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Engine stoppage

T

Tovar

Active Member
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Location
Arizona
Truck is garage kept. Cold day. Started right up (all normal). Warmed truck up and started on my way. Less than a quarter mile away, the engine stops as if someone turned the key off. Made several attempts to restart. Truck would crank, but not start. When turning key on, the fuel gauge would spin 360 degrees. Had a OBD in truck. There was a p0380 (glow plug issue). Tried to start truck again, instrument panel lights flickering/dimming, and, now, no crank. Went over fuel system all good. Got tractor, and started towing the truck back to the house. During a pause in the towing, I tried to start the truck. Instrument panel illuminated up properly, heard fuel pump, truck started normally. Drove it back. All systems good. Batteries are good. Let it sit over night. Tried to start. Acted like it is not getting electrical power. No crank, no start, instrument panel dimming/flickering. Batteries good. Could this have something to do with ignition switch? Have many aftermarket parts.
 
Have a couple of new PMDs I carry in the glove box (just in case). Tried it. No change. No crank. No start. Instrument panel dim and flickering, and you can hear the fuel pump intermittently. Some sort of power issue I would think. Hopefully, someone out there has had these symptoms, and has the fix.
 
I have burned out the internal GM connectors in batteries before. The worst was giving me a 5v drop between the top post and the GM terminal on the battery. How are you testing the batteries? IMO I would start there and then go on to grounds. You are looking at electrical weirdness as clue #1. So check each battery cable ground and positive. The double up on the passenger side battery positive is a good place for problems. Corroded cables? Make sure you have a good body, frame, to engine ground strap - add a new one.
 
All battery terminals clean and tight (batteries are quite new). All grounds clean and tight (even the ones I added a while ago). Headlights work and the switch illuminates the instrument panel with or without the key turned on. When key is turned on the blinkers do not work...along with dim/flickering instrument panel, no crank, no start. Is there anything in the steering column that when it goes bad will create this scenario?
 
:facepalm: New parts don't mean good parts! Nothing, and I mean, NOTHING gets a free pass because it's new, a week old, etc. Always start troubleshooting over. WE, not the factory, are the product testers anymore to *ahem* keep costs down. What Quality Assurance? I can tell you by ear when cranking if a I blew yet another battery: usually cook a set off every year on Patch...

Regardless you appear to have a bad ground somewhere. Possible the low voltage is coming from the positive side like a mostly burned out fusible link. You are going to have to probe this with a voltmeter.

Yes an ignition switch failure is possible. A volt meter will show you where the voltage drop aka problem is. So possible are bad connectors to the column. Mice and rats eat wiring as well. Fuses are worth pulling to see if the connections are corroded. A local auto electrical shop is also a good option if you are not having luck with trons.

Here is an example of a bad connection being a royal PIA to hunt down and, yes, an IR gun can help find these:
http://www.thetruckstop.us/forum/th...ter-circuit-repair-options-help-needed.43038/
 
Grounds to the dash panel/switches. Check up under the dash on each side, the steel reinforcing bar across the dash and the firewall above the blower.
 
image.jpeg image.jpeg All grounds good. Going to try replacing the ignition switch. There is a little white electrical connection that is placed on top of the tumbler. It is part of the ignition switch harness, but the connection is not of the norm. So not to break this connection, and cause further trouble, does anyone know how to release this from its positions?
 
Tovar said:
View attachment 51396 View attachment 51395 All grounds good. Going to try replacing the ignition switch. There is a little white electrical connection that is placed on top of the tumbler. It is part of the ignition switch harness, but the connection is not of the norm. So not to break this connection, and cause further trouble, does anyone know how to release this from its positions?
Click to expand...
I think there is a little release lever on the top side of it. Needs to be pressed away from its housing, towards the terminals.
 
To remove the little white plug. Take a small flat head screwdriver. Insert between the plug and casing in the middle of the plug on the upright side (not where the plug rests on the casing). Turn the screwdriver clockwise, gently, and push the terminal end of the plug (where the wires are) toward the passenger side of truck. Plug will swing out and release itself.
 
I know that there is a diagram in the electrical section of the GM Factory Shop Manual that shows that connector.
 
Update: installed the new ignition switch harness. While doing so, I noticed a lot of play with the black plug receptacle. This black plug is the vehicle anti-theft system (VATS). I put a plastic zip tie in the connection to stop the play and cut to fit. Vehicle starts and runs fine. I don't know if the problem was with the whole ignition harness or just a bad connection with the VATS. So, if your vehicle cuts off, and dash panel lights/instruments are acting squirrelly, and you haven't replaced your ignition harness...keep in mind that might be the problem (and/or the VATS plug connection, if you have one).

In answer to your question Jaryd... I just kept looking on YouTube until I found someone remove it. And it took a while to find.
 
The tittle of the YouTube video is "How to replace and install ignition starter switch 1995-96 GMC Sierra buy auto parts at 1AAuto.com." The tittle is bizzare, but they show how to remove the little white plug.
 
Security system can cause what you experience, unfortunately.
The early models, which is what most of us owned, don't have the security system.
That is why nobody ever think of that.
At any rate, this is a good finding for owners of this truck with security system.
 
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