Have an 88 GMC and it used to just stall out at an idle randomly. It turned out to be the same junction nut and post you focused on in this video. However on mine it was the actual wire that runs from the positive post to this electrical junction box that had a random short in the wire itself. It was causing the fuel injectors to stop working which shut the truck off. How we found it was my son wiggle ing that exact wire after I started the truck. When he moved that wire the fuel got shut off. Ran a new wire to that nut and it’s now fixed. BTW this is a good informative video. Check the wire to the junction box and do the maintenance on the other wires as well. 😁👍✌️
I had reached out in an earlier video on this issue and had no luck with that so I dove into it myself and I was surprised the truck had this pinched insulation from the factory and it took over 20 years for it to develop an issue. So posting it was more or less just letting everyone know I figured it out. But it's become a very popular video since it posted and I'm surprised at how many experienced issues with the same junction box wire. Cheers! And glad that you got yours sorted as well. Cheers! Zip~
man i skipped over your video for 2 months not thinking it would in any way and finally i watched it after trying everything else. i was about to go buy a new starter solenoid and starter and i was seeing if there was anythiing new and nothing. i clicked on this video figuring what the hell might as well and see what problem he had. I WISH I WOULDVE WATCHED THIS DAMN VIDEO 2 MONNTHS AGO!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH MAN.. I replaced all my grounds twice even moved my ground spots 3-4 times. it would start up like i fixed it then it would lose power.(fired up bc i always stick the battery charger on it when i got home. MINE WAS IN A DIFFERENT SPOT BUT SAME WIRE.
That's how the fuel pump acted, one time my 88 GMC would start and then most times it'd just crank and crank and not start. I actually had two problems going to the fuel pump, the power from the junction box to relay was one of the problems and the ground was the other problem.
Thanks for this, my 1988 K1500 started to have some weird electrical issues: no charge, extended crank, driver side door lock sluggish. I checked everything i could find and all the grounds were good, no broken wires, no loose connections. I came across your video and checked this junction block and found one of the connections was burnt and had been arcing. When I went to take it off the terminal just crumbled. I moved to another terminal and that fixed everything! Now I am trying to track down a replacement junction block
Awesome! I just found you. I have 1994 GMC 4X4 “Bucky-Roger”. Z package 1500 Sierra. Every time I run him a little bit he dies and won’t start. After cool off then he will start. As if something gets HOT and shuts down. Put a new battery in.. same issue. Been trying to troubleshoot. I don’t have testing equip yet but it seems like a fuel prob. I just bought him in 2020. He needed a catalytic converter installed for smog and registration. He ran real good for couple weeks. And I didn’t drive him much But then this issue started. Thinkin fuel pump or oil pump or bla bla. Maybe electrical? I noticed my oil pressure gauge jumps a lot. I’m just an old retired truck driver lady. I’m scanning your videos now.😊
This video turned out to be so helpful to me. I'm still unable to find the problem on my 93 but you did an excellent job explaining and showing things so I am much more informed and can keep researching with hope that I can find the problem. Thanks for posting.
I have a 94 c1500 with no crank and no power on the dash when I turn the key but my head lights still turn on so it’s not the battery and it has a brand new starter. Do you think it’s a bad ignition switch ?
Nice. I'll have to look at mine. It looks like my wires are hanging out of the side of the junction cover. My Sierra has an issue, but I'm sure the transmission is blown. It's funny though one of the first things I noticed is the voltage shows low on the cluster from day one with a new bat. It has lots of electrical issues but I still love it. Best $400 I ever spent. Great Job Cheers
Update: Transmission isn't completely toast. I looked at it today ended up being an intake gasket leak. Sometimes you get lucky. There is one post on the far right with nothing there in my junction box though. Thanks you gave me hope for my 92 k2500 (which is also red haha)
That's empty on my 93 c1500 as well. Pretty sure it's supposed to be. That would probably be for some dealer option/package crap back when they were sold new
Thanks Zippo for shedding light on that one fuse block. I have a '92 GMC Suburban that I bought off a neighbor, in California, because he couldn't afford to keep with the emissions laws here and aside from my ABS and Charge Light coming on when I get to 15 mph, I have a parasitic draw that drains my battery if I leave it connected overnight. On that block, a visible link keeps burning out and caught fire once. I notice that when that happens my headlight switch burned out. When I reconnect my battery I get a spark from the ground terminal post. I have the opposite of your gauge readout. Mines stays at 18. Still haven't figured it out. Nonetheless, thanks for shedding like.
And that's because I've aftermarket headlights and which require more power but the dimmer switch was bad which is what caught my wiring harness on fire
I really enjoyed your video and the way you diagnosed the problem (Ingenious) , if only teachers and professors could explain things the way you just did the world would be a better place. Common sense is not so common and in fact common sense is ingenious. Now you understand why most mechanics drink and have a tendency to through a wrench or two. 🤔 - Just think when Henry Ford rolled out the first Model T a person could fold up the sides of the the hood and get to the whole engine with just a couple of tools, but today the vehicles are engineered so people bring them to the shop and wonder how they can afford the repair bill without a credit card.
Was out there today working on my ‘94 C3500 with the 6.5td. Battery gauge is always low. Starter sounded sluggish lately. Batteries load test good. Alt charges ok. Found a broken braided ground strap on passenger side. From frame to fire wall. Replaced both from intake stud to fire wall fire wall to frame. Cables all pass loaded volt drop. Was thinking it was the crappy connection at the back of the gauge cluster but I’m going to check this out tomorrow. Thanks.
ZippoVarga well still no luck. I have gone through the system with no luck. I have the 6.5td and it seems that while cranking the battery voltage drops low enough where the computer won’t fire the injection pump. Going to install two new batteries today but ouch. My old batteries are only from 2017. Oh well. Any idea where the cab gets it’s main power? I have replaced ground straps starter alternator. Both free so might as well lol
What you found was a vehicle that was made either a MONDAY or a FRIDAY assembly line event. Just maybe a disgruntled worker at the factory getting even with the boss. The logic flow you followed is right on fella. I had the same thing with my neighbors machine. Just maybe slightly worst off then yours Zippo.....
I think you may have just solved my problem. I have been chasing an electrical gremlin ever since I've owned my truck. Going to check this out as soon as I get home.
@@kevinhuskey5601 Remove every ground point u can find clean the contact terminals and put back. There are two on the front of the intake , one from the firewall to engine. Too name a few
Good fix.. Electrical issues are he worst. Makes sense that the feed wire was sort of fighting current flow and scrambling the radio which is probably very sensistive to current levels.
+59chevt Thanks Tom, and yes...it's a true survivor truck. I'm the second owner and knew the previous owners for the past 15 years. They were always on top of the maintenance and only used Delco Remy OEM replacement parts. Cheers!! Zip~
Thank You ZippoVarga! I just saw your video Wed night, and Thursday I went right to that ground feed wire on my 92 Silverado stepside reg cab, and sure enough it was finger loose, so I took off the Grnd wire, and wire brushed the eyelet on both sides, including the bolt and the nut, all the other feed wires were tight. I connected the battery and it fired right up, without that arching ticking sound you mentioned too, and the dash volt meter shot right up to 14v. The only thing I was out of pocket for was the lifetime warranty remanufactured alternator from Oreilly's for $104.14...I haven't named my truck, but it thanks you too! Cheers!
