ok so I'm working on a 89 f350 with 351, the radio, dome light, buzzer, and windshield wipers don't work. I checked the fusses and all seem good but thought of replacing them to see. Just looking for a place to start looking to figure this stuff out. Thinking it all has to be related since none work. Thanks

 

Check the fusible links that lead off the starter solenoid. Although the devices you have listed comes from different fusible links. My inclination is to doubt multiple fusible links blowing at the same time. So maybe we should back up a bit.

The first question that comes to mind is when did this start? Had you done any work on the truck, or did you just walk out one day to start it and it was dead?


Does anything on the vehicle work? What is the voltage of the battery? If nothing works and the battery has a reasonable voltage, say anything over 12.0 volts, check the battery connections, the connections to the solenoid and the ground. Grounds are frequently a problem. The negative lead on the battery should have a smaller wire that goes to the core support, and a larger cable which leads down from the battery where it is bolted to the inner fender and then continues on to the engine block. You should also have a braided strap which leads from.... Hmmm, can't remember where.... and goes to the firewall on the cab. Check that all of these connections are a) corrosion free, b) tight, and c) have a solid connection between the terminal and the wire.



Let us know what you find.

 

ok I have dash lights,headlights. I don't have a radio nor windshield wipers. All fuses and battery conections are good. I have 2 small relays that are bad but no clue where they go!

 

Also I bought the truck like this

 

Check the fusible links. They are located between the battery and the fender. They'll look like a patched in section of wire. The will lead from a group of, for the most part, yellow wires back towards one terminal on the starting relay. Look for the patched in section, which is the fusible link and will be blue, and I think brown. Check to see if the feel squishy or look burnt or melted. If so the fusible link has melted. Let us know what you find.

 

Ok they are old as crap and rusted, I'm sure they are bad. Trucks in the shop at the moment so will see Monday when I get it back. Will bypass it to check.

 

The fusible links should be rusted, they are wire, or at least they were when they left the factory.

 

Yes just figured as Rusty as the studs are it can't be making a connection

 

Actually, that may not be the case. A properly tightened down connection does a pretty good job of excluding oxygen and the degrading affects. I've taken apart really nasty looking connections on boats and found the the mating surfaces of the terminals to be virtually new in appearance. Of course the problem with badly corroded or rusted studs is that you may not be able to get it apart without breaking it. So plan ahead and have a new quality starter relay on hand.

 

I'd take a WAG and argue that marine connectors are generally made of better stuff than autos, though. For some reason auto manufacturers are fond of using dissimilar metals for electrical connections and they generate their own corrosion.

 

Well there is that, but in this case that doesn't come into play. The surfaces between copper ring terminals, tinned or not, really does a good job of keeping corrosion out, unless of course you submerge them. Of course if you use junk metal terminals all bets are off. But I've not encountered that problem with OEM stuff, yet. I'm sure some bean counter somewhere will think they can save money by using them instead.