Damn electric problem driving me nuts!

[bajaviking]

Lately when I go to start my 86 K5 I turn the key and it will be completely dead. I mean no starter, no lights, no radio, NOTHING. The I sit and wait for a minute or two with the switch open and all of the sudden everything turns on and I can start it.
I checked the terminals and they look good and tight, I thought it was the fusible links so about a week ago I cut them of and put a piece of cable on and it seemed like that had made the problem go away but now it started doing the same again. Could it the whole cable that has gone bad?
I am also suspecting the ignition switch but can a bad ignition switch kill the whole system like that, I mean even with the switch in off position normally you can still turn on the lights but when this happens everything is completely out.

 

[wraenking]

if you have side terminlas, they are known for feeling tight, but loose on the inside. i had the same problem and moved my connections to the top. also check the grouns wire where it connects to the motor. make sure it has a good connection

 

[poinzey]

A couple of other things to check that I've recently come across in my electrical probs.....

Check your steering column if you have tilt steering, mines too loose right now and occasionally kills the engine. I probably wouldnt have noticed this one except I had to replace the lock cylinder.

Check the cables on the starter solenoid, especially the one to the fuse box. I had to replace the last few inches where mine was broken inside the insulation from age and use.

Hope this helps some, I hate electical problems. I'm starting to rewire mine now, one circuit at a time as I need or they break(but that's a whole other thread ).

 

[diesel4me]

more fusible links

You might have a bad battery cable--many times they corrode internally and turn to a white-green dust,with only a few strands making contact itermittently,but look ok on the outside-- also,you say you by-passed ONE fusible link,but there are several, one is at a junction block near the brake booster,and there is 2 at the starter solenoid,in the big red wires that bolt behind the positive battery cable-loose bolt at the solenoid can do it too--be careful,its easy to crack the cap on the solenoid when tightening this bolt!-it could be a bad ground cable as well,or a bad ground too....the lights should still work even if the ignition switch is bad,so I doubt if its the ignition,sounds like you are losing ALL power from the battery due to bad cables,grounds,or fuse links....

 

[bajaviking]

Problem solved

Fixed my problem, turns out that the connection(from the positive side of the battery) that goes on the starter was so full of nasty stuff that even though it appeared to be on there tight it would only make contact half of the time, cleaned up the connection and the post on the starter and problem is gone.