That's great news! It must be a fairly common issue. I've heard of a few who have experienced this. Seems odd that only this connector on the firewall would be loose, but at least that fix it self is free and easy! Cheers! Zip~
so glad i watched your video, 2005 jeep grand cherokee 5.7 and battling electrical issues for months, all componets , ac comp, starter, alt, sensors everything craping out and giving me headaches. finally found positive feed to one of the power distribution centers and the bolt was so loose i could spin it off with my finger and wire connection was just loose as a goose. been only one day but thats why i am looking for assurance that could be problem and it looks similar to yours. fingers crossed and thanks
..thanks brother.. I just got a great deal on a '92 2500 Silverado, 4x4, same colors as yours.. exact same, except it's a fleet-side.. although I dont have this particular problem yet, I'll keep an eye out for it, & maybe even re-do it BEFORE it becomes a problem.. I do have one (major) issue though, which is : "cranks, but won't/hard to start..once started, runs fine".. Other videos I've seen all point to the fuel-pump relay... gettin started on it now.. I'm an OTR truck driver, so not home very often, & got other vehicles that my wife can drive to store, etc.. This truck is in incredibly good condition, with only 77,000 original mikes on it.. paid $3k for it, been offered $5k already, even with hard-to-start issue..(!).. NOPE!..lol.. Im keeping it..! Thanks again.. look forward to your continued videos..
Hard crank or hard start. Fuel delivery, ignition issues and/or fuel injector issues along with all associated relays. Change Plugs, Cap, Rotor, Plug wires, then run fuel injector cleaner through the gas tank. Replace the fuel pump relay (located under the cover on the passenger side fire wall) and have the fuel pressure checked. Engines will start with a weak fuel pump and run ok once the engine starts, but initially will have hard starting characteristics. Good luck with the Truck! Sounds like a nice one! Zip~
I went through the same thing on my 88 GMC and eventually found the problem right behind the glove compartment box pulled it out and noticed a cluster wires and saw where someone put a butt connector on one of them and did a poor job doing it. So it definitely got toasty luckily it didn't burn any of the other wires. I repaired it and everything went back to working I was surprised that one wire made me lose my turn signals my dash lights headlights my stereo, dome lights and the ignition the engine all from that all because of that single wire and of course it was the last place I looked after I went through every ground on that truck
It can definitely be frustrating! GM Was transitioning over from the Square body trucks which were all steel in the cab to Fantastic Plastic and had some growing pains figuring out how and where to set grounds. And you're right.....a single wire can screw up the whole works! On a '95 I had, I was working on the rear hitch and lost the ground for the tail lights. But, when I would start the truck it started fine, however se soon as I put it in reverse and/or stepped on the brakes I lost ignition power lol. Crazy! Glad you figured out your issue! Zip~
I don't believe the large cranking motor current passes thru that block where you say arcing occurred. But there is other current draw that does such as fuel pump. Shooting the video at night with the aid of a flash light helps highlight the part of the operating configuration your referring to. Great job.
Bingo YOU FOUND ME??? I have the same problem? I was about to start my full size blaze one owner, 5.7 1992 I hit the ignition without starting and I’ve BEEN HEARING A GRINDING SOUND, and my tack needle was jumping it’s been jumping for a month or so, and I noticed my mileage gages trip and main was running up miles while I had the key on without starting or the vehicle MOVING? WTH 🤦🏼♂️ I watched almost a mile run up on my gage? And it’s been doing this for a couple months? So now I know I have 50-100 miles at least that’s NOT TRUE MILES? Anyways hope this fixes my issues as well? GREAT VIDEO! THANKS FOR THE INFO?
My 92 gmc c1500 is sparking and crackling in the new headlight switch. Wires get pretty warm if i leave them on. Only happens with new headlights. Old headlights have no issue
I'm currently attempting to find an electrical issue on my 1993 C1500 which causes the engine to drop out momentarily after a good heat soak. Sharp bridge expansion joints will cause the issue too! I've cut out and replaced three green crusty grounds on the engine block. I've also looked over the fuel relay terminal block. But, due to your video, I'll probably take all those terminals out, clean them up, grease them up, and reinstall. FYI, while I was looking things over, I noticed the power feed for that relay terminal block comes up from the starter. The power cable enters the factory wire harness bundle back along the firewall around the distributor. The power cable has rubbed the paint off the firewall. That's not good! I cut a section of heavy-duty oil jug plastic, put four zip-tie holes in the piece with a hot 16-penny nail, an zip-tied the homemade guard to the OEM wiring harness right there where the power cable enters the bundle.
After they've been around for 30 years, they develop gremlins for sure. Check your under dash ground, rear of frame ground and fuel pump/filler neck ground as well while you're troubleshooting. Sounds like you'll get the issue resolved sooner than later. Keep at it and let me/us know how you're progressing! Cheers! Zip~
@@ZippoVarga Gremlins... Yep! I refreshed the engine bay body-to-engine-block and body-to-frame straps a couple of years ago. I also installed a new fuel filler neck-to-body strap about a year after when servicing a rotted brake line requiring the dropping of the fuel tank. While the tank was down, I also installed new fuel lines. I just finished up with the fuel pump terminal block. Everything removed and Dremeled with a wire wheel cup and reinstalled with dielectric grease. There were no visible issues so I doubt I've solved the engine drop-out problem. But, on vehicles this old, the effort is wise. I'm current cleaning the front right and left signal and running light grounds and my 3M electrical tape is years old and worthless. Amazon will have some new stuff on my porch tomorrow.
@@DIXIEMAFIA251 The issue has turned out to be the electrical signal connection at the 4L60E transmission. I replaced the internal wiring harness and all the solenoids. However, the new wiring harness has issues and the 3-2 downshift solenoid goes fully open-circuit once heat soaked (15 minutes of city traffic). I currently have parts on order to fix the bad new parts I just put in... Counterfeit GM parts from China. You can watch this short video here of the indicator lights I rigged up to monitor the function of the transmission: ua-cam.com/video/iZzjKVzGgJo/v-deo.html
Zip I pray u reply. Had my 88 2500 in at least 6 diff shops now. Last one told me to scrap it. A truck which fires up fine most of the time Problem you'll be driving down the road sometimes it starts acting starved of fuel sometimes backfires eventually just stalls. Sometimes restarts most times not. Stranded. 4 distributors at least 3 fuel pumps later...no fix. Np mechanic ever experienced the break down. I told him when I took it in do not replace the disy or fuel pump that was not the problem. He timed it did some injector work said it was fixed.i convinced him to keep test driving it knowing he hadn't found the issue. Sure enough he told me he barely got back to the shop. I don't think he did anything else or tried anything else. What surprised me most is not one 6+ mechanics have even tried to look for a short...i have so much money in this truck but I'm not a mechanic. The eng and transmission are 20000 miles on remanufactured .....could the problem highlighted in this video cause my problem???
There are many ground locations throughout the truck that can be causing this symptom. Battery to engine ground, frame to engine ground, frame to body ground, fuel pump to frame ground, inner dash framework to good ground (firewall of the truck is how I ran a new ground) and rear light wiring harness to ground. Believe it or not, I had a similar situation with another GMT400 that caused the truck to start fine, but as soon as you stepped on the brake pedal, the engine died! Pulled the rear brake light fuse and the problem went away long enough for me to get it back to my shop and investigate and trace the ground fault. So......my vote is there are grounding issues causing your problems. Have all of the grounds I mentioned replaced with your next visit. Since I'm not hands on, this is just my personal suggestion from my own experience, so it's not a guarantee it'll solve your problems, but that's where I would turn my attention. Poor grounds happen a lot as these vehicles age and your truck is about to hit 35 years old, so I'm sure you've got grounding straps that have long since given up. Hopefully this solves your problems! Zip~
@@terrysmith1914 Great question Terry. Just add new grounds. Clean surfaces well, use Dielectric Grease to protect the new ground connections. The gas tank ground is often overlooked as is the ground on the actual filler neck going to the gas tank. I don't think I mentioned that one in my first comment. I hope this solves your issues! Zip~
My 92 k1500 has had wiring problems for as long as I have owned it. My truck won't start atm. It's carbureted. My negative terminal gets real hot just from turning the key.
When headlights on my hazards lights don’t flash and my right turn signal hyper flashes. With headlights off turn signal is normal and hazard lights work. Also my 4x4 shifter the light stays on the side that says put in neutral to engage low.
