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My fusable link at the starter shows it is grounded up Stream, even with the starter disconnected?

Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 1978 CHEVROLET VAN
  • 95,000 MILES
I can not get power on van. When I connect pos. Cable to battery, which has 12 volts, it rapidly drains down to 4 or 5 volts. I know the fusable link wires are shorted, but where? The Haynes book wiring diagrams are not clear where the wires go.
Sunday, April 15th, 2012 AT 1:32 AM

28 Replies

Tiny
CADIEMAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,544 POSTS
The fuse link at starter is a 6 inch wires that hooks to the starter seloniod pull on the wires if 1 is blown it will fall apart.
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Sunday, April 15th, 2012 AT 2:02 AM
Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
I attatched a wire to the link to pull it thru the metal protective tube and I read thru the link with a multi-meter. The fusable link is fine. The ground is up stream from the starter. I need to know where the wires go.
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Sunday, April 15th, 2012 AT 2:26 AM
Tiny
CADIEMAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,544 POSTS
Charge and load test the battery. Besure your cables are clean and tight. Start here. What is the voltage problem exacty. Battery goes dead overnite or just wont start?
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Monday, April 16th, 2012 AT 2:24 AM
Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
I forgot to tell you, I have the pos. Cable from the battery disconnected and also have the ign, switch disconnected. When I connect a multi-meter to the fusable link terminal I am reading to ground. I think I have corrosion somewhere. Where do the wires go from the fusable link go? I have a Haynes manual but the wiring diagram is not clear. Thanks, Fred
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Monday, April 16th, 2012 AT 2:56 PM
Tiny
CADIEMAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,544 POSTS
Hook everthing up and diconnect the neg. Battery cable. Hook a test light or meter from the cable to the battery if their is a draw killing the battery. If ite more than 50 ma or the test light is bright u have a draw. Start here
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Monday, April 16th, 2012 AT 11:23 PM
Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
I did as you asked. I hooked up everything and disconnected the neg. Cable. I am not sure how to check the voltage draw on the battery. I checked the battery voltage for about ten minutes. It held ten volts all this time. I hooked up the neg. Cable and the battery voltage dropped to four volts at once. I will try to follow the orange and brown wires from the fusable link to see where they go.
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Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 AT 3:43 AM
Tiny
CADIEMAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,544 POSTS
Hook the meter leds hook 1 to the neg. Cable and 1 to the neg. Terminal on the battery. Put it on milli amp scale then come back with a reading.
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Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 AT 4:32 PM
Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
Will do, but I do not think my problem can be solved until I find out why the fusable link terminal is showing ground with a muli-meter. Even with another car jumpered to the battery, I do not get any voltage to my van?
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Thursday, April 19th, 2012 AT 1:39 AM
Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
I did as requested. Put muli-meter between battery neg. Terminal and battery neg. Cable. I used MA 50 scale. When I first touched the leads I read 30, I kept the leads touching and after about two or three minutes, the reading was 200. In a earlier post, after I hooked up the pos. Cable to the battery, I went from 11 volts to about 3 volts in a minute or so. I have a short somewhere up stream of the fusable link. Thanks, for your help.
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Saturday, April 21st, 2012 AT 3:21 AM
Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
Thanks, CJ, I will try some of these tips, but I still can not get the van to accept any DC pwr. From the battery or a jumper cable?
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Saturday, April 21st, 2012 AT 3:30 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
MIGHT AS WELL SLING THIS ONE AT YOU TOO

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/1996-chevrolet-tahoe-wont-start-sounds-dead-battery-jumpbox-get-same-reults

I KNOW LITTLE ABOUT YOUR RIG---I DO KNOW THAT A LOT OF TIMES IT'S THE LITTLE STUPID STUFF THAT IS OVERLOOKED THAT MAKES YOU BALD (PULLING YOU HAIR OUT)

KEEP US POSTED--STILL, OTHERS CAN JUMP IN AND OFFER OTHER ANSWERS...I FIND THIS HAPPENS AS THE POST GROWS LONGER

THE MEDIC
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Saturday, April 21st, 2012 AT 3:42 PM
Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
Of course, I checked all fuses. Took starter to Auto Zone for testing. They said it was good. Removed pos. Battery cable from van. Checked from end to end. Looked good with multi-meter. Battery is about 6 months old. Reads 11 volts statically. Will check under load, if I can get van to accept power. I plan on physically tracing orange and brown wires up-stream of fusable link. Maybe I will find some corrison. I bought this van new in 1978 in Jacksonville, Fl. With your help I think we will solve this problem. Thanks.
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Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 AT 3:30 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
BATTERY SHOULD READ AT LEAST 12.5 VOLTS

