No-start information

[gw33gp]

Recently, the 2.9L 89 STX that I sold to a co-worker in 2002 would not fire after he shut it down. He told me he hit a hard bump not too long before he shut it down. The only thing I could think of was to check the fuel pump shut off reset. Well, that was not the problem so he had it towed to a mechanic for a full diagnostic. When they got it there they tried to start it and it fired right up. The diagnostic showed everything working perfectly with no codes.

A few weeks later it did it again at home. I think he said it would turn over just fine but would not fire. He does not know much about repairing vehicles but decided to look around in the engine compartment. For some reason he noticed two smaller wires, kind of hidden by the large wire, going to the positive battery terminal. He moved them and they seemed flimsy so he moved them a little more and they broke off. Apparently the many years of exposure to a small amount of battery acid corroded them. He figured out a way to repair the connections and tried to start it. It fired right up.

Hopefully he found the problem. My question is, what do those wires go to? Could either of them prevent the engine from firing?

 

[John Smith]

I'm sure others will let you know in detail but in a quick reply....

The computer hot lead is fed via relay through the main positive terminal of the starter relay via a fusable link wire and is hot all the time.

the computer negative is connected directly to the negative battery terminal via a black wire generally in some fashion...

It's hard to say how the years have caused some change that description, but most older rigs probably have something changed over the years..unless ur lucky..

If he repaired any hot lead..hopefully he retained any fusable link function assuming he repaired the positive lead...

the negative lead is not fusable...just wired into the ground harness

 

[gw33gp]

Thanks for the information John. He did not replace the wire, so I doubt he removed the fusible link. He found a way to re-attach the wire to the battery terminal. I don't know what he actually did because I have not seen the repair.