There are many grounding points on these old trucks. Typically a few under the dash, on the buss block I show in this video as well as chassis ground straps going from the engine to the frame. A simple loosening and retightening and you can typically cure any ground faults you're having. Keep us posted Mark! Zip~
Thanks I have a wire on junction block that has cracked insulation and corroded exposed wires with low voltage. What are those white things on the wire, it's real close to that.
I'm glad it worked out for you! Over the years, these tend to get loose. Also check the grounding wire to the Instrument Cluster under the dash to make sure it's got a good clean ground. Otherwise, you'll eventually start experiencing erratic behavior with the gauges. Cheers! Zip~
Thanks for the video, it helped me on my 94 suburban it was doing the same symtoms, flickering lights and needles, the radio would cut out , the gauges go nuts when the turn signals are active, I cleaned all the grounds and gave em some dieelectric grease. Did voltage checks before and after my cleaning prossess. The problem led me to the distribution block under the hood. I found The ground was loose. Fixed and all works 👍
I'm glad you found it! This is a common issue with these aging GMT400 truck bodies. The ground straps and grounding points eventually need attention. I had a crazy one with my 1995 Silverado. Took it on for exhaust work and while it was on the lift, my self and one of the workers were working at getting the rear hitch loose from the receiver, and all the hammering and banging had shaken apart the frame to body ground strap. When I went to leave, the truck would start, but as soon as you stepped on the brake, the truck would die. I finally wound up taking both the brake fuse and turn signal fuse out of the fuse block just to get it off Pat's lift and get it home. Once home, I found the broken ground, installed a new one and everything was fine again. Another thing to check is under the dash. There is a main ground that feeds the entire instrument cluster, radio etc. Make sure that has a good ground or your gauges can start to jump around on you again. Cheers! Zip~
how do i ck them with a muti meter to see the voltage on each one. Dont know much on those meters. .My truck loses all power just for a split sec. When you pull out pretty hard or kick it down to speed up or pass. YOU SEE THE BATTERY LIGHT FLASH AND SOMETIMES THE NOISE LIKE U JUST TURN THE KEY ON AND IT BACKFIRED ONE TIME.
There are a number of grounding straps through out the body and frame of the truck. One or a combination of them could be causing your issue. As far as a meter check, you just need to put the meter in Ohms with audible beep on and check between frame and body. Most commonly, the frame to body ground strap fails. If you've got the same generation truck as this, the grounding strap is located on the passenger side frame rail under the hood close to the body (firewall). Just replace this instead of messing with trying to get it to work. A solid core insulated wire works best. Be sure to use Dielectric Grease to help protect the mounting points and promote a good ground. As I stated, there are many grounding points. It's best to do a google search for locations of ground points on your specific vehicle to know exactly where to look. Zip~
@@ZippoVarga It was a starter wire getting groaded to the manifold when i would pull out ot kick it down the cab would move just enough for the wire to touch. Fixed that problem solved. Thank for your reply...
Thanks for the video, my 1991 cheyenne has been pulsating at the volt meter for yrs.,its aggravating . also when i turn on emergency flasher it does it. I have been wondering where to start. James from miss.
Wow thanks for the video my backup lights are on when the truck is running left turn signal rear is blinking funny bought both rear circuit boards and unplug the towing harness so I will check that fire wall and see.
There are also multiple grounding areas including one to the rear light wiring harness, gas filler neck/tank, chassis to body and chassis to engine and a ground under the dash that supplies the entire interior power needs. Any one of these grounds fail and the area that the ground is supposed to cater to actually goes on a sort of ground hunting expedition, looking for another suitable ground. When they can't find one or they find one that they can scavenge off of, often some really strange symptoms arise, like the ones you are describing. Good Luck! Zip~
It was a real head scratcher for a while Wells. But I knew I had to post it in case others were having similar issues. Another good idea is to check your frame to body ground straps as well as the grounding wire to the metal dash frame under the dash to further prevent ground issues. These old GMT400 trucks are so well built, but over time, some things deteriorate. I hope all your electrical issues are resolved. Cheers! Zip~
Check fuses first. Pull out the dash fuse and if its good reinsert it then try the lights again. If they're still not working, try putting on just the parking lights and rotate the brightness knob for dash lights. The most common issue with headlights is the headlight switch itself. Improper dash grounding can also cause this issue. so make sure you've got good grounds everywhere. Battery to engine, engine to frame, frame to body, dash subframe to body. Good Luck! Zip~
Was that for a no crank no start problem. Just wondering cuz I have low volt on my battery gauge and my truck won’t start or crank but has power to starter and everything just won’t start or crank
It sounds like you've got a voltage drop before the starter Blair. Make sure all of the ground straps going from the battery to the engine, then to the frame of the truck and to the body of the truck are in place and in good shape. That's the typical cause of a no crank issue. Also, check the condition of your battery. It may be putting out voltage but not have the power (amps) needed to crank the engine over. Zip~
Need help please. My 93 chevy Cheyenne 350 just bought it. 144000 original miles. Just started rough idle no power and dies. Had mechanic replace everything electrical. Still does it. Could this be what's wrong?
Thanks Zip! I’ll definitely check out this on my 1993 K-1500, my climate control indicator flashes, I changed out the actuator that is up above the accelerator but it continues to flash.....
Bill, I've had the same issue. Over time, the contacts on the climate control oxidize over and poor contact results in this issue. It's typically an easy enough job. Remove the dash bezel with the 4 retaining screws, pull the bezel off and over to the drivers side (you may have to put the gear shift lever in low for more clearance) and remove the 4 screws holding the climate control module in place. There is enough wire to slide it out enough to unclip the wiring harness so you can clean the contacts. I use a simple pencil eraser to clean them. Reassemble and see how things go. Good Luck Bill! Zip~
I changed my gauge cluster over to a canadian unit since I wanted KPH and not Miles now Im sitting here with a problem where not all dash lights are working. Now Im trying to figure out what this could be. When I turn the key not all warning lights come on. On the left side auf the gauge cluster only the low coolant warning light works. Turn signal is only the left one working the right one works but is not showing up on the gauge cluster. I believe I got bad grounds somewhere. Wish this would have been easy. I changed all light bulbs in the canadian gauge cluster and I was 100% sure this will be an easy swap. Unfortunately it was not😑. I noticed with the original gauge cluster the Service Engine light was not working so this is not an issue that I have caused. There is already a Electronic issue here
Should I call Consumer Protection Agency or who advocate to help me? My 2013 Buick Verano (Buzzie) has the same situation undiagnosed by Lindsay Cadillac since October 2019.
Great video!, I’m looking to add a second battery and a diode isolator to my 88.the alternator connects to this junction box my question to you is is it okay if I disconnect the alternator from the junction box and go straight to the diode isolator with a inline fuse?
This is a question best left to a local qualified automotive electrical technician Mr. Roberts. You would need a switchable battery isolator and the electrical technicians expertise to guide you for your particular needs which I can't help you with from afar. Best of luck! Zip~
Zip I had ordered some LED headlight bulbs well my son removed the battery hold down bolt and moved the battery back some to put on the low beam bulb well my A/C solenoids started acting weird and I thought it was a bad one so I changed it out well then after that I took a trip and my truck started to run bad even my Trans so I stopped to check the ground on my battery and the negative was loose a bit well I drove half way on my trip with no A/C because the solenoid was getting hot it fooled me big times. 😳
That wire box on driver's side has a thick purple wire I accidentally pulled out when trying to strip it. What terminal does it go into ??? Nothing on the net shows it . I need a reference to which terminal it goes into. I believe it is from the starter
I have a terrible mess of wires in my 1990. My ac shorts the whole electrical system. Been slowly trying to fix it all. High milage ex at&t 1990 obs 350sbc 700r4. Been through grounds and crimped connections at least once or twice a week. Still no resolve. Owned the truck for a lil over a year, any advice?
