HELP Strange electrical issues

[83Diesel4x4]

Hello everyone, I am fairly irregular to this site as I own 3 fords and one chevy, but please dont take that as an "I hate chevy's" statement, because I love my suburban, but need your guys' help......


I have an 83 suburban w/ 6.2 diesel and this huge, and annoying prroblem:
[list=1][*]Headlights, Dashlights, Heater and electrical system in general is very dim[*]When you engage the parking brake, the whole system gets better (a lot better) but still not how it should be[*]Driving down the road Headlights flicker intermittently with no real rhyme or reason (doesnt seem relative to bumps ETC)[*]Glow Plug light comes on with this intermittent flicker[/list=1]

I am 95% sure this has nothing to do with the glowplugs, as they have been replaced and the controler has been replaced with a manual switch (and the suburban has done this since we got it, well before the glow plug controller change) and you can hear the audible click of the relay when they come on...its not happening, its just the light lighting up dimly and flickering (not bright like when you actually use the glow plugs)

I have a couple theories from an older thread on this board and one I came up with on my own:
[list=a][*]I heard about some grounding strap from pass. side head to firewall should I have one of these?[*]Or......Alternator problems?[*]Or......bad ground somewhere?[/list=a]

Any other ideas guys? please.....at my wits end

Kevin

[mike reeh]

electrical gremlins can be so frustrating.. I suggest hooking a digital volt meter to your truck and having it on whilst you are driving, and keeping an eye on it and seeing what it says as you drive, what voltage is doing during these times of flicker, etc..

dont know if you have done it, but the first first first thing to do is remove the battery cables and clean it all up real good and make SURE you have a tight, clean connection. the flickering intermittant lights/power thing is extremely common with bad battery connections. Does the engine crank over well or does it sometimes not have enough juice? Dont know what the rust situation is with your truck but you need to have (and the factory put them there) good grounds connecting your battery, to your frame, to your engine block, to the firewall/body... These are more or less mandatory.

Im a little concerned about the e-brake thing making everything light up. The only thing I can think is maybe its improving the ground by putting tension on the e-brake cable... How does your fuse box look? connectors? you should have 12v or 14v while the engine is running at any power source.. best ones to check are: battery, alternator, 2-pronged junction block on the firewall, fuse box (at the fuse connectors and the big bulkhead connector behind it)....

thats just a few ideas, what else can you tell us about the vehicle? mods? was it originally a diesel? original engine? etc etc

hope maybe this helps some.. Ive been there done that with electrical problems.. even though they're frustrating, there is always a logical explanation and its usually pretty straightforward. you'll get it figured out.

oh and a screwy alternator cant be ruled out.. Dont know what/why would be happening, but anything is possible

mike

[swervin ervin]

WOW Mike, I think you covered that pretty well. With suggestions like that, I could even fix it, and electrical stuff really gets the best of me sometimes.

Welcome to the board. We don't shun Ford guys here. We may talk trash about Fords some, OK, a lot, but you'll not see any of us talk trash to the owner of one. Just not our style.

[83Diesel4x4]

thats nice to hear.....thanks guys, I will get into that list he just gave me and bump this post back up to let you know if it worked

thanks again@!!!!!!!

[chevyfan420]

go to your local parts store and buy a couple ground straps and put 'em everywhere. block to frame, cab to frame, box to frame, or even block to cab. it made a huge difference in my truck, as i was having some similar problems

[Grim Reaper]

Originally posted by chevyfan420
go to your local parts store and buy a couple ground straps and put 'em everywhere. block to frame, cab to frame, box to frame, or even block to cab. it made a huge difference in my truck, as i was having some similar problems

Yep that should solve the problem. It fixed my Sub amp low volting at stop lights. Bad ground even with the strap on the back of the head. Ran a 8 gage cable between the Battery Neg and fire wall...no more problem. Speed up the windows as well.

[Free88]

Sure sounds like a groung problem for sure. That ground is a thing that can hold you back and cause a lot to grief.

[bigd65]

Originally posted by swervin ervin
Welcome to the board. We don't shun Ford guys here. We may talk trash about Fords some, OK, a lot, but you'll not see any of us talk trash to the owner of one. Just not our style.

Look at me. I have been on here for a long time and have just recently gotten a Ford for a project and they havn't talked trash to me yet But i was kinda hiding around the fact. I wish it was a CHEVELLE or a CAMARO or NOVA or something But it'll work