78 k20

[4wdriver]

hi everyone got some snow in central ny so i tried to start my mostly trusty plow truck and it has denied me.so i did some checking and found that i have no power at all no headlights horn wipers and nothing when i turn the key.the battery is fine and it has power at the starter post.any advise on the best way to proceed from there.

[79k30dually]

I would start at the battery connection then to the starter connections, especially the fusible links. Good luck, Ron

[4wdriver]

thanks ron the battery connections are good the starter connections do look scary the wires leaving the starter are in bad shape would a bad wire there cause no power to the whole truck?we found one leaving the steel tube that protects them almost broken through.

[wilkin250r]

A bad connection, like corroded battery terminals, will allow you to see a voltage at the starter, but won't actually allow any real power to flow.

Did you just look at the battery terminals, or did you actually clean them? I don't want to doubt you, but 80% of the time, this same issue you are describing is caused by a poor connection at the battery. Try removing them, and cleaning both the cable terminal and the battery post with a good battery brush, and try it. Like I said, not always, but 80% of the time this is the problem.

[79k30dually]

You have two types of power, switched-controlled by the ignition switch and non switched-anything that works without the ignition switch on. With no power to anything it's a distribution problem. battery connections, fusible links are the place to start. the wires from the starter are pretty heavy gauge, to carry the needed amount of current for the circuit. Remove the wires, test them, clean them, repair them. Good luck, Ron

[78K20]

Hey Driver............

You get that rig goin' yet ?

[billybobjimmyjoejack]

I had a similar problem on a 78 C10 and it was a bad connection in the wiring on the steering column. There is a wiring bundle that has a wide flat disconnect just under the dash area, one of the wires had come loose from it's crimped end inside the disconnect. It took a little bit of work with a lot of care to save the disconnect.

[4wdriver]

people here are the best thanks for the good ideas.yes my rig is up and running.plowed our families three driveways this past sunday,by the way these trucks plow great.there were two heavy wires in a loom running over the bellhousing that had corroded in half, they supply power after the starter to everything.my buddy said dont bad mouth this truck for breaking down after all at its age it could have left you stranded anywhere but it held out till you had parked it in your driveway before it gave in.we did a bunch to this truck this fall,new u-joints on the front axles and rear drive shaft.sunday it was popping somewhere in the front half of the truck while plowing in 4wd any ideas what this is it didnt do this before.can a lockout cause this.this truck has a 205 and manual trans.