Would the junction point keep the truck from receiving power? My fuses and fuse box are good, the battery is good, connections and grounds are good. But my truck still receives no power
Beyond fusible links, it's got to be a connection that has failed. Check grounds throughout the truck. There are many. Battery to engine, engine to frame, frame to chassis, chassis to dash support. Those are the grounds. Then there are also fused links within the positive battery wires along the firewall that can also fail and cause no power. Your best defense is to get a quality line tester like a Power Probe or similar type of circuit tester that has a pinpoint end that you can poke through the insulation of the wires with to test to see if they are getting power. As far as the junction block that I show, test with a circuit tester or multi-meter to determine if you're getting power. Having a wiring schematic/diagram of your vehicle is also invaluable when troubleshooting.
@@ZippoVarga Hey, so it was the fuse box. I had accidently riped the wire that feeds into the battery fuse slot on the back. But now I get power but it wont even try crank? I loose power my head lights every now and then too.
How do you open up that main junction block on firewall driver's side. I want to take it apart and disconnect it from firewall on inside because I am removing the dash and it makes it easier to have that wiring harness attached to dash on reinstallation like they did at the factory.
I have a 93 chevy 1500 350 I need help finding the wire on the junction box it’s red then turn orange the wire where does that one go to… my truck turns on stays on for about a min then shuts off wondering if it’s that wire that’s not connected no where thanks
my 88 5.7 does same thing from a cold start fires right up runs great for about 2 minutes then shuts off. when I unplug the map sensor she runs great? need help? Yelm WA
Me again ! My check engine won't flash me codes anymore not sure why? It use too thats how I figured out coolant temp sensor was bad. any ideas will help. Yelm WA
Do you know where I could find the info on what to set my multimeter to and how to test each of those connection points like where you said it read 12.3 volts across each one I want to do that
I watched the first seven minutes, but did not hear the problem that you were solving. Did the truck not start, did it not run well, did it cut out under power?
I’m a lil confused cuz u say that’s where ur drop was, but then proceeded to say it’s not where it was before cuz u checked it and had full power? So r u saying it was an intermittent issue? Or did u have full power at the junction block and then checked the fuse block in the cab and u still had a drop?
I have been trying to find out why my trucks speedometer only works when it’s wet outside and I have looked everywhere and can’t find anything wrong, everything I see on the internet is the opposite
Often, dash gauge issues are typically Grounding related. Make sure the engine to frame and frame to body grounds are good then also check your grounding wires under the dash. With your speedo working when it rains, it points to a poor connection and grounds are the most likely culprit. Zip~
Man, try saying your 10 minute fixes in 5 minutes ( ie,, you sounded as bored talking about it , as we did listening to it ) (( before you judge me as being an a++ )) Kudos on the overlook, you just made my day, as this was spot on, soon as you said gauges bouncing, so I mean no belittlement, I'm just salty individual. ,,,,,,,,, but. One. Like; one subscribe
No offense taken here Roy!! But, be forewarned.....I DO BABBLE A LOT! lol So as you peruse my other videos, be prepared. I hope the meat and potatoes of the video helps solve your issue. If not, check all grounds. Cab to Frame, Frame to Engine and under the dash there are a couple grounding points. As these vehicles age, the grounding points tend to oxidize a bit, and all you really have to do is loosen then retighten the grounding points. There is also a ground strap under the truck bed (or near the fuel inlet on the Tahos and Suburbans) that's there to eliminate any chance of a static electricity spark. Best of luck to you you grumpy salt! lol Cheers! Zip~
Points of ground are, battery to frame, battery to engine and frame to chassis. They are located in different locations per the year of your vehicle. Get a simple test light and look for larger diameter ground wires and straps attaching to the points I mentioned. Typically, the biggest issue with the gauge cluster resides in the frame to chassis ground and that is usually a braided grounding strap located on the passenger side frame rail that goes to the firewall under the heater box. Replace this with new or with a heavy cable. Also, under the dash, there are grounding points for the wiring harness since most of the dash is plastic. Look for wires attached to the metal sub frame and clean and re-tighten those. Also, where I found my issue is another area you should check. Good Luck! Zip~
Do you know what the 3rd one( middle) one feeds too or what it is? Mine burned up on my 94 chevy what fuse link do I need to replace it with. My Step dad put a 30 amp but I know I need to do it right.
Have an 88 GMC and it used to just stall out at an idle randomly. It turned out to be the same junction nut and post you focused on in this video. However on mine it was the actual wire that runs from the positive post to this electrical junction box that had a random short in the wire itself. It was causing the fuel injectors to stop working which shut the truck off. How we found it was my son wiggle ing that exact wire after I started the truck. When he moved that wire the fuel got shut off. Ran a new wire to that nut and it’s now fixed. BTW this is a good informative video. Check the wire to the junction box and do the maintenance on the other wires as well. 😁👍✌️
I had reached out in an earlier video on this issue and had no luck with that so I dove into it myself and I was surprised the truck had this pinched insulation from the factory and it took over 20 years for it to develop an issue. So posting it was more or less just letting everyone know I figured it out. But it's become a very popular video since it posted and I'm surprised at how many experienced issues with the same junction box wire. Cheers! And glad that you got yours sorted as well. Cheers! Zip~
Did this also cause headlights to flicker?
thank for you replying the fuel was mine thanks 91 and 94 any ideas on 4x4 not working when its not actuator
Electrical issues are solved much easier in the dead of night
he's a vamp
Yeah.. after 8 hours of trying to figure it out driving yourself mad
I'm, Tommy, I do appreciate your help with this problem I am faced with. Now I have a better understanding. God is good!
Glad to help
man i skipped over your video for 2 months not thinking it would in any way and finally i watched it after trying everything else. i was about to go buy a new starter solenoid and starter and i was seeing if there was anythiing new and nothing. i clicked on this video figuring what the hell might as well and see what problem he had. I WISH I WOULDVE WATCHED THIS DAMN VIDEO 2 MONNTHS AGO!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH MAN.. I replaced all my grounds twice even moved my ground spots 3-4 times. it would start up like i fixed it then it would lose power.(fired up bc i always stick the battery charger on it when i got home. MINE WAS IN A DIFFERENT SPOT BUT SAME WIRE.
That's how the fuel pump acted, one time my 88 GMC would start and then most times it'd just crank and crank and not start. I actually had two problems going to the fuel pump, the power from the junction box to relay was one of the problems and the ground was the other problem.
Thanks for this, my 1988 K1500 started to have some weird electrical issues: no charge, extended crank, driver side door lock sluggish. I checked everything i could find and all the grounds were good, no broken wires, no loose connections. I came across your video and checked this junction block and found one of the connections was burnt and had been arcing. When I went to take it off the terminal just crumbled. I moved to another terminal and that fixed everything! Now I am trying to track down a replacement junction block
Awesome! I'm glad you were able to remedy the problem with the help of my video. Cheers! Zip~
Awesome! I just found you. I have 1994 GMC 4X4 “Bucky-Roger”. Z package 1500 Sierra. Every time I run him a little bit he dies and won’t start. After cool off then he will start. As if something gets HOT and shuts down. Put a new battery in.. same issue. Been trying to troubleshoot. I don’t have testing equip yet but it seems like a fuel prob. I just bought him in 2020. He needed a catalytic converter installed for smog and registration. He ran real good for couple weeks. And I didn’t drive him much But then this issue started. Thinkin fuel pump or oil pump or bla bla. Maybe electrical? I noticed my oil pressure gauge jumps a lot. I’m just an old retired truck driver lady. I’m scanning your videos now.😊
Positive cable from your battery to your starter is on the wrong terminal on starter.
