Ok only took me 3 months... but I figured out the problem! It was the
battery disconnect, as Jason and Jon suggested. It's all gunky and
corroded where the screw threads in. I bought it about 4 months ago...
so it only worked for a month. Money well spent at AZ.
I had myself convinced that it was the battery for a month or so. I
happened to have a known good battery laying around, so I swapped that
one in. No problems for a while! In swapping batteries, I must have
improved the contacts enough to get another month of service out of
the POS disconnect switch.
Tom, you suggested that main power lead through the bulkhead. I heeded
your advice on that one way ahead of time... and ran a 12ga wire to
bypass the bulkhead during the engine swap.
Don in CT
89 Dak Vert 318 NV3500 4x4 (now keeps radio presets! its the simple things...)
74 Dart Sport 340
On 4/30/08, Jason Bleazard <dml@bleazard.net> wrote:
>
> I have a battery disconnect switch and have to re-tighten it every couple of
> months, otherwise I get all kinds of weird stuff. I've had what you're
> talking about, then re-tightened that switch and had no problems. I'm not
> sure why everything goes dead, there must be some sort of failsafe protection
> built in to the system to shut it down before it melts.
Original Message:
>Fellow DMLers, I need help diagnosing this one. I got in my truck last
>night and turned the key. One click (ON) and the dummy lights come on
>as they should. One more click (START) and everything goes dead. Not
>even a starter click. The dummy lights shut off. No electrical power
>to ANYTHING. So my first though: I blew a fuse or fusible link. But
>first, I open the hood and jostle the battery cables. I hear an
>electronic whine (something started back up - maybe the radio). I get
>back in the truck, turn the key ON and I've got dummy lights again.
>Turn to START and it goes *CLICK* and everything shuts off again.
>Repeat jostling of battery & cables... I get power again. Repeat key
>to START position, a brief starter noise, and *CLICK* everything's off
>again. A few more tries and suddenly it fires right up like nothing
>ever happened. Runs fine, no problems. This morning I had to go
>through the whole procedure again, but once started it stays running.
>What could cause this?? Starter relay? Thoughts? It's a 1994 Dak for
>this purpose... only the body is an 89.
>
>TIA!
>
>Don in CT
>89/94 Dak Vert 318 NV3500 4x4
>74 Dart Sport 340
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