Electrical question on 1997 m1083

Today i was planing on taking short trip in my 1083 fliped on the master switch turned on key switch (replaced push button switch) the fuse /relay panel on passenger side starts psssst off pssst off pssst off continuously like the same rythm of a 4way flasher for what seemed like 5 minutes i have had for a while a solinoid issue the one on the frame by the starter i think so i have a remote push button starter switch i have to use hanging by the starter anyway back to problem i hit starter truck fires right up runs 5 seconds quits i keep restarting finaly it stays running so im thinking maybe im good to go so i take off get fuel down the road i go then the psst off pssst off thing starts again and its seems like its killing the power for a millisecond then back on back off now im down about 20 mph get to destinaton barely transmission cuts out every time it hisses after i take kick panel under relay box it the air solinoid right by the door poping on and off with switch and master on engine off altenator left ight 12v blinking orange the right light 24v side blinking green never had the orange light ever before i have like 14/6 at the 12v post on top of altenator and 26/5 on the 24 post when engine running 13.8 at batteries and 25. 4 the left post on regulator 13.7 right post 26.4 so everything seems to look ok on meters but the orange light still blinking on 12 v side turn engine off back to pssst off pssst off sme speed i have no idea where to start trouble shooting this any ideas

It sounds like you have a bad connection(high resistance) that is causing a voltage drop as soon as current is pulled thru it.

On the left side of the fusepanel/Power Dist Panel(PDP) there are 3 metal lugs labeled ground, 12V and 24V. These are the PDP input voltage test points. i know you measured voltages at alt and battery, but the lugs at the PDP are the first place I recommend you look. You want to measure it while you are turning on the switch that causes the relay/solenoid pulsing.

1st test: connect meter to the ground and 12V terminals in the PDP and turn on the main and starter switches till the solenoid pulses. Whats the voltage and is it stable while the solenoid is pulsing(should be)?

2nd test: Connect the meter to ground and 24V test points and take the same measurement while the relay/solenoid is pulsing(should also be stable). What is the voltage there?

I know punctuation isn't everyones thing, but try and break up your thoughts into little bits with spaces between like I did here. It is way easier for us to read and get an idea what you are trying to tell us.

I will check that this afternoon and get back to you with the findings . THANKS

I would start by adding a big ground from the batt negative to the frame.

Suprman said:

I would start by adding a big ground from the batt negative to the frame.

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OK i will do that as well and report back! THANKS

It all wound up as being battery cables arking on frame rail where they come out of battery box then up and over the frame ! So i sleved and tye straped them up a few inch above the rail crisis overted thanks again to Ronmar and Superman for the advise

chucky said:

It all wound up as being battery cables arking on frame rail where they come out of battery box then up and over the frame ! So i sleved and tye straped them up a few inch above the rail crisis overted thanks again to Ronmar and Superman for the advise

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Crisis temporarily averted is better said...... what is arching? something putting hot into the frame and arching to the negative of the cable? or a crack in Positive battery cable was arching to the chassis? either way..... your not fixed by any means. Got more investigating and final solution to figure out still.

coachgeo said:

Crisis temporarily averted is better said...... what is arching? something putting hot into the frame and arching to the negative of the cable? or a crack in Positive battery cable was arching to the chassis? either way..... your not fixed by any means. Got more investigating and final solution to figure out still.

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sounds like the cables had mechanically chafed/abraded and allowed conductor to contact frame...

Ronmar said:

sounds like the cables had mechanically chafed/abraded and allowed conductor to contact frame...

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.. so more to fix beside just tieing them further up out of the way where the arch can't reach (yet). How would one best fix that? Use a needle and syringe to shoot dielectric grease into the wound to keep corrosion at bay.... then disconnect at closest place and slip a heat shrink tube down to it? assume then follow up with some thick padding (chunk of radiator hose? to prevent it happening again?

Re-reading the fellows post this may be what he did (minus wound care) and I previously misinterpreted his post.