Ignition control module
This video turned out to be so helpful to me. I'm still unable to find the problem on my 93 but you did an excellent job explaining and showing things so I am much more informed and can keep researching with hope that I can find the problem. Thanks for posting.
Check through the comments. I reference other trouble areas where grounds often deteriorate over the years that may be helpful. Zip~
I have a 94 c1500 with no crank and no power on the dash when I turn the key but my head lights still turn on so it’s not the battery and it has a brand new starter. Do you think it’s a bad ignition switch ?
Nice. I'll have to look at mine. It looks like my wires are hanging out of the side of the junction cover. My Sierra has an issue, but I'm sure the transmission is blown. It's funny though one of the first things I noticed is the voltage shows low on the cluster from day one with a new bat. It has lots of electrical issues but I still love it. Best $400 I ever spent. Great Job Cheers
Update: Transmission isn't completely toast. I looked at it today ended up being an intake gasket leak. Sometimes you get lucky. There is one post on the far right with nothing there in my junction box though. Thanks you gave me hope for my 92 k2500 (which is also red haha)
That's empty on my 93 c1500 as well. Pretty sure it's supposed to be.
That would probably be for some dealer option/package crap back when they were sold new
@@MadAtMax.300Blackout That makes sense.
Thanks Zippo for shedding light on that one fuse block. I have a '92 GMC Suburban that I bought off a neighbor, in California, because he couldn't afford to keep with the emissions laws here and aside from my ABS and Charge Light coming on when I get to 15 mph, I have a parasitic draw that drains my battery if I leave it connected overnight. On that block, a visible link keeps burning out and caught fire once. I notice that when that happens my headlight switch burned out. When I reconnect my battery I get a spark from the ground terminal post. I have the opposite of your gauge readout. Mines stays at 18. Still haven't figured it out. Nonetheless, thanks for shedding like.
I hope you can get things sorted out. These older GM trucks and SUV's are built like tanks and worth keeping on the road. Keep us posted! Zip~
My mind caught on fire too ended up being my dimmer switch I have a 4.3 l V6 1990 GMC s15
And that's because I've aftermarket headlights and which require more power but the dimmer switch was bad which is what caught my wiring harness on fire
I really enjoyed your video and the way you diagnosed the problem (Ingenious) , if only teachers and professors could explain things the way you just did the world would be a better place. Common sense is not so common and in fact common sense is ingenious. Now you understand why most mechanics drink and have a tendency to through a wrench or two. 🤔 - Just think when Henry Ford rolled out the first Model T a person could fold up the sides of the the hood and get to the whole engine with just a couple of tools, but today the vehicles are engineered so people bring them to the shop and wonder how they can afford the repair bill without a credit card.
Was out there today working on my ‘94 C3500 with the 6.5td. Battery gauge is always low. Starter sounded sluggish lately. Batteries load test good. Alt charges ok. Found a broken braided ground strap on passenger side. From frame to fire wall. Replaced both from intake stud to fire wall fire wall to frame. Cables all pass loaded volt drop. Was thinking it was the crappy connection at the back of the gauge cluster but I’m going to check this out tomorrow. Thanks.
Unfortunately, this is a common issue, but easily fixed and typically all it costs is a little time. Keep that old GMT400 alive! Zip~
ZippoVarga well still no luck. I have gone through the system with no luck. I have the 6.5td and it seems that while cranking the battery voltage drops low enough where the computer won’t fire the injection pump. Going to install two new batteries today but ouch. My old batteries are only from 2017. Oh well. Any idea where the cab gets it’s main power? I have replaced ground straps starter alternator. Both free so might as well lol
What you found was a vehicle that was made either a MONDAY or a FRIDAY assembly line event. Just maybe a disgruntled worker at the factory getting even with the boss. The logic flow you followed is right on fella. I had the same thing with my neighbors machine. Just maybe slightly worst off then yours Zippo.....
I think you may have just solved my problem. I have been chasing an electrical gremlin ever since I've owned my truck. Going to check this out as soon as I get home.
Did it fix the issue?
@@cognitivedissonance7362 Unfortunately no. The search continues.
@@kevinhuskey5601 Remove every ground point u can find clean the contact terminals and put back. There are two on the front of the intake , one from the firewall to engine. Too name a few
Good fix.. Electrical issues are he worst. Makes sense that the feed wire was sort of fighting current flow and scrambling the radio which is probably very sensistive to current levels.
Glad you found the problem and are all set now. Looks like a real nice truck.
+59chevt Thanks Tom, and yes...it's a true survivor truck. I'm the second owner and knew the previous owners for the past 15 years. They were always on top of the maintenance and only used Delco Remy OEM replacement parts. Cheers!! Zip~
Thank You ZippoVarga! I just saw your video Wed night, and Thursday I went right to that ground feed wire on my 92 Silverado stepside reg cab, and sure enough it was finger loose, so I took off the Grnd wire, and wire brushed the eyelet on both sides, including the bolt and the nut, all the other feed wires were tight. I connected the battery and it fired right up, without that arching ticking sound you mentioned too, and the dash volt meter shot right up to 14v. The only thing I was out of pocket for was the lifetime warranty remanufactured alternator from Oreilly's for $104.14...I haven't named my truck, but it thanks you too! Cheers!
That's great news! It must be a fairly common issue. I've heard of a few who have experienced this. Seems odd that only this connector on the firewall would be loose, but at least that fix it self is free and easy! Cheers! Zip~
so glad i watched your video, 2005 jeep grand cherokee 5.7 and battling electrical issues for months, all componets , ac comp, starter, alt, sensors everything craping out and giving me headaches. finally found positive feed to one of the power distribution centers and the bolt was so loose i could spin it off with my finger and wire connection was just loose as a goose. been only one day but thats why i am looking for assurance that could be problem and it looks similar to yours. fingers crossed and thanks
I hope that solves your issues! Nothing worse than electrical gremlins! Cheers! Zip~
@@ZippoVarga thanks, same positive feed ,I hoping thanks again
This solved my issue. Thank you! Clifford and my 92 Camo Sierra are back on the road! 😊
That junction point is an often overlooked issue. Most people don't remove the cover and run electrical checks.
..thanks brother.. I just got a great deal on a '92 2500 Silverado, 4x4, same colors as yours.. exact same, except it's a fleet-side.. although I dont have this particular problem yet, I'll keep an eye out for it, & maybe even re-do it BEFORE it becomes a problem.. I do have one (major) issue though, which is : "cranks, but won't/hard to start..once started, runs fine".. Other videos I've seen all point to the fuel-pump relay... gettin started on it now.. I'm an OTR truck driver, so not home very often, & got other vehicles that my wife can drive to store, etc..
This truck is in incredibly good condition, with only 77,000 original mikes on it.. paid $3k for it, been offered $5k already, even with hard-to-start issue..(!)..
NOPE!..lol.. Im keeping it..!
Thanks again.. look forward to your continued videos..
Hard crank or hard start. Fuel delivery, ignition issues and/or fuel injector issues along with all associated relays. Change Plugs, Cap, Rotor, Plug wires, then run fuel injector cleaner through the gas tank. Replace the fuel pump relay (located under the cover on the passenger side fire wall) and have the fuel pressure checked. Engines will start with a weak fuel pump and run ok once the engine starts, but initially will have hard starting characteristics. Good luck with the Truck! Sounds like a nice one! Zip~
..this took care of my problem....94 S10 V-6
I went through the same thing on my 88 GMC and eventually found the problem right behind the glove compartment box pulled it out and noticed a cluster wires and saw where someone put a butt connector on one of them and did a poor job doing it. So it definitely got toasty luckily it didn't burn any of the other wires. I repaired it and everything went back to working I was surprised that one wire made me lose my turn signals my dash lights headlights my stereo, dome lights and the ignition the engine all from that all because of that single wire and of course it was the last place I looked after I went through every ground on that truck
It can definitely be frustrating! GM Was transitioning over from the Square body trucks which were all steel in the cab to Fantastic Plastic and had some growing pains figuring out how and where to set grounds. And you're right.....a single wire can screw up the whole works! On a '95 I had, I was working on the rear hitch and lost the ground for the tail lights. But, when I would start the truck it started fine, however se soon as I put it in reverse and/or stepped on the brakes I lost ignition power lol. Crazy! Glad you figured out your issue! Zip~
I don't believe the large cranking motor current passes thru that block where you say arcing occurred. But there is other current draw that does such as fuel pump.
