Electrical

[Jbaer]

Hello, I have a 89 c2500 that I carb swapped for personal reasons. I had power after I got everything hooked up and was about to get it started for the first time. So I went to hook up my battery and is made a connection and then all of my power was lost. No power to the whole truck anywhere. I have replaced the battery alternator starter and main power wire to the starter. I thought it was a fusable like at the junction block under the hood where the black wire with the red stripe is because that is the one running to the battery and I took a spare wire and tried to run it hot to that point and still nothing. Please please please help. Thanks

 

[texas tough]

what abt your main ground? alot if times they are grounded to an aluminum bracket that bolts to the engine . I like to move mine directly to the engine block. theres also a headlight ground that goes to the passenger side fender, and one behind the rear bumper... was everything fine before you did a carb swap?

 

[Jbaer]

Everything was okay after I did the swap just when I went to hook up the battery it kinda sparked alittle and then no power.

 

[Schurkey]

I had power after I got everything hooked up and was about to get it started for the first time. So I went to hook up my battery

How was it you "had power after I got everything hooked up", and then later you had to "hook up my battery"?

Everything was okay after I did the swap just when I went to hook up the battery it kinda sparked alittle and then no power.

How long did it run after the carb swap?

WHERE did it "spark a little"?

Far as I can tell, the thing was dead meat from the moment you tried to get battery power after the swap--therefore it was NOT "okay after I did the swap", it was already failed.

But if I'm misunderstanding, and the engine ran good for awhile, diagnosis could be different.

 

[Jbaer]

Engine never ran at all. I rebuilt it. Got the truck for 300 with just a block. Sparked on the negative side of the battery at the terminal.

 

[Hipster]

I thought it was a fusable like at the junction block under the hood where the black wire with the red stripe is because that is the one running to the battery and I took a spare wire and tried to run it hot to that point and still nothing. Please please please help. Thanks

You did what? By passed everything and hot wired what?

 

[Jbaer]

I re ran the black wire withe the red stripe just didn't put a fusable link there. Just trying to get it to start up.

 

[Erik the Awful]

The battery making a little spark as you hook up the battery isn't anything. If it keeps sparking as your trying to hook it up, you have a short.

Do you have a test light? If so you can troubleshoot your power quickly. If not, get one. I troubleshot this very problem on my son's truck on the side of the I-40/I-35 junction at 10 pm last night in about 5 minutes. Turned out to be a wonky fusible link.

Your battery cable to the starter should be hot all the time. Is it? You should also have constant power available at the alternator terminal.

Your starter solenoid is switched by the key. It should only get power when you crank.

 

[Jbaer]

The battery making a little spark as you hook up the battery isn't anything. If it keeps sparking as your trying to hook it up, you have a short.

Do you have a test light? If so you can troubleshoot your power quickly. If not, get one. I troubleshot this very problem on my son's truck on the side of the I-40/I-35 junction at 10 pm last night in about 5 minutes. Turned out to be a wonky fusible link.

Your battery cable to the starter should be hot all the time. Is it? You should also have constant power available at the alternator terminal.

Your starter solenoid is switched by the key. It should only get power when you crank.

I'm going to pick up a test light today after work. Thank you so much for your help. Much appreciated.