
    Ok, Got it figured out finally. The ignition switch was shorting out somehow. A quick change out of the switch fix the problem.

    Thanks for all the advice!!!

    Boilrmakri

    :shades:
  • hoopdizzhoopdizz Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1998 gmc sonoma and i have the option to override the dome lights in my truck but my dome lights will not turn on or work period. When the door is opened or when I turn the switch to turn them on, they do not work...What could be the problem? I have checked the fuse and it is completely fine for the inside lights but other than that I am at a complete loss. I also am wondering why my 4 wheel drive light that indicates whether my truck is in normal or 4x4 is also not functioning. Anyone able to help?? It is much appreciated!!!
  • marc38marc38 Member Posts: 1
    2002 GMC Sonoma. No foglamps installed. Good taillight bulbs. New headlight switch. Voltage at taillight connector. Ran a jumper wire from battery to taillight and it would not light. Grounded with no change. All other lights work fine except license plate lights. Fuses have all been checked. Relays are fine. Finally have installed my own taillights on the rear bumper, but I'd like to fix the original ones. Anyone have any ideas?
  • recordbreaker5recordbreaker5 Member Posts: 1
    my flex fuel sensor has an error. so i figured its either the sensor that has went bad but i checked the voltages from the wiring harness and they are not what they are supposed to be. anyone know where the wiring harness is routed or how i can trace the problem. thanks
  • dakotav847dakotav847 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 93 sonoma with the 4.3L and 4WD. recently I have been having some electrical issues. A few days ago I was driving and the engine just died. I let it sit for a few moments and it would start back up. The next morning i needed a jump to get it going. So i thought it was the alternator, took it in and had it tested 3 times. Passed all 3. The guy at the autoparts store said to check all the grounds, which i did, and even replaced the negative batery cable. now the voltage will fluctuate from about 10 to 16 volts. To make the issue more confusing, 1st gear on the transmision has never worked like it is supposed to. but now... when the voltage is high like it should be, the transmission shifts smoothly and 1st gear has all the horsepower you would expect. but as im driving the voltage will drop and bye bye 1st. Any ideas on what i can do to fix the electrical??
  • kzracnkzracn Member Posts: 1
    I have just recently purchased this truck that had a motor swap with another 2.2 liter and after the swap they didnt strap the positive cable down and it burnt up , they replaced the wire and it ran fine drove it for a week and then it died now the truck turns over fine just wont start , so i replaced the fuel pump and still nothing ,so then i hooked my snap-on scanner to it no codes but i noticed on battery voltage with the key on only reads 5.0 volts and theres 12.0 at the battery i checked the grounds but maybe im missing something any suggestions?
  • lite39lite39 Member Posts: 1
    When the cab is warmed up the meter is fine, I had alternator replaced 2 times, new battery, Check cables at battery and on starter.While cold and rev eng,lights go dim then meter drops I am going insane with this problem. I am wondering if the instrument cluster is bad since cold contracts and warm expands, Maybe volt meter gauge itself , maybe the starter? Any suggestions would be appreicated. One person told me a ground problem. If a ground problem wouldn't it do it all the time? Thanks in advance :confuse:
  • cwildcwild Member Posts: 2
    My 2.2 S-10 started having issues starting, at first I took the starter out and since it was o.e.m with150000miles. replaced with brand new (not rebuilt). Still had the same problem so I traced all the wiring where it went, tested the relay by swapping with headlight relay, and everything looks good. Took the plastic cover off pos. terminal and cleaned all corrosion off. Yet I'm still having the same problem. The starter kicks the bendix out when I turn the key and just spins, it wont turn the engine over. I have been informed by Napa that there isn't a shim pack for this model year. does anyone have any ideas.
  • cwildcwild Member Posts: 2
    Just wanted to update found the problem in case anyone else runs into this. The flywheel is not connected any more don't know if bolts are broken or vibrated out. will update later. Found this by pulling inspection plate and watching as someone else turned key. Saw flywheel spin but didn't turn engine. had helper stop and was able to spin flywheel with fingers.
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    My flywheel broke near the C/S under warranty, they installed the transmission wrong at the factory. There was even a service bulletin on it.It broke at 10 K.
  • biomed86biomed86 Member Posts: 5
    Hi!
    Check for the ground connection, it's a tab between the motor mount bolt and the motor case, it could be broken !
    I had that problem ...

    Hope it'll help !!

    Mario
  • biomed86biomed86 Member Posts: 5
    On my 93 Jimmy, used during winter only, everything was ok went I park it last summer but now the wipers start but do not stop and my windshield washer doesn't work !!!

    Is anybody got that problem ?
    Any help would be appreciated !