Shooting the video at night with the aid of a flash light helps highlight the part of the operating configuration your referring to. Great job.
Bingo YOU FOUND ME??? I have the same problem? I was about to start my full size blaze one owner, 5.7 1992 I hit the ignition without starting and I’ve BEEN HEARING A GRINDING SOUND, and my tack needle was jumping it’s been jumping for a month or so, and I noticed my mileage gages trip and main was running up miles while I had the key on without starting or the vehicle MOVING? WTH 🤦🏼♂️ I watched almost a mile run up on my gage? And it’s been doing this for a couple months? So now I know I have 50-100 miles at least that’s NOT TRUE MILES? Anyways hope this fixes my issues as well? GREAT VIDEO! THANKS FOR THE INFO?
My 92 gmc c1500 is sparking and crackling in the new headlight switch. Wires get pretty warm if i leave them on. Only happens with new headlights. Old headlights have no issue
Awsome vid! Gonna use this to try and figure out my issue
The chances are huge it has happened to others. I was one of them. Not anymore. Thank you! Thank you. Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that my video helped you to remedy your issues. Cheers!! Zip~
I'm currently attempting to find an electrical issue on my 1993 C1500 which causes the engine to drop out momentarily after a good heat soak. Sharp bridge expansion joints will cause the issue too!
I've cut out and replaced three green crusty grounds on the engine block. I've also looked over the fuel relay terminal block. But, due to your video, I'll probably take all those terminals out, clean them up, grease them up, and reinstall.
FYI, while I was looking things over, I noticed the power feed for that relay terminal block comes up from the starter. The power cable enters the factory wire harness bundle back along the firewall around the distributor. The power cable has rubbed the paint off the firewall. That's not good!
I cut a section of heavy-duty oil jug plastic, put four zip-tie holes in the piece with a hot 16-penny nail, an zip-tied the homemade guard to the OEM wiring harness right there where the power cable enters the bundle.
After they've been around for 30 years, they develop gremlins for sure. Check your under dash ground, rear of frame ground and fuel pump/filler neck ground as well while you're troubleshooting. Sounds like you'll get the issue resolved sooner than later. Keep at it and let me/us know how you're progressing! Cheers! Zip~
@@ZippoVarga Gremlins... Yep! I refreshed the engine bay body-to-engine-block and body-to-frame straps a couple of years ago. I also installed a new fuel filler neck-to-body strap about a year after when servicing a rotted brake line requiring the dropping of the fuel tank. While the tank was down, I also installed new fuel lines.
I just finished up with the fuel pump terminal block. Everything removed and Dremeled with a wire wheel cup and reinstalled with dielectric grease. There were no visible issues so I doubt I've solved the engine drop-out problem. But, on vehicles this old, the effort is wise.
I'm current cleaning the front right and left signal and running light grounds and my 3M electrical tape is years old and worthless. Amazon will have some new stuff on my porch tomorrow.
@@russellstephan6844Any update?!
@@russellstephan6844Hope your not broke down on side of the road! Let us know something Broski!!
@@DIXIEMAFIA251 The issue has turned out to be the electrical signal connection at the 4L60E transmission.
I replaced the internal wiring harness and all the solenoids. However, the new wiring harness has issues and the 3-2 downshift solenoid goes fully open-circuit once heat soaked (15 minutes of city traffic).
I currently have parts on order to fix the bad new parts I just put in... Counterfeit GM parts from China.
You can watch this short video here of the indicator lights I rigged up to monitor the function of the transmission:
ua-cam.com/video/iZzjKVzGgJo/v-deo.html
That’s why ford has a wiggle test. Working on 1996 3500 cheby similar issues. Thanks
Zip I pray u reply. Had my 88 2500 in at least 6 diff shops now. Last one told me to scrap it. A truck which fires up fine most of the time
Problem you'll be driving down the road sometimes it starts acting starved of fuel sometimes backfires eventually just stalls. Sometimes restarts most times not. Stranded. 4 distributors at least 3 fuel pumps later...no fix. Np mechanic ever experienced the break down. I told him when I took it in do not replace the disy or fuel pump that was not the problem. He timed it did some injector work said it was fixed.i convinced him to keep test driving it knowing he hadn't found the issue. Sure enough he told me he barely got back to the shop. I don't think he did anything else or tried anything else. What surprised me most is not one 6+ mechanics have even tried to look for a short...i have so much money in this truck but I'm not a mechanic. The eng and transmission are 20000 miles on remanufactured .....could the problem highlighted in this video cause my problem???
There are many ground locations throughout the truck that can be causing this symptom. Battery to engine ground, frame to engine ground, frame to body ground, fuel pump to frame ground, inner dash framework to good ground (firewall of the truck is how I ran a new ground) and rear light wiring harness to ground. Believe it or not, I had a similar situation with another GMT400 that caused the truck to start fine, but as soon as you stepped on the brake pedal, the engine died! Pulled the rear brake light fuse and the problem went away long enough for me to get it back to my shop and investigate and trace the ground fault. So......my vote is there are grounding issues causing your problems. Have all of the grounds I mentioned replaced with your next visit. Since I'm not hands on, this is just my personal suggestion from my own experience, so it's not a guarantee it'll solve your problems, but that's where I would turn my attention. Poor grounds happen a lot as these vehicles age and your truck is about to hit 35 years old, so I'm sure you've got grounding straps that have long since given up. Hopefully this solves your problems! Zip~
@@ZippoVarga thank you for your reply quick question can you just add grounds or must you remove the old?
@@terrysmith1914 Great question Terry. Just add new grounds. Clean surfaces well, use Dielectric Grease to protect the new ground connections. The gas tank ground is often overlooked as is the ground on the actual filler neck going to the gas tank. I don't think I mentioned that one in my first comment. I hope this solves your issues! Zip~
Nice video, will go through all my connections and clean them. A+ 😃
Nice that Clifford can live a normal life in his last remaining years.
He's a good truck for sure. Showing his age, but here in the rust belt, they all do! Cheers! Zip~
Beautiful. Well done sir!
My 92 k1500 has had wiring problems for as long as I have owned it. My truck won't start atm. It's carbureted. My negative terminal gets real hot just from turning the key.
When headlights on my hazards lights don’t flash and my right turn signal hyper flashes. With headlights off turn signal is normal and hazard lights work. Also my 4x4 shifter the light stays on the side that says put in neutral to engage low.
I should clarify the turn signals flash quickly when the brake is applied
92 1500 shortbed similar problems, gonna run the circuit. will let ya know
There are many grounding points on these old trucks. Typically a few under the dash, on the buss block I show in this video as well as chassis ground straps going from the engine to the frame. A simple loosening and retightening and you can typically cure any ground faults you're having. Keep us posted Mark! Zip~
Thanks I have a wire on junction block that has cracked insulation and corroded exposed wires with low voltage. What are those white things on the wire, it's real close to that.
I had a similar issue, last owner installed a buttload of aftermarket audio gear. Just tore it all out and it fixed it
same problem, been at it for a week. trying this first thing in the morning. thanks!!!!
Also check your frame to body ground Ruben. This is also a common area that fails after 20 years. Cheers and good luck! Zip~
@@ZippoVarga would the ground wire going from the block to the body make it not crank???
Mine was loose too. Thanks for the vid!
