Went to start my truck after work at 2am this morning. She started just fine, despite the -45 Celcius weather, let her run long enough to get oil pressure up, and then decided to pull the headlight switch so I could have dash lights to watch the gauges. No sooner said than done, everything goes dead. The truck died, no power to absolutely anything. No headlights, no ignition, nothing....

I'm thinking fuse-able link, but are there other options? Battery is in good shape, battery cables are new, ignition solenoid is new, starter is in good shape.

 

I would throw a battery charger on it or try jumping it first to see if anything lights up. I know you said the battery is fine but even if it has a semi-weak cell, extreme cold temperatures make it worse. Turning on the lights may have take the last bit of charge out of it.

 

The battery is fine, not to concerned with that, although the battery charger did go on before I left work with a buddy. It wouldn't have even turned over, let alone started if even one cell had been low, never mind the fact the truck had been running at least 2-3 minutes before I bothered with the light switch. The alternator has tested fine recently as well. A weak battery will generally light up lights(even dimly) but may not start a vehical. I'm curious if anyone else has run into a situation like this, where there is absolutely no power to anything. Not the key, not the lights, absolutely nothing.

 

Make sure the battery cabels are clean and TIGHT. Also check where the ground connects to the frame.
Sometimes they may feel tight but you can move them by hand.

 

Yeah, I would check grounds.

-Matt

 

Update to the list. Went to work, tried the truck during daylight hours. All wires and cables look good, are tight and clean(I installed them just before first snow, along with a new ignition solenoid.) The key switch feels odd, and it seems as if it turns to far. Still no power to anything. Didn't have time to try boosting it today, but will give that a go tomorrow. Luckily enough, a friend from work is renting a car dolley tomorrow to haul one of his parts cars to the junk yard, and so I offered to go halfers on with him to get my truck home. At least here I have tools, a place to warm up, and access to parts. I will give the secondary ground from the battery to the body a better look tomorrow, as it does seem to be a bit on the old looking side, and I am aware of how much grief they can cause. How-ever, would there not at least be lights? Even if the truck didn't turn over? What I really have to wonder at, is the fact that it was the event of turning the lights on that caused everything to die....keep in mind, the truck started, and had been running for a few minutes prior to this, was plugged in, and had run fine earlier to get me to work. To give you an idea of how good the battery might be. Someone had kicked my block heater cord loose earlier that morning, and when I went to go to work, the truck was stone cold.(-45C) I gave it a try, but 10w30 at that temp is just to thick. I plugged the truck in, and put my 2 amp trickle charger on the battery to warm it up a bit as well, and tried again in an hour, and away it went. It started beautifully with 2 pumps of the gas after a 10 hr shift at work with only being plugged in. Turning the lights on killed everything, and I only turned the park lights on, and they were only on as long as it took to kill the truck dead(instantly).
The battery shows no signs of bulging(good sign it's not frozen). Thankfully later today is supposed to be much warmer, and with some daylight and some time I'll be able to troubleshoot further. Keeping my fingers crossed it was simply a cold weather issue, and things will work tomorrow. I have an extra alternator, and ignition solenoid kicking around, and once at home can use the volt/ohm meter and light tester to troubleshoot other things, as well as check fuses and such in the light of day. Will keep this updated, as it may well come in handy for others in the future.

 

sounds like one of a couple things dead sort somewhere or regulator side on alternator is bad.could be some thig as simple as broken connection on alternator. I had a broken connect in the alternator inside where wires connect on my bosses 1988 E-350 desiel van. Easy way to see if you have a draw somewhere is pull the ground wire off battery and make connection with neg and cable if it lights you have a power draw somewhere. Im betting on alternator,its probably not putting out enough to keep it running with lights.

 

Take a test light with you. Connect clamp to neg terminal on battery and test the cable at solenoid. If you have voltage there, connect the light clamp to the alternator bracket or somewhere else on the motor and see if you have power then. If yes, turn on the head lights, try to start and see if the test light dims. If the test light glows brightly with these checks and doesn't dim with turning on the lights or turning the starter then you aren't getting power to the fuse block to actuate the lights or starter and more than likely a fuse link. If light goes out with the started or dims with the head lights, then battery is weak or you have a bad ground or bad connections at the battery terminals.

 

I got it to a shop today, thanks to a bud from work, a tow bar, and another truck. The ignition switch turns to far, and doesn't spring back on it's own(one problem) We tried jumping it with cables, the battery didn't even pull the other truck's idle down, so the battery is fine. I looked for broken connections in the day light. Nothing is showing. Bottom line of this one, if it were summer, I'd be out working on it. It's winter here, and it's cold....I'm willing to pay to have this one fixed. My only other options for getting to work are taking a bus(closest stop is 3/4 of a mile from where I work) or take a cab, at which point I may as well not bother. Will let everyone know what it was. At this point I suspect the ignition switch as one major problem(rod is moving on the column, so likely the lower switch, but we'll see) I also believe one or more fuse-able links are blown, at this point. There is no power to anything, I don't even have gauges with the key in the acc position. Volt meter shows lots of juice at the battery and solenoid. Beyond that is where the hunt begins, but the temps here and no garage to work in are denoting the need for digging into the pocket, and getting it fixed by a shop. Bottom line...I need the truck to run, so this is the end of my own troubleshooting. Will let everyone know what it is when I find out from the shop, and post here so others may have a shorter route to finding a solution.