Interesting Ignition issue

Hoping someone has had experience with the issue I'm having.

Truck wont start. Depressing the push ****on starter generates a click and all dash lights go out, head lights wont work, truck wont even turn over etc..Disconnecting the battery and then reconnecting it "resets" the electrics and I then have dash lights headlights etc..again. Touch the lil black start ****on, kills everything again. I could do it all day. Battery is full. Just replaced starter solienoid. Should I replace the ignition switch?



Thanks.

 

I should add this all started last weekend after driving it for about an hour.

 

Somewhere between the battery posts, junctionbox/solenoid, and engine ground connection something is loose. The sudden load of the starter breaks the circuit.

 

i'd be taking off the battery cables/starter cables and cleaning the connections; i've had that issue on some cars before and that seemed to be the fault. you may need new cables; not a bad time to replace them all.

 

My OT car had a very similar thing going on over the winter. It was simply a crusty battery terminal. Lots of corrosion between the terminal and the cable. It would form a good enough connection to make dash lights and such but just opening the door the power seat belts would overload it and burn out the connection.

 

What he said. Clean battery terminals and cables at both ends. Make sure block is grounded to ch***is.

 

Bad connection at the battery cables to the battery. Clean cables/battery good and re install cables. Make sure they're tight, you can't turn the cable ends on the battery by hand.

Use a cheap battery brush:

 

Yah what other said and you can scratch up the cable end with a screw driver. I dont like to do that to batterys. Never hit battery terminals with anything.

Forgot to add. when mine did this i could see a spark from the terminal and a little puff of smoke.

 

Where does the block ground at? I have a ground from the manifold to the firewall, is that what you are referring too? Or somewhere else?

 

Yea Battery is brand new and the cables connecting to the attery are in great shape. The cable to from the solenoid to the starter is missing insulation and showing bare wire.

 

Thanks! Only see one cable with issues and its the one to the starter from solenoid, missign some of its jacket near the starter, Cant understand how that is the issue, but will replace it.

 

In one of my pictures of the dash ( in my album ) shows a white wire hanging down, in that wire is a 7.5 amp blown/dead gl*** fuse. It goes to the starter switch, not sure what its for and there is also a ground wire next to it not connected to anything except the dash.

 

Using a voltmeter to measure voltage drop from point-to-point as shown here will reveal which connections or cables are "bad."
http://www.freeasestudyguides.com/voltage-drop-test.html

Also, if the voltage measured at the bat posts drops below 11 or so while cranking (***uming 12 volt system) then the battery is either not charged or damaged.
If the problem is really cable or connection the bat voltage (post to post, not clamp to clamp) will barely drop at all when the starter ****on is pressed.

 

The negative off the battery goes to the block. I don't recommend an exhaust bolt. Then a smaller wire, normaly braided copper goes from engine to body and body to frame, and battery to body as well. Trucks are tough, since the bed isn't attached to the body and uses either rubber or wood mounts. Same with cab.

I say its a grounding problem. That is easily fixed....

 

You found the problem area by removing the cable and re connecting it. Whatever cable you are taking off is the problem, if it's the battery cable make sure the connection is tight (try turning the cable end on the battery). The battery post should be sticking up past the terminal end a little (post and cable end are tapered like a pipe fitting), also I've seen new cables bad were the cable goes into the lead end. You can by p*** it all by running a jumper cable from the battery to the starter solenoid (take off the old cable first).

 

Thanks All. Back to the garage...

 

I think you have a shorted battery or you have bad cables. Peal back the insulation on the cables a bit to see if they are corroded. If so replace them.

 

I had this problem in a 55 belair once. The negative battery cable was corroded on the inside where you couldnt see it. I replaced the battery cable and was on my way. as stated above, the cable you are messing with, replace it.

 

Another vote for loose, bad, dirty or corroded connection on the battery cables. 6 volt systems are patsies for this but 12v are not immune.

 

Here's a look at the cables. Starter cable was worse than I expected. Need to procure some new cables. I hope replacing resolves this issue, i just got the carb rebuilt and the truck ran like a champ! ( for an hour , it was a glorious hour lol ).

 

Man! Thats some ugly looking cable right there. Any one of those could be the problem and you have three bad ones.

 

The starter cable is smoked. It's missing the sheath because of the heat, not just old and rotted. Starter problem? Or new starter with the old cable? Either way, start there.

 

Those bolt on cable ends can have a bad connection too. Buy good heavy cables.

 

Ok so I connected jumpers from the battery to the neg on the starter solenoid the positive on the starter. Heard it spin, didnt smell so well and a wire to the alternater was super hot, could feel it on my face when i leaned in lol. Is the starter done?

 

Anyone Opposed to buying cables at Orielly Auto?

 

Coould engine degreaser do that to a cable?

 

Manny, Moe and Jack likely.

I bought a cable there fairly recently. Not the best I've ever seen but I didn't shop around for quality. May be hard to find better ones anywhere else without ordering something.

 

Is it 6V? If so the cables need to be twice as big as 12V. Ordinary parts store cables keep getting skimpier and cheesier. Cheap cables will work OK when the going is easy but pooh out under severe conditions.

 

Hmmm 55 years of hard service in a hot climate, or getting wet in soapy water?

My guess it was the 55 years that did the damage.

 

55 years made them old and brittle I am sure, but a bad ground or any connection will cause excessive heat on any cable with a good connection.

I say, your lucky it didn't catch fire