rainfade

OK so on the way home from work stopped at my second data center to prep for some maint this weekend. Was there maybe 30 minutes when I tried to fire up the truck it wouldn't crank or even click.
All the usual lights were on, radio etc..
Hummm solenoid hasn't been acting goofy maybe the neutral start switch or whatever. Tried to start in N wiggled talked dirty to key and shift lever no dics To make matters worse I don't have any real tools on me so I jump solenoid she fires right up.

Great jump in NO I mean NO power... was still thinking electrical for a few minutes like man maybe shutoff not fully energized or something until I found I had kinked the hard line to the LP... D'OH. Seems mr brilliant I am I moved it in getting access to the stud on the starter to jump it stupid hard plastic lines grrrrr.

Now the fun part I can shut it off and start it with no problems leaving whatever was the problem still lurking.

As I was wiggling wires around the bat I guess one of the cables or that connector for the wire from the starter but would LOVE to hear best guesses so I have some direction to my troubleshooting.

Also if anyone has a wiring diagram for a 93 they could share, oh and if it was for a truck with daytime running lights that would be awesome as somehow a truck with DRL ended up in Ohio ??

OK enough venting if anyone has any ideas what I should check or just throw parts at first I'd be extremely grateful.

Brian

cootz

I vote for a blown fuse right near your battery. Probably the main lead wire to your main connector? Does it start and shut down as normal now? If so, check the battery connections and ground...good and tight?

Pop that hood and follow all the main wires from the positive terminal on the battery. Check for a fuse somewhere along the line. Has happened to me twice now.

Check out this link. Hope it helps.

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=124531

rainfade

Thing is after I jumped it at the solenoid it has started repeatedly ever since so it has to be something intermittent. But you just KNOW it's waiting to rear it's ugly head at the most inconvenient time.
Heck if something would blow or break I could fire up the DMM and fix it I hate intermittent problems grrrrr

woodrat

sounds to me like starter contacts. Mine used to do that every now and then, and I would get out and give the starter a whack with a piece of pipe and then she would start right up. Now it is starting to do it more often, so I got new contacts a while back, just in case. I haven't replaced them yet, because I haven't been driving the truck that much, but soon I will need to.

because one of these days, I'm gonna need the truck and the pipe isn't going to work...

the other thing I would look at is those fusible links. even if they haven't blown, they can get brittle and fall apart.

scottmn1

Woodrat is right. Those fusible links will do exactly what you are describing. I know this first hand. The previous owner on my truck replaced one of those fusible links with a fuse, and that fuse would corrode and give a no start. Mess around with the fuse and it would start again. I replaced the fusible link with a new one by soldering on the leads and never had another problem. The one on my truck was by the hearer grid relays, but I would have to look to see what color it was. My truck is also a 93, so it would be the same

rainfade

Well just wanted to update you as I hate reading a thread I'm interested in and never knowing the fix...
Yesterday it did it and wouldn't start for anything but I was at home with TOOLS... DMM showed voltage at little terminal and no crank so I replaced the starter and all is golden.
Weird how it was so intermittent but when it finally died long enough to troubleshoot it was indeed the starter.

Thanks to everyone for their help and suggetions.

Brian

olddodgetrucks

lots of trucks from Can went to US when Can dollar was worth 60 cents,if they are fact.daytime running lights if you push down on emerg. brake lights will not come on when you turn on the key.

rainfade

I finally bought the FSM and this silly thing does have factory DRL's
the e-brake trick may answer my nagging doubt about relays and my headlights i'll just kill the drl every time I jump in the truck.... well maybe a little hacking of the harness isn't so bad

THANKS !