HELP! Stranded and won't start.

[mcne2026]

The M1009 started right up this morning. Drive about half a mile down the mountain to a neighbor to pickup some lumber. Went to start the truck and I heard a loud buzzing kinda sound under the dash and then nothing. No lights, no starter, no radio. I have no electrical at all. Battery was just fine this morning. I attached a small 10A battery charger to the front battery. Pos to Pos and Neg to Neg. When it is attached it gives me power to crank and I still hear the very loind buzzing under the dash.

I am parked on a steep driveway and am totally blocking all access, so I need to get it moved ASAP. Ideas?

I am going to do a search and see what I can find in the forum. What is the proper charge routine with a 12V charger? My M1009 is original and still 24V as far as I know.

 

[Bobert]

The buzzing sound from under the dash is probably the starter relay.
part #

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike_Pop
GM: 15591718

NAPA: AR135

Carquest: RY117 (not good)

Autozone: AC40 (Has five pins but will work. This is also a Ford heater relay)

I used the AC40 and it works 95% of the time.

If you want to replace it with a better one, check this out. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/cucv/32943-doghead-starter-relay-modifcation.html

 

[Crash_AF]

Do you have lights when the battery charger is hooked up?

Can you locate the source of the buzzing under the dash?

If it's the starter relay, the quick bypass is to remove the plug from it and jump the purple wire to the red wire in the plug, that will make the starter turn. If everything else is ok, turn the key to run and jump the plug until it starts.

If nothing works, you need a jumper wire from the positive of the front battery to the terminal with the pink wire on the injection pump and you will need to ground the small light blue wire on the glow plug relay for about 10 seconds before trying to start it. That should get you running so that you can move the truck to a better location.

No lights tells me that the fusible link might be blown, but the front battery might have died if you have juice when the charger is hooked up.

Later,
Joe

 

[3dubs]

To charge the batteries disconnect all the cables and charge them seperate. Out of the truck they are just twelve volt batteries. Together they are 24v. So just disconnect everything, you do not have to remove them but just not hooked up to the truck. That does not sound like your problem. Loud noises normally are the problem.

 

[bbqfan5909]

Not to change the topic, but if you were to charge the batteries hook up...what will happen? I have done that before and it started up time after time and then one day it stopped...but I am able to jump the starter relay and it worked fine??

 

[3dubs]

It can cause the batteries to charge unevenly. They will not get the same charge which causes premature battery failure. If you disconnect and use two chargers then you know they have the same charge. But you can just use one and check the charge level. DO NOT OVER CHARGE THE BATTERIES it causes battery failute too.

 

[mcne2026]

It was dead batteries. Very odd. The truck sits for about 10 months, but starts on the first try. I have been driving it a little for the last three weeks and it starts first try. Started first try in the morning. Drove the half mile and the batteries were 100% dead when I tried to start it. After half an hour on a 10A charger it started up.

The loud noise was from the starter relay under the dash. It must have been lack of juice that caused the noise, because as soon as the batteries were charged it worked perfectly and no longer made a noise.

Very odd problem. I thought fuseable like as well, but they were all fine. It started right up today without an issue and I did not charge the batteries at all.

 

[Speddmon]

Check the grounds really good. Maybe the main battery ground has some corrosion on it and making it act like they are dead.