For cable insulation repair and weatherproof electrical connections I use self vulcanizing rubber tape. It is elastic and stretches and is stored in a roll with cellophane tape to keep it from fusing itself into one big rubber ball. You pre-tension it by stretching it to half its width and overlapping it by half its width as you wrap it. Done this way it and a second layer quickly fuses into one rubber tube. Because it is elastic and is stretched into place it is a little better than shrink wrap and maintains a better waterproof seal IMO. A coat of Scotch coat or Starbright over the top protects the vulcanizing tape from UV damage.

The hot battery cables coming out of the rear left of battery box go up and over the main frame rail and they had rubbed there long enough to just barely rub thru to where it was arking so i put a protective sleve around all those cables and tye straped them up and off the frame. Took the truck out today and everything seems good no problems till the next problem. lol

I tryed spaying a little of the stuff they dip tool handles in but in a spray can and i cut up a rubber mud flap piece to wrap and tie the cables

chucky said:

I tryed spaying a little of the stuff they dip tool handles in but in a spray can and i cut up a rubber mud flap piece to wrap and tie the cables

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in the electronics area of some stores you can find "Liquid tape".... same stuff you sprayed but thicker. In a smaller can and is paint on. IMHO sometimes your better of to paint it onto something slick and let it thicken in the air a little before using...... sometimes when it is real thin... the brushing process will wipe the stuf away the outermost piece of exposed electrical surface. Works better when you glob it on cause of this.

coachgeo said:

in the electronics area of some stores you can find "Liquid tape".... same stuff you sprayed but thicker. In a smaller can and is paint on. IMHO sometimes your better of to paint it onto something slick and let it thicken in the air a little before using...... sometimes when it is real thin... the brushing process will wipe the stuf away the outermost piece of exposed electrical surface. Works better when you glob it on cause of this.

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I will pick up a can of that! Im pretty sure ive seen it at lowes THANKS for the info .Do you have any ideas on where the best place to get the relay solenoid thats mounted on the frame beside the starter?

It’s a simple 24v contactor relay. Is yours bad? It’s easy to test it. I have replaced them with smaller relays. No reason for it to be that big.

I JUST FOUND 1 BUT ITS 138 BUCKS SOUNDS HIGH TO ME. I had to put a remote push button test starter switch directly on the starer solenoid to get it to engage the starter i guess it could be a burnt spot on the starter solenoid but no i havnt tested it

Put 24v to the coil contacts on the solenoid. See if it works. Did you upgrade the ground wire to the frame from the battery negative yet? Bad ground cause voltage drop and the frame solenoid won’t work from the cab. The battery box is floating not really grounded. The negative for the whole truck goes thru a shunt that’s mounted by the polarity box. They go bad often. It’s a bad design. I add a good ground to all if the trucks I get. It usually helps a lot.

Suprman said:

Put 24v to the coil contacts on the solenoid. See if it works. Did you upgrade the ground wire to the frame from the battery negative yet? Bad ground cause voltage drop and the frame solenoid won’t work from the cab. The battery box is floating not really grounded. The negative for the whole truck goes thru a shunt that’s mounted by the polarity box. They go bad often. It’s a bad design. I add a good ground to all if the trucks I get. It usually helps a lot.

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The other day when u mentioned it on the other issue i just took my heavy ga battery cables and clamped them from the batt to a good spot on frame but when it didnt change that issue i just took them off. I will make up some 2/0 cables in the morning and perminatly reground the batteries and reground the cab as well and jump the relay and test itout

Ive had a issue the last couple weeks where i have to run a jumper from 24 post on battery to fuel solenoid to get the truck to start soon as it fires i take the jumper off and then its fine im hopeing this battery cable arking on the frame fix might have taken care of that i havnt had to use the jumper since then

I sand a spot then paint over once bolted to the frame. I always go to the large frame rail. You can also check and make sure the starter has a ground strap to the frame.