Start by checking the fusible links coming off the big hot lug of the starter solenoid.

 

 

Fuseable links are all the feeds under the lug on the solenoid with the other end of the + battery cable. If they are "blown" you can tug on them and they will stretch.

 

Fusible links are rectangle rubber things in the wires. You will have one large one hooked to the large terminal on the solenoid that goes to the battery +. If you follow that out, you will hit splices and more fusible links as they spread the power over different parts of the truck.

If you find one burnt, what I would do is disconnect the battery, temporarily hook the burnt fusible link wires together, and then ONLY HOOK THE BATTERY CHARGER to the large battery cables. Do not hook the battery up. If the battery charger trips, you still have a problem. You are going to have to start a large investigation as to where the problem is.

The first place I would look is behind the alternator. There is a large wire coming off the alternator that goes to a splice and then heads up to the solenoid to charge the battery. Make sure the wiring looks ok there.

 

What is meant by that? What work was done that you were "test starting the truck"?
Dave ----

 

the truck has a rebuilt engine in it, but the wiring is all factory, it hasn't been touched. I hooked up the battery 2 weeks ago and had horn, headlights, wipers, blinkers, courtesy lights, etc... went out there Sunday and the battery was completely drained and no power to the fuse box at all. -and so began my issues. - the key hasn't been turned

 

You can't pull an engine to rebuild it and not touch the wiring.

 

my point was there were no modifications made to the wiring

 

A lot of things can happen with major work like an engine rebuild. Wires can get put on wrong or pinched. I had one come in that had ran fine for 1000 miles after a clutch job and then developed symptoms similar to yours. The whole harness was pinched between the bell housing and engine.

 

Voltage drop test for a parasitic battery drain:

Have your battery fully charged. Disconnect the NEG (-) battery terminal...with DVOM set on 20 VDC, hook up one lead from your DVOM to the BAT NEG post, the other to the BAT NEG cable.

What readings do you have? You could then start pulling fuses, one by one....disconnect/reconnect the solenoid and observe any change in readings.....wiggle, jiggle the wiring in and around the solenoid, alternator, etc, whilst observing your DVOM.

 

Good suggestions, Filthy Beast!

Xwarrior86, check your PM.

 

Excellent! Thank you. I've got a hunch its my solenoid, but I'll give it a shot this weekend and get it squared away. Thanks.

 

That test will not work most of the time with a DVOM reading volts. If you have a digital radio with memory or a digital clock or some other very light load that is normal on newer cars and trucks, then your DVOM in volts mode will always read battery voltage in that configuration.

Normally if you have a DVOM and are looking for a drain, you set it up in amps mode and then hook it inline with the battery terminal disconnected. In this case that would be risky, if he has a dead short and you hook The DVOM inline in the amps mode, it will most likely blow the fuse in the meter.

The best piece to use like that for finding drains is a testlight. It will ignore small normal drains and is self current limiting so it will not blow up if it's hooked up wrong.

 

It'll work fine diagnosing the voltage drop on the starter circuit, which (if I read it right) is Xwarrior86's main complaint - to "test start" the truck. He's looking for a change in the potential voltage across the START circuit...starting with the solenoid and the to the starter.

I would definitely check the solenoid first, as we all know, these Chinee stuff wets the bed as soon as they're used. The closed/melted contacts would drain the battery....and not normally leave the engine in a START condition as the drain would be fast.

the milliamp setting is a good diagnostic test doing the same thing....agreed, there Franklin2....lets see what happens and go from there.

I had brain surgery last Monday and I think I'm left with some dain bramage, but can't confirm it.....

Edit: If you do get a new solenoid, make sure it has a good, clean ground...otherwise, the electrons will try and find their own path to ground using the solenoid itself....You could smack the old one a few times to try and loosen the internal contacts....