YotANo0b

i have an 88 p.u. 3vze 5spd.. owned for month and have had many issues.
things ive replaced first off
-fuel pump and filter
-spark plugs
-ignition coil
-ground wires (upgraded to 6ga)
-fuse box power supply AND battery ground(also upgraded to 6ga)
-new battery

K, here is the story... I bought the truck and it drove home about 30 miles just fine. it ran for awhile till randomly one day it didnt start in front of an auto store.
I was prompted into replacing fuel pump and filter and when done with that it still didnt start.. found a ground the had been cut by PO and replaced grounds, battery ground, and fuse box power supply. truck ran fine for awhile
during which time i replaced plugs.
it decided to start clunking out again tho.. it would stall at random like it did when the old bad ground fell off occasionally(now replaced).
got it towed home(it would just crank very strong but not start) and removed dist cap(rotor and cap points are great!) cleaned it out and it started right up first turn. not to be fooled i tried it a few more times and each time it got progressively worse(took a lil longer to crank each time be4 it started.) then it didnt even start at all but just cranked. (and yes the battery is still good i didnt crank it to its demise)
but then the next morning it started right up! i turned it off and tried again and it just cranked again!
so today it had been sitting for a day or so and i pushed it into my garage and removed all wires and pulled cap off again.. cap looked good as before but the number 2 wire's boot had a crack in it where it connects to the distributor.. could this cause the truck not to start???
please help! I need this truck to run asap!

** also today i noticed the 30amp fuse in the relay box in eng. compartment was blown again(It did this everytime my truck stalled and killed my blinkers and im not sure what else is tied into this fuse because i cant find a fuse box diagram) so today i replaced the fuse and it simply blew as i put it in??!

can anyone help me?
Thanks!

YotANo0b

*** I just checked in the dark and there is NO spark off the brand new ignition coil! So the 30amp fuse that as far as I know controls the blinkers and something else? keeps blowing when i simply put a new one in its place and theres no spark of the NEW coil! Can anyone make sense of this? Thanks!

yayfortrees

I am looking at a wiring diagram of the ignition system for your truck. That 30 amp fuse runs the ignition system, and I'm not sure what else as of yet. To look at the wiring schematic, download the manual if you haven't already. Go to the ignition section, system circuit.

A short condition is the most likely reason for the fuse blowing, and it makes sense that there would be no spark then. Looking at the schematic, there are lots of places for a wire to short to ground, so I would begin looking at the most likely places, anywhere a wire could touch the body or frame, or any damaged/hacked spot on a wire harness.

This doesn't sound like a component failure. However, problems like this could be caused by so many different things, it's basically impossible to diagnose without actually having the vehicle. It's going to be up to you to run all the tests, since none of us can do it. I'll help as much as I can, so if you have any specific questions, fire away. Just look over and read every section of the manual that could apply, and keep us posted with any updates or questions.

Good luck!

YotANo0b

haha i gave in tryin to find this shorting wire and handed it over to a professional mechanic of 30 years that i know.. He should find it in no time fer me! thanks for the help tho! very much appreciated! (Ive been bustin knuckles and cussin at this truck for a month now! )

Lex.Luther

Finding a short in the wiring harness can be quite an ordeal. Good to hear you have a mechanic you can trust. If he actually locates a short, he is a good man indeed and whatever he charges you is probably well-deserved.

YotANo0b

k he found the short.. two actually.. on in the aftermarket wiring done for stereo and another melted connection behind the relay box.. truck starts fine now.. thanks for all your help! now one more question.. the needle on the battery gauge dips each time the blinker "blinks".. and sometimes when i flick on the high beams they hesitate and im left in darkness for a split second and then they come on.. this doesnt happen very frequently mind you.. and once i was simply driving with the high beams on and they cut off briefly and came back on.. the lights are brilliantly bright too when on.. no dimming or flickering

yayfortrees

I would check out your charging system to make sure you've got good power.

How confident are you that you got the fuse box supply wire attached firmly? It might be worth going back in to check it if you're not 100% on it.

Glad to hear it's running again.