Need help, truck won't start !!!!

[woodrow59]

Got off work tonight and truck wouldn't start. Starter turns just fine and it's gettin' fuel. Figured the only thing left was it's not getting fire. Checked the wires around the coil and dist. and they all look good. Traced the wire from the coil back to the ignition switch and it was spliced in to a wire going to the switch and wrapped with electical tape. I took the tape off and it seemed to be connected fine. I then saw a small wire I think was yellow (it was dark and I was using a flashlight so not sure) coming from the switch . It had insulation missing around it and the wires looked a little weak. I tried to twist the wires together a little to make sure it was connecting. I also wiggled the rest of the wires going to the switch . The whole time I kept turning the key to see if it would fire and sometime in there it started and ran for 30 seconds and then died. I messed with the wires some more but no response. I've only had this truck 2 months but it's started fine until the last couple of days. It's been taking longer to start after I turn the switch. Is it the coil? Can they go bad gradually?

[woodrow59]

Anybody out there? Anyway to test the coil? Can I run a hotwire from the battery to the coil or will that mess something else up? Poor trucks sitting in the parking lot at work (at least it's under a security light). I gotta get it home in the morning.

Thanks for any help.

[Brainchild]

Could be the coil,I would make sure the wires to the coil are in good shape.Make sure you have a good solid connection on both sides of the coil.
the little yellow wire comes off the relay side of the starter and gives the coil 12v while starting,to help it fire off easier.Most of the time it's not needed,but you never know.It should hook into the + side of the coil with the ignition wire.

[woodrow59]

Can a coil go bad gradually ??

[3 on the tree]

Hotwire from battery to coil will tell you real quick if problem is in the wiring, not the coil. I have had coils go bad, then put them ina freezer overnight and they will work for a little while, till they get hot again.

[woodrow59]

Thanks guys, I'll try the hotwire. Only good thing about this whole thing is that there is an Advance Auto within 200' of my truck. Ill have parts if I need them !!!!!!

[GMC AMI]

The coils are cheap at least and I have had a lot of them fail. All my tractors use them
as well as a couple of my trucks. Also you may wish to check the wire to the points, I had one that was connected but slightly loose and by looking at it you never would have known. It was killing the spark but not all the time.

[woodrow59]

Cool, got it home using the hot wire to the coil. While I was hooking that up I noticed the wire from the battery to the post on the fender was maybe a 16 guage wire and was spliced in the middle and was showing a little corrision. I replaced it with a bigger wire and put on a new battery clamp. Sucker started right up. sometimes it's the simplest thing. Still gonna work on those wires going to the ignition switch.

Thanks guys for all your help !!!!!!!!!!!

[Brainchild]

It seems that is the place that always fails on these ol trucks,that little block on the fender or close to it.That is the power to the inside of the truck.

I did away with it,and ran the wire down to the battery post on the starter.

[gonebad2]

I've had the same problem in the past. Turned out to be a bad ignition switch. The copper internal contacts get worn and make a poor connection. I have seen them go bad without warning. Turn the key to the start position and see if you have power to the coil. I had a coil go bad. The truck would run ok at low rpm's then cough at high rpm's...Good luck

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by Brainchild

It seems that is the place that always fails on these ol trucks,that little block on the fender or close to it.That is the power to the inside of the truck.

I did away with it,and ran the wire down to the battery post on the starter.

That's becouse there is a fuseable link in that wire...it's supposed to do that (burn up and open the circuit) when something isn't right.

Originally Posted by gonebad2

I've had the same problem in the past. Turned out to be a bad ignition switch. The copper internal contacts get worn and make a poor connection. I have seen them go bad without warning. Turn the key to the start position and see if you have power to the coil. I had a coil go bad. The truck would run ok at low rpm's then cough at high rpm's...Good luck

I've seen that happen too...pull the plug and chack the plug for burned spots, check both the switch side, and the harness side.

Driving with the coil wired like that will burn up your points real fast. It needs a resistance wire to drop the voltage down to 9 or so.

I'm betting that your points are bad and that is why it wouldn't start in the first place.

[woodrow59]

First of all Andy; Congrats on getting that Caddy powered hunk of beautiful steel running !!!! Youv'e been a big help on here and I thank you !!

And back to my truck,

I didn't drive it with the hot wire hooked up. I did start it that way but kept the wire from the ignition on there and found it it would run after the hot wiire was taken off. It's started great since I replaced the wire from the battery to the fender post. But know it has a hesitation (not all the time) when giving it the gas. Guess I'll replace the coil and get a new set of points.

Thanks everybody on here for all your help,

Have a CHEVY CHRISTMAS