Ok, I had the glow plug system working well for a couple days . I go to start the truck today and the wts light comes on and goes off like normal, and its to cold out to start so I cycle them again and thats it no more wts light. with key on ive got power to all terminals on the relay except the coil, I have no sound from it and the coil doesnt get hot like it used to. Did it fry another one. Also to compound the situation or it may be related my voltometer doesnt move and the truck doesnt charge the batteries. the batteries show 12.3 each but the truck wont start hardly ever. i usually have to jump it. my cables dont appear bad, however the regulator box looks like hell i had to fix a yellow and green wire that was corroded in half . also I have a new starter so thats not it. when i test voltage coming out of the alternator i get exactly what the batteries show at that moment thats it. sorry for the super long rant but this very frustrating

 

The cables can be very decieving on these are there any bulges close to the clamps.
Have you load tested the batteries possible you have a bad one.
You can jump the a and f terminal on the connector for your voltage regulater and check alt output that will be max output all it will do to check the alt.

 

First you need to charge your batterys, anything under 12.5 is a low charge. I would have your alternator checked for charge output, when engine running you should have 13.5 at the big wire on back of alternator.

 

Your local parts should be able to test your alt and they can check how many amps it is putting out also. If it is putting out 14 volts but only 10 amps it is not any good.

 

i charged them completely yesterday and it started great. ive run the truck a total of 25 min since if that, and as soon as I cut the truck off i would not start again. I did not however check the voltage after they were charged. im a dummy. This thing is becomimg a pita

 

Sounds like my problems when the regulator wasn't hooked up properly, the batteries were 12.6 and wouldn't spin the motor fast enough. If you let it run for 25 min and turned it off then tried restarting it again, it's warm, should fire right away so it would seem that your not getting enough battery power. Check voltage at the alternator when running.

 

Are all your motor grounds hooked up.

 

Are the grounds on the fender to the plate the voltage regulator is mounted on hooked up.
Are the battery to chassis grounds hooked up?
Voltage regulator connections may have corrosion on them not making contact.


With 12.6 volts in the battery, with the engine running, something is wrong.

 

I will check all of those things tommorow thanks

 

I dont recall seeing a plate under the voltage regulator or grounds it was just bolted to the fender but i'll double check in the morning

 

Look close, the inner fender is plastic.

There is a metal plate mounted on the inner fender that the voltage regulator, horn, low vaccum sensor and a couple other things are mounted on.

Ground froom battery negative, to fender by the starter realy, down to the voltage regulator, over to the horn and ending at the low vacuum sensor.

Also check the engine block to frame grounds, they originally came off the block ground wire connection and went over to the frame, both sides of the engine.

Ground strap from the rear of the intake manifold to the firewall, attached close to the wiper motor.

Ground from firewall to hood, that one was near the heater.

Ground wire from the frame to the bed harness, that one was drivers side at the rear of the frame.

I bet several have been removed, and a couple more have so much rust and corrosion on them that they are not making a connection any more.

20 year old vehicles need TLC.
Most of it is not expensive, but it is a pain when things start not working for no apparent reason.

I am in the never ending process of completly redesigning the wiring on my 86, replacing everything.

I llok at the price of a new truck, man I can replace a lot of parts for what the payment and insurance premium would be on that new truck.

 

I found a company that carries the ground strapping I have on my truck. Anyone have an idea how much I should get to replace any bad grounds or upgrade with additional?

 

I am making everything I am replacing with solder on terminals and insulated wire.

With insulated wire, the conductor is protected from the salt road spray we have here in the winter that does a job on the ground straps.

I don't think I have any of the flat metal OEM straps left on my truck, the salt ate them years ago.

 

Dave S. look up polar wire I started buying this when I first started running back and forth to alaska, it doesn't get hard after it is used like most wires.

 

I found flat ground strap at tractor supply company. Update! today I messed with the plug on my alternator and my voltage regulator and bam I have glow plugs and a voltameter also now I have 13.5 coming out of the alternater and at the batteries while running. so I just put a new Voltage Regulater on just cause I'm tired of playing and I'll have new cables made up too. She seems to start fine now but my volt gauge in the truck moves really slow like you have to rev on it to get it to move to the middle then it will stay. does anyone know which color wire supports the gauge its probaly coroded Thanks again fella's