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Take the Battery Out.
While your messing around, put battery on charger, so it's at max output when your ready.
Use jumper cables from battery back to vehicle to make tests as you progress as battery is charging.
With the Battery OUT of vehicle.You can see where the cables go.
Make necessary repairs to battery tray if in rough shape.
You also may have inherited someone else's nonsense.
I've seen some pretty Ugly results of what some people do,
Look at the ends of cable very closely.
REPLACE them if they look shabby at all.
In other words, IF they don't look like new at both ends. Ditch them.
IF the cables are long enough, CUT off the Garbage, and remake new ends on them. SOLDER the new ends on if possible.
If you see corrosion going deep down into cable ends for several inches, then toss them.
Brand New Vehicles Came with dual lead ground cables for 20 years.
LOOK at where this smaller CABLE branching off from Battery ground is attached to. This is usually the Radiator CORE SUPPORT. If it's been replaced correctly.
IF NOT_ THen ADD a ground wire of #10 Gauge Wire [MINIMUM] to the GROUND at Battery to the CORE SUPPORT.
The alternate to using #10 wire is it's about 1/8" thick copper core.
Use wire with larger copper diameter, not smaller.
In a desperate pinch, one could use the stiff house wire for a temporary fix, but it's too stiff, and road shock will break it.
Fasten an EYE on both ends of #10 new wire, and use the correct size for the battery bolt.
Using a #10 self tapping hex head sheet metal screw mounted in cordless drill with hex head driver that fits screw, drive it into the back side of CORE SUPPORT.. This is the frame work holding the headlights and radiator.
Use a washer under bolt to the connector. Apply grease to connector before attaching to CORE support
The reason I mentioned in last post to make more than one ground wire of #10 wire attached to battery IS,
to provide a solid ground from one panel to the next.
Other points as well to include are the Engine Block, Firewall, etc.
MOTOR mounts can be a huge issue of blocking a good ground back to the body and frame.
You can also continue a second ground from CORE Support back to the engine. This un-clutters battery connector.
Usually the best spot on the engine is the alternator bracket, or something similar.
Make sure the movement of engine does not wear on the wire, or too short.
Now near the back of the engine, make one going to the fire wall.
NOW, your fully grounded up front.
If the vehicle is rusty in general, then you may have to run a separate ground all the way back to the tail lights for example.
One wire looping from light to light, like you would do if it was a Utility Trailer.
Examine the headlights ground wire to make sure it has a good path.
This wire from plug on back of bulbs could also need to be remade.
I usually just purchase new head light plug pig tails. Cheap Part.
This step can also help boost the alternators output as well.
Use wire ties to keep things neat and prevent unnecessary damage from sharp edges.
Murphy's Law will be right at your heels, so you will have to out smart him at every step.
Might be over kill and winded for some, but some will only have to do it once.
Later, Good Luck
But if dimmer is bad, and very common, they are sorta expensive and totally a pain to install.
Auto Zone rents out the tools free to use.
You'll need the steering wheel Puller for one and the Snap Ring compressor tool as well, or you will swear words that are heard for 5 miles.
GM never could make this switch from day one correct.
I have the same one in my Caddy as well. And this was a severe pain with tilt, telescopic column.
I was forced to remove the entire column out of the car.
I have a 35 year old Volvo 164 where the dimmer on the column still works perfect. People talk with this lever vs the horn.
Thanks,
Dan
Or the panel on the driver side under the steering wheel?
The 97 Jimmy has the automatic trans shifter on the floor between the 2 seats. Just in front of that on the dash is the cigarette lighter and utility outlets with the AC above that and the radio above that. When you remove the center lower dash panel you get the plastic vents from the heater right behind it and the lighter.
I must be blind because I just can't seem to find the turn signal flasher for the life of me.
I just wanted to add one bit of info. The fuse will blow when I turn the key to the first notch that sets the panel lights on (i.e. check engine light,air bag seat belt light etc). Also the problem is intermittent and doesn't happen all the time cold and wet weather seem to aggrevate the problem otherwise everthing works fine.. The Chevy dealer is at a loss! Can this still be an alternator problem?? Yes it is fuse #4 Gauges. Auto Trans 1995, 4.3 liter voretec V6. Thanks
John
You were not clear on fuse number, location, or if it is a fusible link or not. Here's some advise. What ever is on that circut, that you know of, un plug it. There may also be something like a cigerette lighter or dome light that isn't even mentioned on a wiring diagram connected to that circut. Your ABS may also be part of that circut, unplug the plug at the ABS unit. If the circut that is shorted is a 30amp or less, purchass a 30amp circut breaker and wire it in for temporary testing. If the circut breaker trips whith everthing unplugged, it is either shorted wiring, or something that is on that circut you don't know about. Recommend an auto electrical shop at this point. If your lucky, and the problem has gone away with the various devices unplugged. Start plugging them in one at a time until the short re-apears. You have then isolated at least what system is causing the problem, and can either leave it unplugged, or trouble shoot it from there.