Very good video, I have a 96 s10 and I was having the same kinda problem with the voltage. You really explains the situation and that helped alot.
Have an 89 short runs battery down
Finally put racecar switch on it
And solved the short but now wondering if my issue is feed block.
Bulkhead connectors will tear you a new 1 too. Good job!
Thanks man I'm dealing with similar issues I'm on it today.
Best of luck to you! Zip~
WOW -- you just save me a lot of headaches. I had the same problem and my screws were loose (not just the ones in my head) too!
I'm glad it worked out for you! Over the years, these tend to get loose. Also check the grounding wire to the Instrument Cluster under the dash to make sure it's got a good clean ground. Otherwise, you'll eventually start experiencing erratic behavior with the gauges. Cheers! Zip~
Where is that ground wire exactly?
Thanks for the video, it helped me on my 94 suburban it was doing the same symtoms, flickering lights and needles, the radio would cut out , the gauges go nuts when the turn signals are active, I cleaned all the grounds and gave em some dieelectric grease. Did voltage checks before and after my cleaning prossess. The problem led me to the distribution block under the hood. I found The ground was loose. Fixed and all works 👍
I'm glad you found it! This is a common issue with these aging GMT400 truck bodies. The ground straps and grounding points eventually need attention. I had a crazy one with my 1995 Silverado. Took it on for exhaust work and while it was on the lift, my self and one of the workers were working at getting the rear hitch loose from the receiver, and all the hammering and banging had shaken apart the frame to body ground strap. When I went to leave, the truck would start, but as soon as you stepped on the brake, the truck would die. I finally wound up taking both the brake fuse and turn signal fuse out of the fuse block just to get it off Pat's lift and get it home. Once home, I found the broken ground, installed a new one and everything was fine again. Another thing to check is under the dash. There is a main ground that feeds the entire instrument cluster, radio etc. Make sure that has a good ground or your gauges can start to jump around on you again. Cheers! Zip~
Wow good for you man, I’m chasing a few things down myself on the CanBus.
Good video explaining many things that one might not know. A+
Hey Rolando! I'm glad you appreciate the video! Cheers! Zip~
I was looking for something else but I have this issue also! Thanks. Clifford! Brilliant
I'll tell Clifford the Big Red Truck that you said thank you! Cheers! Zip~
I'm gonna try this out tomorrow and pray it's the problem. Thanks man!!!
Good luck!
Was it?
how do i ck them with a muti meter to see the voltage on each one. Dont know much on those meters. .My truck loses all power just for a split sec. When you pull out pretty hard or kick it down to speed up or pass. YOU SEE THE BATTERY LIGHT FLASH AND SOMETIMES THE NOISE LIKE U JUST TURN THE KEY ON AND IT BACKFIRED ONE TIME.
There are a number of grounding straps through out the body and frame of the truck. One or a combination of them could be causing your issue. As far as a meter check, you just need to put the meter in Ohms with audible beep on and check between frame and body. Most commonly, the frame to body ground strap fails. If you've got the same generation truck as this, the grounding strap is located on the passenger side frame rail under the hood close to the body (firewall). Just replace this instead of messing with trying to get it to work. A solid core insulated wire works best. Be sure to use Dielectric Grease to help protect the mounting points and promote a good ground. As I stated, there are many grounding points. It's best to do a google search for locations of ground points on your specific vehicle to know exactly where to look. Zip~
@@ZippoVarga It was a starter wire getting groaded to the manifold when i would pull out ot kick it down the cab would move just enough for the wire to touch. Fixed that problem solved. Thank for your reply...
I tried this same thing. And this solved most of my problems.
Thanks for the video, my 1991 cheyenne has been pulsating at the volt meter for yrs.,its aggravating . also when i turn on emergency flasher it does it. I have been wondering where to start. James from miss.
Wow thanks for the video my backup lights are on when the truck is running left turn signal rear is blinking funny bought both rear circuit boards and unplug the towing harness so I will check that fire wall and see.
There are also multiple grounding areas including one to the rear light wiring harness, gas filler neck/tank, chassis to body and chassis to engine and a ground under the dash that supplies the entire interior power needs. Any one of these grounds fail and the area that the ground is supposed to cater to actually goes on a sort of ground hunting expedition, looking for another suitable ground. When they can't find one or they find one that they can scavenge off of, often some really strange symptoms arise, like the ones you are describing. Good Luck! Zip~
Where is the ground under the dash?
Thanks for the video and for covering everything very well. Great job!!!
Hey buddy chances believe it or not are great. My problem that cost me alot ...perfect video thanks 2 months of hell
Thank you my 1989 k1500 had the same problem fixed now
It was a real head scratcher for a while Wells. But I knew I had to post it in case others were having similar issues. Another good idea is to check your frame to body ground straps as well as the grounding wire to the metal dash frame under the dash to further prevent ground issues. These old GMT400 trucks are so well built, but over time, some things deteriorate. I hope all your electrical issues are resolved. Cheers! Zip~
My climate control didn’t work it would come on than off than go in defrost and stay there
Tighten the bolts on the firewall under the plastic panel first bolt was loose
Thank you....I have voltage drop currently on my 92 GMC 2500. Always like your vids for good info.
I hope this info helps out X-ray! Cheers! Zip~
Does anybody know what goes what on that junction box, i have a 93 4.3 and its shorting out where, battery cables get siper hot
Today my 1994 gmc k2500 lost dash lights while driving it...any suggestions. Thanks
Check fuses first. Pull out the dash fuse and if its good reinsert it then try the lights again. If they're still not working, try putting on just the parking lights and rotate the brightness knob for dash lights. The most common issue with headlights is the headlight switch itself. Improper dash grounding can also cause this issue. so make sure you've got good grounds everywhere. Battery to engine, engine to frame, frame to body, dash subframe to body. Good Luck! Zip~
Ok. Thank you for taking your time on responding. 👏
Was that for a no crank no start problem. Just wondering cuz I have low volt on my battery gauge and my truck won’t start or crank but has power to starter and everything just won’t start or crank
It sounds like you've got a voltage drop before the starter Blair. Make sure all of the ground straps going from the battery to the engine, then to the frame of the truck and to the body of the truck are in place and in good shape. That's the typical cause of a no crank issue. Also, check the condition of your battery. It may be putting out voltage but not have the power (amps) needed to crank the engine over. Zip~
Need help please. My 93 chevy Cheyenne 350 just bought it. 144000 original miles. Just started rough idle no power and dies. Had mechanic replace everything electrical. Still does it. Could this be what's wrong?
Thanks Zip! I’ll definitely check out this on my 1993 K-1500, my climate control indicator flashes, I changed out the actuator that is up above the accelerator but it continues to flash.....
Bill, I've had the same issue. Over time, the contacts on the climate control oxidize over and poor contact results in this issue. It's typically an easy enough job. Remove the dash bezel with the 4 retaining screws, pull the bezel off and over to the drivers side (you may have to put the gear shift lever in low for more clearance) and remove the 4 screws holding the climate control module in place. There is enough wire to slide it out enough to unclip the wiring harness so you can clean the contacts. I use a simple pencil eraser to clean them. Reassemble and see how things go. Good Luck Bill! Zip~
Thank you so much for this info, I’ll give it a shot!
Did it work?
I changed my gauge cluster over to a canadian unit since I wanted KPH and not Miles now Im sitting here with a problem where not all dash lights are working. Now Im trying to figure out what this could be. When I turn the key not all warning lights come on. On the left side auf the gauge cluster only the low coolant warning light works. Turn signal is only the left one working the right one works but is not showing up on the gauge cluster. I believe I got bad grounds somewhere. Wish this would have been easy. I changed all light bulbs in the canadian gauge cluster and I was 100% sure this will be an easy swap. Unfortunately it was not😑. I noticed with the original gauge cluster the Service Engine light was not working so this is not an issue that I have caused. There is already a Electronic issue here
Should I call Consumer Protection Agency or who advocate to help me?
