curtis thornton

I have a1991 toyota 4x4 22 r. It was running fine untill my daughter got into it and was going to go to the store. I dont know if this has anything to do with it but when she tried to start it the first time, she failed to push the clutch in and the engine turned over while it was in gear ( the clutch swith is by passed) The I told her she hand to push the clutch in and it started fine. But she is not used to operating a cluch and as she started off it died and when she tried to start it back everything was dead. The lights and everthing is dead. The battery is good and I have power to the fuse box under the hood. Everthing inside is also dead. There is some crazy stuff going on with this thing. When you put your test light on the negative post and then touch the other end to the bocy of the truck the test light lights up ---- I am stumped please help me.

One time before it did something similair to this --- But I thought it might be the ignt switch -- anyone had this problem

yayfortrees

The test light should light up when you go from negative side to body/frame. That is actually good, it means that your battery and frame are properly grounded.

Let me do some looking and thinking. I will be back...

curtis thornton

Thanks for the help --- there must be a fusable link somewhere that burnt --all regular fuses are good ---- If the ignition swith went out dont you think I should still have lights or a horn

yayfortrees

Wait, wait, I'm a little slow sometimes! I was wrong. Totally wrong.

yayfortrees

So I was totally wrong in my first post. I was thinking of a resistance check. But, that is not what a test light does.

You must have a positive lead grounded or shorted to ground.

I would disconnect the negative side for now. We'll start diagnosing after that.

slacker

iTrader: (1)

there is an 80A fuse link in the fuse box .. black .. check that !
also if this is the problem .. it is bolted in from the bottom .. so dont try just pulling it out .


.

yayfortrees

It shouldn't be the ignition switch, because you would have lights and horn, etc.

I would look first at the positive cable coming from the battery. Look for any spot that the insulation could be worn through and touching the frame. Follow it all the way down to the starter if you have to.

curtis thornton

Is it the fuse box under the hood or inside ---- also I checked the starter and the body of it was inergized. I just went and double checked -- as long as you have the key on and touch one to neg side of Bat and the other to body the test light -- lights up -- but when you turn the key off it will not do it also I checked the starter -- the body of shell of the starter --- if your light is grounded and then touch the shell of the started it will light up -- if the key is on

curtis thornton

if the test light lights up only when the key is in the on position -- it seems to me that the grounded spot must be between the switch key and the starter

yayfortrees

Whoa!? Your truck seems to be having some issues. Did your daughter hot wire it by chance? LOL Just kidding.

Time to start chasing some wires. It seems that a power wire coming out of your ignition is grounded. What wire and where is it grounded? That's where you come in!

I think the fuse link that slacker mentioned is in the fuse box under the hood, but I'm not sure. I didn't see it on my truck when I went outside earlier. Maybe I'll look again.

curtis thornton

Some time back ( while it was stored in my barn ) I saw where a rat had kinda chewed on a some wires -- but it started fine and ran good --- just maybe it just might have taken another bit and done it in this time --- I will chase some wires tomorrow and when I find the problem I will let yall know

curtis thornton

if it had a direct ground dont you think it would blow some fuses

yayfortrees

Yeah, I agree with you Curtis. It sounds like it is between the key switch and the starter relay. Do you have a manual or a wiring diagram? Let me know if you need some help on that. I could at least maybe tell you what wire colors to check first.

yayfortrees

I was surprised that no fuses had blown yet, actually. Is the battery disconnected for overnight? Please make sure that it is.

The fuse thing is kind of baffling me. The only way the frame/body is not energized is if you tested the positive side of the battery to ground, instead of the negative side.

If the frame/body is in fact energized, the only way to do that is to have a hot wire touching ground. Obviously, that can spell trouble. If the problem exists before a fuse (which is difficult to have), no fuses would be affected, but you could potentially melt a wire or worse yet, start a fire.

Sounds like you have a good plan. Wait until tomorrow and check the wires that the rat chewed on, and look for anywhere else they may have chewed.

curtis thornton

I have a haynes manual but it is kinda vauge ( I think thats how u spell it lol )

curtis thornton

She said when she tried to start it she had her foot on the brake without pushing in the clutch. I am just thinking that maybe that was too much of something and it burned the fusable link ---- but the other problems I am going to have to trace down ---- I might better go take off the neg battery cable so it wont burn down. I is a good old truck I have repainted it and put a new trans from martin crawler and the motor has been over hauled - it has 230,000 mile and was going strong until she got ahold of it lol

yayfortrees

It should have a wiring diagram in it. If not, let me know and I will see what I can come up with.

Just please, please, please make sure the battery is disconnected overnight.

curtis thornton

I went and checked again -- when the key is on and one end of test light is on the neg battery cable and then u touch the other to the body or the starter it lights up -- I am going right now to dissconnect it

curtis thornton

rest in peace it is disconnected --- I will work on it tomorrow and give yall an update

yayfortrees

Did you find anything today Curtis? Is it fixed?