Hello everyone, I've been lurking these forums for a while now. I've learned a lot! This is my first post, so please bear with me on not knowing all of the proper lingo. I'm by no means a mechanic, but I am a very mechanical person. I've been fixing/making machinery all my life. Just never learned much about cars and trucks till recently.

I went to put a stereo into my 87 4wd pickup. And like the title says I have no juice what so ever over my accessory line. I've followed the wire as far as I can with out completely ripping all of the dash supports and panels out, and found no breaks or shorts anywhere. I did take most of the dash apart around the steering column.

Is it possible that the problem is in my ignition switch? If so how can I got about finding out? I have a multimeter and plenty of electrical tools. Just not much of a clue as to where I should be looking. Right now I have the stereo hooked up to the heater panel, but the stereo cuts out if I ever turn the fan on. Annoying!

Thanks!

P.S. I'm in the Battle Ground Washington area if any of you are able to help in person.

 

First of all I think we are all pretty clueless just what your talking about.

If your Truck had a radio the harness with a plug should be there in the truck

A few different places where you can buy the adapter to wire into your new unit.

If need be and the harness has been cut out you can use a spade terminal and a in line fuse to plug into the fuse block where the radio fuse would go..

It is easier to use the harness because then your all ready wired into the lights and have a constant power for the memory of the radio.

I would try and get the electrical manual for your truck.

 

Ok to clarify. The connector for the stereo was cut off, and I have spliced a new one on. But alas, I have no power over the switched line (the grey wire) to the stereo connector. All the other wires work just fine. But when I turn my switch to accessory, I get nothing.

I had it hooked up to a constant on the wire that should have been switched, just so I could use it, but got tired of having my battery being run down. I have all the manuals I can find for my truck, they just don't offer much in info for how I can figure out if my ignition switch is the problem, or if the wire is broken somewhere I can't get to it.

 

Not to be a jerk, but you're testing this with your (-) probe on a good ground, right? And with the switch in ACC of course. Do other items nearby, like the blower or wipers work? (if they should in ACC, I forget since I never do that).

All you can do is go thru the harness with the ACC on, DMM grounded, and find a hot wire that goes dead with key set to OFF. If you don't, yes, it's up in the column or the wire has broken....or you're not the first one to mess with it! So you'll have to trace it up intot he swtich area. Not too hard, I'd think.

I'm willing to be the contact in the ACC position is dirty, or worn and needs to be adjusted or something....it's the only moving part.

You can run a continuity test from the ACC wire to the end of the wire on the harness to be sure the wire itself is ok, before you do anything to the switch.

Could be a fusible link in that line somewhere that has blown? Dunno how likely that is, tho.

 

Considering what 87 keys look like after 25 years, your switch looks the same inside.

If nothing else works on ACC then there's your culprit.

:wabbit2:

 

So it is my switch then. Is there a way I can go about fixing it? Or is it just time to replace it?

Thanks for all the info.