starter won't crank - chevy 1990 s10 p/u 2wd 4.3 automatic

Truck, three days ago, was driven and warm. It was shut off at a store. Came out and it wouldn't even turn over. Could hear the solenoid click when key turned on. But no turning the engine over. What could it be? New plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, new distributor, new gear reduction reman starter, new positive battery cable to starter, new coil, new spark plugs, new ignition module. One ~12, or 14, gauge wire from starter to alternator has some internal corrosion showing. The negative black battery ground wire appears somewhat shellacked inside. The battery checks out to have 12 volts, and the lights were bright when they still worked. Truck was running all so fine before it stopped dead.

Tried a new ignition switch in the column today and made things worse as now headlights aren't working nor dome light, radio, dash lights, perhaps more too. The switch was from autozone and there isn't any steering wheel tilt capability. The plunger in the column that goes into part of the ignition switch seems as those it came unhooked inside the plastic column shroud and am wondering how one gets into that area to see where it is supposed to go. Had the ignition cylinder in the locked position. Fuses under the dash are OK. One inline alternator fuse has continuity and am hoping the other one is OK as I couldn't see where it goes in order to check it. This is a friends truck and I'm trying to help him with it and so I don't have any book or manual to work from.

Anyone with good advice will be appreciated, hugely! Been trying for four days to get it going and nothing is better, and now a few things are worse. So much for a mechanics career for me! Help us - please..............!

Reply to
Shark
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Forgot to add, did try jumping battery with cables and also tried direct hookup from another vehicle battery to truck starter thus bypassing trucks battery which has not yet been load tested.

Reply to
Shark

You sure go about it the hard way. First thing to check is cables for clean and tight followed by load test on battery followed by starter. If the selinoid was clicking it was telling you the ignition switch was working just fine. More than likely the issue is with the starter, ditch the damn gear reduction and go for the large body striaght drive.

Whitelightning

Reply to
Whitelightning

Ouch! Anyway, it isn't my truck and so it's the blind leading the blind. He, truck owner, told me it was the starter. I took his word for it. Turns out it was never the starter. Ran it twice at AutoZone & passed. Have to do a battery load check tomorrow. Fuse-able alternator links don't usually go bad do they?

Does the 1990 S10 have headlight & horn relays? Neither are now working and fuses are OK. Dome light is now out too.

Reply to
CBrooks

Battery loaded tested as new. The cables, one apparently was pinched somehow, yet looked like brand new. It had continuity but evidently couldn't carry the load. So that cable was replaced and the engine does now crank but still doesn't start. No fuel making it to the engine.

Also, there is still the problem of no juice getting into the fuse box in certain areas as tested with a test light. The headlights, the dash lights, the cab roof courtesy light, the clock, the horn still do not work. The blower, the turn signals, the 4-way, work. The radio sounds like it's getting power but cannot hear anything coherent.

The fuel relay is OK. Am still wondering where the fusible links are? There is one insulator block mounted to the firewall and has one joined pair of wires fixed to it and which is sealed in plastic. This joined wire is getting juice as test light shows. The are two wires other going to the alternator which have ~1/2" round plastic cylinders which I am assuming are inline fuses. One has been checked for continuity and appears OK. Have not tested the other one yet. If there are fusible links somewhere else on his truck, I do not know where they could be, other than the one on the firewall. Anyone know for sure where all these fusible wire fuses are on a 1990 Extended Cab S10?

Reply to
Shark

Those sections you think are inline fuses are the connector crimps for the fusible links. The links are the wires from the alternator to those connections. You said the starter was replaced? Check it to make sure the wiring was all connected properly. There is at least one internal power feed on there along with the battery cable.

Sounds like it didn't get connected up.

Reply to
Steve W.

OK. Turned out the one fusible link, which I've never known about prior to now, was indeed the culprit. In addition to a bad, almost new, positive cable that got somewhat pinched which prevented enough juice to crank over his truck engine, his truck is now running fine. It starts much easier and seems almost like a wholly different truck. Thank you to Whitelightning, you're the guru of this newsgroup. The truck owner is somewhat happier than he was, yet still grumbling away(it's his nature). Anyway, I learned a lot.

Reply to
Shark

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