My 2013 Buick Verano (Buzzie) has the same situation undiagnosed by Lindsay Cadillac since October 2019.
Good job I’m having the same problem on my 6.5 turbo diesel
those two electrical connectors that go on top of the fuel injectors have a fuse??? they have no power at all,,,
On my '92, there is a fuse to the far left of where I found this issue that is for the fuel injection. Should be a 20 amp. Zip~
Where does the feed wire come from? The battery?
Good find things like that can drive you crazy.
It did for a long time!! Cheers! Zip~
Great video!, I’m looking to add a second battery and a diode isolator to my 88.the alternator connects to this junction box my question to you is is it okay if I disconnect the alternator from the junction box and go straight to the diode isolator with a inline fuse?
This is a question best left to a local qualified automotive electrical technician Mr. Roberts. You would need a switchable battery isolator and the electrical technicians expertise to guide you for your particular needs which I can't help you with from afar. Best of luck! Zip~
Saw another video where the second one was losing it. Free repair.
Thank you for sharing
Great video! will help me on my 88 5.7 litre I've owned now 5 years. Yelm WA
Zip I had ordered some LED headlight bulbs well my son removed the battery hold down bolt and moved the battery back some to put on the low beam bulb well my A/C solenoids started acting weird and I thought it was a bad one so I changed it out well then after that I took a trip and my truck started to run bad even my Trans so I stopped to check the ground on my battery and the negative was loose a bit well I drove half way on my trip with no A/C because the solenoid was getting hot it fooled me big times. 😳
That wire box on driver's side has a thick purple wire I accidentally pulled out when trying to strip it. What terminal does it go into ??? Nothing on the net shows it . I need a reference to which terminal it goes into. I believe it is from the starter
I have a terrible mess of wires in my 1990. My ac shorts the whole electrical system. Been slowly trying to fix it all. High milage ex at&t 1990 obs 350sbc 700r4. Been through grounds and crimped connections at least once or twice a week. Still no resolve. Owned the truck for a lil over a year, any advice?
Would the junction point keep the truck from receiving power? My fuses and fuse box are good, the battery is good, connections and grounds are good. But my truck still receives no power
Beyond fusible links, it's got to be a connection that has failed. Check grounds throughout the truck. There are many. Battery to engine, engine to frame, frame to chassis, chassis to dash support. Those are the grounds. Then there are also fused links within the positive battery wires along the firewall that can also fail and cause no power. Your best defense is to get a quality line tester like a Power Probe or similar type of circuit tester that has a pinpoint end that you can poke through the insulation of the wires with to test to see if they are getting power. As far as the junction block that I show, test with a circuit tester or multi-meter to determine if you're getting power. Having a wiring schematic/diagram of your vehicle is also invaluable when troubleshooting.
@@ZippoVarga Thank you much!
@@ZippoVarga Hey, so it was the fuse box. I had accidently riped the wire that feeds into the battery fuse slot on the back. But now I get power but it wont even try crank? I loose power my head lights every now and then too.
How do you open up that main junction block on firewall driver's side. I want to take it apart and disconnect it from firewall on inside because I am removing the dash and it makes it easier to have that wiring harness attached to dash on reinstallation like they did at the factory.
There should be a single screw/bolt in the center of the wiring junction block. Take that out, and the outer and inner junction unplugs. Zip~
I have a 93 chevy 1500 350 I need help finding the wire on the junction box it’s red then turn orange the wire where does that one go to… my truck turns on stays on for about a min then shuts off wondering if it’s that wire that’s not connected no where thanks
my 88 5.7 does same thing from a cold start fires right up runs great for about 2 minutes then shuts off. when I unplug the map sensor she runs great? need help? Yelm WA
Me again ! My check engine won't flash me codes anymore not sure why? It use too thats how I figured out coolant temp sensor was bad. any ideas will help. Yelm WA
same here 1500 chevy truck 1993 thanks so much
Do you know where I could find the info on what to set my multimeter to and how to test each of those connection points like where you said it read 12.3 volts across each one I want to do that
Great video ! thanx for the info! tryin to fix headlight prob. on my 97 silverado
My fuel pump stay on after the truck is off .. (94 Silverado 1500) can’t find the solution
Check the fuel pump relay.....and chang as needed
Great job and a great video. Thanks !!
Would that area stop your headlights from workin
No Rider. Typically headlight faults are the headlight switch it self. Zip~
I watched the first seven minutes, but did not hear the problem that you were solving. Did the truck not start, did it not run well, did it cut out under power?
How do you remove the junction block??? I really need to know because I'm having a very similar issue
Hi accidentally i had touched the junction block and made a huge spark and im not getting fuel you think the fusible links burnt?
I’m a lil confused cuz u say that’s where ur drop was, but then proceeded to say it’s not where it was before cuz u checked it and had full power? So r u saying it was an intermittent issue? Or did u have full power at the junction block and then checked the fuse block in the cab and u still had a drop?
It was intermittent. Which is why there were signs of arcing on the connector and stand off.
The wires at my junction box (just like this one) keeps getting covered with moisture/ oil and I can’t figure out where... any ideas?
I have been trying to find out why my trucks speedometer only works when it’s wet outside and I have looked everywhere and can’t find anything wrong, everything I see on the internet is the opposite
Often, dash gauge issues are typically Grounding related. Make sure the engine to frame and frame to body grounds are good then also check your grounding wires under the dash. With your speedo working when it rains, it points to a poor connection and grounds are the most likely culprit. Zip~
@@ZippoVarga thanks 🙂
Off topic question but that feed wire to the junction box, does it come straight from the battery or from the starter?
Should come straight from the battery with a fuseable link.
Thanks! What I'm currently dealing with..
So the one that was arking going straight to the battery?
Yes
But did you still have spark and fuel
Yes. The truck operated fine, I was just having intermittent dash and stereo interference if memory serves.
wuld that problem cause even a volt meter are amp meter to flactuate its value?
Man, try saying your 10 minute fixes in 5 minutes ( ie,, you sounded as bored talking about it , as we did listening to it ) (( before you judge me as being an a++ )) Kudos on the overlook, you just made my day, as this was spot on, soon as you said gauges bouncing, so I mean no belittlement, I'm just salty individual. ,,,,,,,,, but. One. Like; one subscribe
No offense taken here Roy!! But, be forewarned.....I DO BABBLE A LOT! lol So as you peruse my other videos, be prepared. I hope the meat and potatoes of the video helps solve your issue. If not, check all grounds. Cab to Frame, Frame to Engine and under the dash there are a couple grounding points. As these vehicles age, the grounding points tend to oxidize a bit, and all you really have to do is loosen then retighten the grounding points. There is also a ground strap under the truck bed (or near the fuel inlet on the Tahos and Suburbans) that's there to eliminate any chance of a static electricity spark. Best of luck to you you grumpy salt! lol Cheers! Zip~
Where is all the grounds located at. I have a problem when I have my turn Signals on my gauges like to jump around.
Points of ground are, battery to frame, battery to engine and frame to chassis. They are located in different locations per the year of your vehicle. Get a simple test light and look for larger diameter ground wires and straps attaching to the points I mentioned. Typically, the biggest issue with the gauge cluster resides in the frame to chassis ground and that is usually a braided grounding strap located on the passenger side frame rail that goes to the firewall under the heater box. Replace this with new or with a heavy cable. Also, under the dash, there are grounding points for the wiring harness since most of the dash is plastic. Look for wires attached to the metal sub frame and clean and re-tighten those. Also, where I found my issue is another area you should check. Good Luck! Zip~
Did you fix the issue?
Thanks for posting.
Do you know what the 3rd one( middle) one feeds too or what it is? Mine burned up on my 94 chevy what fuse link do I need to replace it with. My Step dad put a 30 amp but I know I need to do it right.