Everything is screwing up..Please help

[drink2mny]

Here's the story.
A buddy has an '84 chevy shortbed 4x4.
He asked me to check his heater because defrost didn't work..
Well he gave me the keys and I went to figure it out for him.
come to find out the resistor??I think thats what its called is bad. His heater fan switch only goes to the 3/4 mark, if you go to high the fan doesn't work..So I started the truck up to make sure vacuum lines worked to the heater..
Well as soon as I turned the key, the buzzer was going off and both directional lights were bright, then went off in a couple seconds.. So I didn't think about it..Ran everything through for the heater and just told him don't put the switch to high till he gets it checked by a shop or trys one i have..
now here is where it gets wierd..
He went to leave later and started up his truck and the buzzer and directional lights came on and didn't go off.
plus he went to put his wipers on because of some snow on the window and they didn't work, like they did earlier in the morning.
plus all his gages drop heater, fuel, oil,alt..
well the buzzer finally went off with the directional lights, but as soon as you try the wipers everything happened again all gages did the same thing plus the directional lights came on..
shut off the wiper switch which you know is on the turn signal handle and pushed the handle so the left directional would come on and all the gages dropped in unison with the blinker coming on, same thing if you put it to the right..

Any thoughts about what gremlin is doing this please help...
I feel bad, but I know and he knows I didn't touch anything but the heater..

Oh yeah I asked if it was a stock column because I have never seen a key release button/handle on a chevy truck.. I owned an '84 and didn't have that, plus my blazer and a buddies 87 don't have them. Just turn the key and pull it out.. no seperate hadle to push down..Anyone else have taht or is his column out of something else???


Whew No I need a drink

[stan79chevy]

i would guess it is aftermarket or a late model and something isnt right where teh plugs come together. youll have to tear it apart and take a look but find out what it is first

[drink2mny]

So you don't think that it is a stock column??

It almost seems like it is grounding out inside..

Its just odd. if I put the buzzer back in and start up the truck. the buzzer stays on with the directional lights and all the gages drop..

I need help I feel bad like it might be my fault, but both of us know I didn't touch anything in the column...

[TEXAS 68]

I know how you feel when trying to help someone and nothing goes right, It sounds to me something is grounding ouy, maybe the ground strap is bad? GOOD LUCK!!!

[1FaastC10]

is it a manual trans truck? the dealership i used to work for had an 88 R3500 rollback with a 5 speed in it. it had the release you mentioned.

[tom hand]

Yep the key release button is pretty standard for manual trans that year

[drink2mny]

Nope its an auto on the column..

this is just crazy

[drink2mny]

wait...WAIT.. Wait..
It is a standard

I have toooooo many trucks in my head...

Sorry

[griesel72]

i used to have a 84 feed truck, manual tranny, it had the release you are talking about.

Good luck

David

[drink2mny]

Ok atleast I learned it is the right column..

Now just have to find where it must be grounding out..
I don't personally want to take apart his column. and we both know I didn't touch anything. There is a guy in town that could rewire and check it out but cost around $150 or less..

I hate to send him to him.
But Chevy's as great as they are do have a mind of there own..

[drink2mny]

Well I started to disconnect the column harness, just under the dash .It is the one with only 5 wires..
When I undid it it only seems to not have the wipers work..
the blinkers still both come on when put in right or left...

I don't know where the blinker wires are..
If I pull out the blinker relay and turn the wipers on both blinker lights still come on but real bright..

I'm begining to think it might be aproblem in the wire harness where the fuse block comes together..

Not sure yet..
But I have to vent somewhere

[drink2mny]

Well I found the wire harness for the blinkers and undid them also.
Everything still acts up when you turn the wipers on..Oh yeah plus the horn doesn't work anymore too..

I plugged in the buzzer that I took out earlier and when you turn the key on it doesn't make a sound, but now the fasten seatbelt light comes on and that blinks with the directionals to.
I'm begining to think that it has to be an all of a sudden crap out in the column...

All fuses are good and all relays also.

Fuseblock has never been apart so I don't think I'll mess with it

[Grim Reaper]

Check the ground strap off the back of the passenger side head to the fire wall. You cant see it you have to feel for it.

May also be a blown fusable link. The High on the blower DOES NOT run through the resistor pack. Hig runs from the terminal block on the fire wall to the Relay near the blower motor. See if you have 12V on that block. If no power then check the fusable links down by the starter.

At the sarter is 3 fusable links. One goes 12v bat to the fuse block, one is 12v switched and one is the alternator unless it has a HD chargins system with a 105 amp alternator. On those the alternator connects to the battery.

I'm laying odds that the ground stap on the back of the head is your problem. It will not pull a good ground through the fenders and of course the body is on rubber bushings so it's not going to pull ground off the frame.