Well, the title states my problem and I need help finding the solution. The truck is an '88 with a '90 engine and trans. I was out driving all of a sudden the battery light came on (I have had problems with the alternator becoming loose, just hop out and tighten it back up). When I got back in the truck and turned the key, not a thing. After looking around the truck I noticed all I had was headlights and hazards. No tail lights, brake lights, blinkers, dome light, or stereo. So my initial thought was maybe the battery had gone bad from the alternator loosening up, but I tried a good battery and it was the same thing. So with the lights not working I thought maybe a bad ground. So I cleaned up the contacts and even went out and bought a brand new ground cable. I had already checked all the fuses to look for an obvious answer but they were all good as well. Any ideas guys?

Thanks in advance.

 

Check the wiring going to the starter from the starter relay. There should be a small wire clipped to the starter solenoid. If this wire comes off or breaks, you'll get nothing except lights and accessories. Its a pretty small wire.





I'm betting thats your problem.

 

You sure you checked fuses in fuse block in engine compartment as well as in fuse block behind driver side kick panel?

When you attempt to start, exactly what do you hear and where? Gotta be very sure. If you could not verify yourself, people helping you across the internet could not either

OP says "...No tail lights, brake lights, blinkers, dome light, or stereo..." disconnecting wire to starter solenoid will not stop tail lights, brake lights, blinkers, dome light, or stereo to stop working.

bigmike7272, try to find a schematic, find out which wires 'tail lights, brake lights, blinkers, dome light, or stereo..." and everything that do not work have in common and look at that.

IF you have a 22-RE engine, tail lights, brake lights, rear Window control, dome light, power door locks & windows share wire "C" in schematic. All these, except window up/down should operate even with ignition key off. pls verify if they ALL do not work. If they all do NOT work, trace wire "C" in schematic, all the way back to battery, There should always be 12V along that wire. Check for 12V at both sides of:

• power window circuit breaker
• door lock circuit breaker
• dome fuse
• 15-Amp stop light fuse

They all get steady 12V through white "C" wire.

Turn light dimmer-switch (stalk) to tail light on. tail light relay behind driver-side kick panel should click, and there should be 12Vat both sides of tail light fuse.

If none of the above gets 12V, find out where power stops from getting to "C" wire.