REMOVE COMPLETELY AND CHARGE

IF UNABLE TO CHARGE IT YOURSELF WITH A CHARGER

TAKE IT TO ADVANCE AUTO (CALL 1ST TO MAKE SURE, OURS DOES) OR OTHER AUTO PARTS STORES WHO WILL CHARGE IT FOR FREE

WHILE YOU ARE THERE HAVE IT TESTED. EVEN NEW STUFF CAN BE BAD---I SEE IT ALL OF THE TIME AT THE STORE I PART TIME AT.6 MONTHS OLD, MAY MEAN FREE REPLACEMENT

THE MEDIC
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Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 AT 10:56 PM
Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
Thanks for your input CJ, but you did not see my earlier post where I can not get my van to accept any power. I have a direct ground at my disconnected fusable link.I am trying to trace it out.
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Tuesday, April 24th, 2012 AT 4:32 AM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
I JUST READ BACK THRU THIS

JUST TO SEE IF YOU ARE TESTING RIGHT AND NOT GETTING TUNNEL VISION, AS YOU ARE NOW MEGA INVOLVED, UPSET AND FRUSTRATED

IF YOU SET YOUR METER TO OHMS---BATTERY DISCONNECTED

I LIKE TO USE LONGER JUMPER WIRES WITH ALLIGATOR ENDS---SOME OF MINE ARE 25' LONG (TESTING TRAILER LIGHTING)

I JUMPER MY METER'S GROUND ALL THE WAY TO THE NEG BATTERY CLAMP (NO DOUBT MY "BEGINNING SOURCE" IS GOOD)---ANYTHING "GROUNDED" WILL SHOW CONTINUITY ON THE DISPLAY WHEN I TOUCH THE METER'S POS LEAD TO ANYTHING GROUNDED.

NOW MOVE THE ALLIGATOR TO THE POSITIVE BATTERY CLAMP----FOR INSTANCE TOUCH THE METERS POS LEAD TO THE CENTER PIN OF THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER----IT SHOULD SHOW CONTINUITY

NOW

THE KICKER

IF ON EITHER BATTERY CLAMP

IF YOU TOUCH A "POSITIVE OR A NEGATIVE WIRE". AND DOWN STREAM IS A LIGHT BULB/ MOTOR/ ETC.----

THAT PUPPY IS GONNA SHOW CONTINUITY TO GROUND (DEPENDING ON YOUR SETTING, YOU MAY READ THE RESISTANCE OF THE BULBS FILAMENT) THE BULB WILL "GROUND" YOU OUT!

SO INSURE IF YOU ARE TESTING FOR CONTINUITY, BOTH ENDS OF THE "TEST DUMMY WIRE" ARE "DISCONNECTED" FROM A KNOWN GROUND (LIKE A BULB)

I DO NOT KNOW 'ZACKLY HOW YOU ARE TESTING THE LINK

I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK I'M TALKING DOWN TO YOU---JUST MAYBE SOMETHING YOU ARE MISSING IN THE EQUATION----I GET "LOCKED IN AND HARD HEADED" ON A PROJECT AND SOMETIMES NEED A JOLT BACK INTO REALITY---I HAVE TERRIBLE "CRS" MYSELF

THE MEDIC
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Tuesday, April 24th, 2012 AT 5:05 AM
Tiny
CADIEMAN
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,544 POSTS
Just go to the fuselinks at the starter and pull on them one at a time if its blown the wire will fall apart.
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Tuesday, April 24th, 2012 AT 5:27 PM
Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
CJ and cadieman, I hooked up a wire[safety wire] and pulled fusable link thru the metal protective tube just above the starter. While I had the fusable link pulled thru, I was able to get at the wires connected to the fusable link and read continuity thru the link. As for reading the link to ground, I touched one test lead to the link and the other to the vans frame. I read continuity. I have not had time to trace the wires out yet, but will keep you informed.
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Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 AT 1:37 AM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
DRIVE ON SOLDIER!

THE MEDIC
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Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 AT 1:46 AM
Tiny
FRED FUENTES
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
Actually, CJ, I served 28 years in the Navy as an Aircraft Engine Mechanic, then worked with Lockheed, Commodore Aviation as an Engine mech. I worked on planes for 50 years. In the military we had better books and wiring diagrams than I now have on hand. Thanks, for all that you guys are doing.
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Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 AT 2:09 AM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
DO YOU WANT ME TO TRY TO PULL YOU SOME MITCHELL I DIAGRAMS?

THEY ARE PRETTY GOOD---EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT COLORED (THE COLORS ARE ARE LABELED)

I'M NOT MITCHELL SUPER PROFICIENT, BUT I CAN GET DIAGRAMS

THEY ARE NORMALLY IN "SYSTEMS"---NOT ONE BIG CONFUSING BLOB

NAME THE SYSTEMS YOU WANT! (SOMETIMES THERE ARE OVER A HUNDRED DIAGRAMS--SO NARROW ME DOWN!)

SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE NAVY THING. LOL!

THEY SAY THAT "LANDING" IN AN AIRCRAFT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS PART---I AVOIDED IT 119 TIMES

THE MEDIC
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Wednesday, April 25th, 2012 AT 2:40 AM

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