From the things you mentioned, most common are a shorted ABS unit, shorted blower motor for the heater, or a shorted cigerett lighter if it is on that circut.Good luck with it.
I have a 96 sonoma v6 and i was leaking antifreeze from my intake manifold gasket.
I pulled everything out of the way and put a new gasket in myself and put everything back. the problem now is i have no power! When i turn the key i dont get any dash lights, not even the interiors work. It is like no power is going through it at all i cant start the truck or anything its dead. i have checked all the fuses and they are all fine and he battery and alernator are new . Someone please help me out. Thank you
Battery fully charged, connections good, positive and negative. Now what may have happened is there are some fusible links connected to the positive post on your starter that may have been pulled loose during removal of the manifold. These power your ignition switch amoung other things. The wiring harness runs down your firewall between the manifold. During your repair you may have pulled them loose. You need to verify that power is going through those all the way up the harness. Down on your starter, the positive post has the positive battery cable connected to it, and also some other 10 guage fusible links. Those fusible links are connected to 10 guage wire, usually red, orange and yellow wire that makes part of the harness. The fusible links themselves are only about 6 inches long. Make sure the wires they are connected to have power to them. Fusible link is tricky, they may look ok, but you have to test it with a test light. Check that then repost. Good luck.
What are likely causes.
Any ideas? im about to loose it with this truck......thanks
One method of testing you might try, I doubt you have a power probe so you can temporarely run a fused wire from the battery all the way to the necessarry wire to power the pump. GM the wire is usually a grey wire in the harness going to the pump. Be sure to either fuse or use a 12v circut breaker rated at 30amps for this test is case your dealing with a short of some kind. If the vehicle runs after this test, its just a matter of finding out why it is not getting power.
Does any one have any suggestions? I have spent a lot of time trying to find the in line fuse that is blown, or the connection that has come loose. Thank you.
:sick: :confuse:
Sounds like a fusible link or blown maxi fuse. The power to your ignition switch is feed by some 8-10 guage yellow and pink wire at the switch. Those wires run through a harness down to to positive post on your starter. There are some fusible links that are connected to those wires that then connect to that positive post. Fusible link is tricky. It looks like wire and may appear ok, but you must test to verify power is going through the link to where it connects to the regular wire leading to your switch. GM usually runs this harness down a metal tube that is between your firewall and engine. Obviously you have power to the starter. So, find those 3-4 wires [fusible links] comming off that positive post on the starter and tug on them gently to see which wires they are connected to up by your firewall. Test those wires for power up by the firewall with a test light[usually yellow and pink wire]. If no power, replace the fusible links.
If you have a power distribution box under your hood, there is a chance that it is a blown main maxi fuse. It really depends on the type of circut protection that was used on your vehicle. If you don't have a second fuse box in the engine compartment, then you have the fusible link design that GM used going directly to your ignition switch.
Here is what you need for the internal combustion engine to run;
Fuel, not contaminated, fuel pressure.
Power to the injectors, key on, dash lights on. During cranking they are saturated{pulsed by the PCM} PCM uses info from cam sensor to pulse injecters as long as a ground signal is found by the oil pressure switch[some models].
Spark to each plug, 30-40kv I think is the spec
Compression, engine timing and air. Find out wich one you are missing and go from there with a repost.
Your original post you stated that you were just missing power to the fuel pump. If you have multiple systems that are not getting power, its probably a fusible link or ignition switch failure. You need to test for power to the injecters, test for their pulse , power to the coil and or spark. Test these for power and function and repost.
I dont know what tools you have but you need at least a test light and fuel pressure guage.
nothing leaking, when i start it the battery gauge goes normal, and the fuel gauge works, the oil pressure gauge and the temp don't which sounds normal when not starting.
turns over fine, but just doesn't ignite
any ideas?????
it seems to turn over without any problem, it acts like its not getting any gas,
just keeps turning over,
i changed the fuel filter and checked the fuel pump while i had the fuel line off and the pump was working fine
thanx
frank