Dead Truck No Power at all....???

[SRD]

Hello. My truck has been doing great for a while now. Yesterday I turned the key and it would not start or even jump. I cleaned the cables and post and it finally started and I drove it a few more times just fine.

Today I go to turn the key and it is DEAD. Like not even a "Theft" blinking light.......I played with cables, removed the battery etc....and all I got was like one sec the lights came on when put battery back on and dash but died right after....dead again I get nothing when I turn the key.

*It did try and start a few times rapid clicking noise first few tries.... but dead overall after that... no power, click or anything what so ever.

Battery test fine at 13.1V....I even used a 3000 Jumper still no power at all but Jumper red 13.1 V..........

No inside light anymore, no theft light, no ding noise with door open, no nada.

*I tried to change the ignition switch same symptom. Nada on the power. I checked the Fuse (24) 7.5A fine, swapped Relay to check that, the same result nada power. I put a new starter in 90 days ago also.....

*I am just a Novice so any Ideas on where to go from here would be appreciated. So many ways to solve things I always learn new things on the forum.

Thanks for reading.
SRD

 

[RobbieD]

Dollars to donuts that you have a bad main cable.

I don't know the '99 trucks well at all, but basically you want to "look*" hard at the big cable that runs between battery positive and the underhood power distribution box.

* A cable can look fine from the outside, but be totally rotten on the inside, and reach a point where it simply fails completely. Try flexing the cable in your fingers, and feel for a "crunchy" feeling, especially at the ends.

You could just as well have the same issue on the ground cable side, but everything being "totally dead" points more toward the positive side, on the main power feed.

 

[SRD]

Thank you for the input. I went and tugged etc...no intermittent power or anything on dash. Cables all wrapped in stuff....

*I did go get my Multi Meter and got the following results: DC Voltage was 12.96 with leads to terminals. However, when I went to test continuity I got zip when putting leads to terminal. I touched the leads together and got the "Beep" so it works...just no "Beep" when Red and black Leads are to POS and NEG terminals.....? Maybe this is normal.....but not sure.

Thanks.
SRD

 

[SenorNoob]

Continuity test is for fuses, switches, and wires. It'll do nothing in this case except maybe (depends on the meter) blow up the meter because of the power on the circuit.

 

[SRD]

Ok, I had a new starter overnighted and installed this morning. It started right up....then I drove it to 711 and came out and it was DEAD again????. No dash power or theft light or anything. Turn Key just DEAD DASH SYNDROME. I replaced Ignition Switch yesterday and same symptoms.

*Had to get it Towed home 2 days in a row now.

*So, next move replace all wiring to terminals?

Thanks for any advice or direction.
SRD

 

[sgtsandman]

Ok, I had a new starter overnighted and installed this morning. It started right up....then I drove it to 711 and came out and it was DEAD again????. No dash power or theft light or anything. Turn Key just DEAD DASH SYNDROME. I replaced Ignition Switch yesterday and same symptoms.

*Had to get it Towed home 2 days in a row now.

*So, next move replace all wiring to terminals?

Thanks for any advice or direction.
SRD

From you what are describing, it sounds like the wires may be bad in some way. More than likely corrosion. So, replacing them would probably be the next step.

The reason it ran for a bit was because the wires got disturbed during the replacement of the starter, temporarily restoring contact and electrical flow. With the engine moving around while driving, a contact with good wire got lost.

 

[SRD]

I want to thank everyone for thier input. I got it fixed. I took RobbieD's advice (Thanks!) and checked all cables again. Looked ok, but when I peeled the NEG and POS back more they were green inside and moist...fell apart in my hands down the line a bit. Bad spots.....

*So, I just cut them both back like a foot till it was super clean then got 2 post extenders....Started right up...lol.

Thanks again; always learning on here.

SRD

 

[RobbieD]

Good to hear, and great job, on your part, in getting it fixed.

It's hard for most people to accept that cables can go bad internally, and still look good. And I'll be honest here; I'm such a cheapskate, that it still kills me to replace a wonderful looking, but failed cable.