No power steering/brakes (temporary)

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boy&hisdogs

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I start my truck, and about the time I pull out of the parking lot and onto the road I suddenly lose power steering and power brakes. My battery light comes on and the volt gauge reads low, and the oil and temp gauge read zero.

I pull over, shut the truck off, and it struggles to restart. Once I get it started I notice my radio (aftermarket touch/nav) takes forever to boot up, but other than that once it's running again every thing runs fine.

It's happened once per day for the past 3 days. Twice in the morning (first start of the day) and once in the middle of the day after stopping for lunch.

I've searched and only found this happening with hydro boost trucks, and my truck is NOT hydroboost.

The truck is a 98 K1500 5.7, non-hydroboost. The fluids and belts all look fine, the electrical plugs under the hood all seem solid.
 

df2x4

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My first instinct says belt issue... But if it's intermittent like that and effects the Nav, I'd be checking all your grounds and electrical with a fine toothed comb.
 

sewlow

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Bad grounds or old cables. If they are original & there's green corrosion at the ends, more than likely, that corrosion is throughout the length of the cable. Do the 'Big 3'.
These trucks do funky weird things when the cables/grounds get old.
 

Justin S

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If you lose power brakes intermittently, then you are most likely losing vacuum from the engine, which would mean its running rough at a low RPM, which could explain the power steering and battery light, the pump and alt aren't spinning fast enough? Just a guess
 

dave_erald

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The Truck Hoarder (JustinS) is probably on to something there (though it looks like df2x4 beat him and me too it, give me a break people IM ON VACATION), either electrical cables are keeping your junk from idling and revving properly, or your belt is slipping, and the brakes you feel are weird because of the engine stumbling maybe?

- Pic of the belt setup and how much slack there is in the belt engine OFF?

- And check cables, especially the one from the cab to frame and engine to frame pass side of engine

- Check battery voltage sitting, and then charging voltage

...give it all a good once over.

Done yet?
 

Ironhead

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Like df2x4, my first thought was belts. The symptoms you describe are classic "no belt". But, if it doesn't do it all the time, then I wonder if the problem isn't electrical. The 98s have that EVO power steering, which could point at electrical, but why no power brakes? Could that be two things wrong at once: bad vacuum hose somewhere, and bad electrical cable or connection.

Let us know what it turns out to be.
 

boy&hisdogs

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Tried it again this morning, got in it, interior light came on and everything like normal, then when I slammed the door shut everything electrical died and I got zero response of any kind from turning the key. I popped the hood, got my tools, tested the battery with my DMM and got 12.5v but then I looked up and noticed the underhood light was on. I ran back around, jumped in and it fired right up. I drove around for a minute and while driving the radio died for a second but the engine kept running fine.

I parked and tried starting/stopping the engine over and over. I got about 70% good starts, 20% no starts and 10% rough starts.

I think I have some connection somewhere either loose or corroded that gets wiggled while opening/closing doors, hitting bumps, etc. Though I cannot intentionally recreate it by driving or wiggling wired while the truck is parked and running.
 

boy&hisdogs

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Got it. I can't believe that it was so simple. The negative wire at the battery was loose... in a way. The bolt into the battery was cross threaded and slightly crooked. A quick wiggle of the wire stayed solid but going all the way around the terminal, carefully working it at every imaginable angle I finally hit the sweet spot (sour spot?) where it broke connection. I simply re-installed the bolt correctly and now everything works.

I think I know what did it too. Last time I disconnected that terminal was when I had both my headlights burn out within minutes of each other. I had to replace them in the Autozone parking lot in the middle of the night and probably got in a rush and put the bolt in wrong.

I went backpacking a couple days ago and had to drive about an hour each way along a rough 4x4 road to and from the trail head. I bet all that bouncing and tossing is what finally loosened it up enough to cause the issue. I'm really glad I figured it out because I'm actually in base camp right now and have to drive 6 hours home tomorrow down one mountain and over another. :eek:
 

dave_erald

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This is going to be one of those things where you are just going to have to pull all the big wire connections off and beat em up. Un bolt the starter and bolt it back up (helps clean the starter ground to block without actually pulling the starter). Pull the battery connections off and check em, probably test the battery at a shop maybe (shorted cell, though that should be always dead rather than intermittent) I'm wondering about your body to frame and then to battery grounds based on you just opening and closing doors and hood and **** just "magically" coming back to life.

Grab the wrenchs and beat **** up son!
 
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