Had my truck warming up to check oil. Came back out and truck wasn't running, also would not restart, After some searching I believe this is the culprit. Its in the wire harness on the passenger side, its the black wire that goes into plug with other wires, after about a foot the black wire splits into two wires going into the back of the engine, probably into the cab. Anyone know what the wire is for. And soldier it and heat shrink it good enough? I plan to replace a long length of it because it just didn't feel right the wire that is.... Thanks

 

I got the wire fixed by soldering and heat shrinking it but when I tried to start the truck it melted the wire again, so I'm getting a short somewhere, Also I noticed smoke coming from the speaker hole in the dash. Took dash apart and didn't find anything melted but I need to look more deeper I guess. I'm kind of needing this done fast and fixed... Thanks

 

Here are a few pictures with illustrations.

The green/red splice go to the alternator
The re/Orange splice to toward the cab,

The green and red go together go together to form one wire which plugs into the harness that goes into the Glow plugs. I also noticed my glow plug light didn't come on.


Here is the picture of the melt, It didn't seem to melt anywhere else but right here by the harness, also the previous wire that melted melted right about the same place...

 

I went back out traced some wires...The wire that melted is green/red stripe after it goes through another plug which that traced down to go into the voltage regulator.

Traced the plug in in the picture in the above post where it shows melted wire, on the other side of that prong the wire is Red/Blue stripe and traced it down and it goes into the injector pump it plugs into the front port, which is the fuel shut off correct?

Also found a possible culprit, I noticed my fast idle plugs were unplugged, could they of possibly been touching the block and making it short out?

 

sounds like your fusable link melted, as it should have with a short. don't jump around that, you will end up frying your wiring harness of all the lighter gauge wires in that circuit.

 

When I rewires it though it again melted the wire..What is causing it to melt?

When it first melted it didnt melt at the fuseable link it melted between the fuseable link and where it plugs into the harness that goes to the Glow plugs and the injector pump..

 

Red and green stripe is the ignition wire.

Look at the fuel line that comes up from the lift pump to the fuel filter.

The big fat section is a fuel heater, there should be a wire that comes out of it and ties into the engine harness under the fuel filter.


My guess is the wire is broken off the heater, and may be laying against the exhaust manifold.
When it got hot, the manifold melted the insulation causing the wire to short out.

The blue wire was a fusible link, mine has one in the same location.

I will try to find my wire color notes so I can tell you what goes to what.

 

Thanks Dave I will take a look when its day out.

Also you say the red/green stripe is ignition wire...Is that anywhere in my pictures? can you point it out for me?

How does the wire that melted get associated with the fuel heater though?

would that cause it to just keep cranking? cause when I tried to start it thats all it did, and burnt up the wire again.

Ive also been emailed saying that the plug in connector could do it, but I dont see how..They said to eliminate it...

 

If the plugg is coroded badly it could be getting hot and melting the wire. Wich looks like a possibility for the black wire but the pink/yello wire that used to be blue melted too far from the conector for that to be the culprit. Its most likely one short melting them both. I think Dave S.s theory is very likely. One way to check for shorts is to put a test light in place of a fuse or in your case a fuseable link the start disconecting conectors and shacking the harness working your way back twoards the test light If the light dims or gose out the short is some where near where you shook or in the part of the harness you just disconected.

 

George you said something about "ITs most likely one short melting them both" Actually its just one wire that is melting, but it melted once again once I replaced it. Just wasn't sure if you thought I have two different wires melting...Its just one that melted twice so far.

 

Well in between the rain drops I went out to do some investigating. I checked over the fuel heater and the wire is still connected..

I also noticed if I do away with the connector plug some of the wires go to a bigger gauge after the plug in, IE the one that melted..

Also What gauge wire should I use to rewire what melted. I used 16 gauge is that to small?

There are a few places in the lines that are taped up maybe they have became corroded and such.

I noticed yesterday when attempting to start the truck my uncle said he didn't think he heard the Glow plugs clicking...maybe it was because it was running earlier...

I guess the next possibility is to do away with the plug in...But the question is what gauge wire?



Where can I get a fuse able link at to put back in that I cut out when rewiring?

 

PROBLEM RESOLVED.


Must of been the fast idle wires shorting it out because when I fixed them the wire dont melt or get hot...Thanks for the help guys..

 

I thought the bigger black one going to the plug melted as did the pink one that used to be blue?

 

Thats good.

 

Did any of your gauges work when your truck died. Im having the same problem with my 88 ford and i cant figure it out.

Thanks