    Mario
  • ted42ted42 Member Posts: 2
    I'm wondering if you got a solution to your problem because mine does the same thing. Please reply!
  • biomed86biomed86 Member Posts: 5
    Hi Ted42,
    My problem was the wiper-motor itself, I open the motor case and the parkswitch was stuck, tried to fix but broked the plastic lever acting that switch, so i replaced the motor assy and everything is ok now .

    Hope it'll help you !!
  • ted42ted42 Member Posts: 2
    Hey, thanks a lot! I noticed my wiper blades don't work always. I will try this. :)
  • boomerff373boomerff373 Member Posts: 9
    2000 S-10... I have no lights on the 4 wheel drive switch, the indicator for the transmission and the odometer will not light up. It has been very cold and snow here... Any ideas? :confuse:
  • littleoscolittleosco Member Posts: 11
    Same truck, same year, no lights on the 4 wheel drive indicator. We thought maybe we had blown a fuse. My husband ended up stopping and taking it out of drive, then back to drive several times. Then we got the lights back on the indicator but it got stuck in 4 low so he went through the same process and finally heard the electronics kick in and now it's in 4 high. Leaving it there for now because we have so much snow. We were never successful in getting it to go into 2 wheel drive but I guess we'll worry about that when the weather warms up later this week
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    Could be the 4WD switch. Check out the discussions under "Chevy S10 - GMC S15 and Sonoma 4WD Issues" or "Blazer Jimmy 4WD Questions." Try a search under "switch." Good luck.
  • ibldstffibldstff Member Posts: 3
    I have a 1995 chevy s10 2.2. I have done a lot of work to it over the past few weeks. I've finished and am getting no power though the battery is fine. I think it may be how I attached the wiring for the alternator but am not sure. I have the wire bundle plugged in. The positive to the battery is attached, but I also have what looks like a ground wire attached also. I don't know if that should be on the alternator or if I should have put it on the block.
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    The battery positive goes to the starter, the battery negative goes to the engine block or any where on the engine for good contact.
  • ibldstffibldstff Member Posts: 3
  • DasyonDasyon Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 S-10. Twice today, my electrical systems seemed to restart in the middle of driving. The engine stays on, but my radio and dashboard lights all cut out and came back up twice in succession. Happened once in the morning and again in the afternoon. The both times I had just turned on my turn signal, but it does not happen all the times when I have the turn signal on. Any ideas?
  • boomerff373boomerff373 Member Posts: 9
    Sounds like maybe the wiring harness at the base of the steering column may be loose. I had a simlar problem once too.
  • kruqnutkruqnut Member Posts: 2
    I just bought a 96 s10 and it has some electrical issues with the front lights. The left turn signals in front don't work. It shows on the dash and the rear ones work, just the front ones don't. I'm not sure how to troubleshoot this. I noticed near the firewall there are 3 wires not connected to anything current;y, 2 with plastic connectors, and one with a single loop connection (intended to be bolted to something I believe) I am not sure what is what though.

    Also my headlights are iffy. With both plugged in they kinda dim in and out, and if i try to hit the brights, they don't work at all, they go off completely. If I remove 1 headlight it seems to work fine. Could this be a bad ground?
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    Your on the right track, check all your grounds, lights do strange things with lack of a ground.
  • kruqnutkruqnut Member Posts: 2
    well i isolated the wiring from the dash to the lights, and have the whole wiring section isolated right now, I found 2 grounds along it, both very rusty. They both connect to the body that supports the radiator. I could find no other grounds so im guessing these are my problems.
  • lturnagelturnage Member Posts: 4
    Can someone help a gal out? I went to get my S-10 inspected today. I knew my turning signals weren't working right but I thought it was a burned out bulb. Come to find out they told me that I needed a Power Distribution Center/Box??
    Went to Advance Auto & CarQuest & they didn't have any. So, where do I go to get one??
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    I would take your truck to some one else and get a second opinion, center dist box sounds fishy.
  • lturnagelturnage Member Posts: 4
    why does it sound fishy? I don't understand. The turning signals, hazard lights don't work. Is there something else that it could be? :)
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    I am not sure what they mean by center distribution box. Where did you go to get the lights diagnosed? I still think you need a second opinion. What did the first opinion cost you ?
  • lturnagelturnage Member Posts: 4
    I took it to a local place in town for inspection. They called it a Power Distribution Box. It didn't cost me anything as they would not inspect my truck since the turning signal lights weren't worked.
  • gonogogonogo Member Posts: 879
    I looked up the power feed for both the turn & hazard and it is the same power feed, cell 10, at least for my 99. The power feed should maybe able to be repaired instead of replacing the complete unit. Replacing the power dist box is not for the faint of heart, lots of wires.
  • lturnagelturnage Member Posts: 4
    thanks for the info- I will check into that before buying the whole unit :shades:
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