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Help troubleshoot my 89 k5 this is tough one !!

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stevek

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OK , I have a 1989 k 5 with a 350, I was driving home one day and the truck cut out on the highway, pulled over and it restarted, went about 1 mile and it did it again it would start for a sec then die shortly after i needed a jumper to get it to start then it just would die.
Next i get it towed home , tried to start it there and it wouldnt crank at all , since parts are somewhat cheap(compared to my boat :laugh:) , I decided to put a new starter battery and alternator in it. Feeling confident I crank it over and 3 times each time giving it a min and on the third crank , it just died and would not crank at all , like it was a dead battery or started went bad.
what i found next was wild the, the service engine light was on even thought there was no key in the ignition and the ignition was in the off position. for sometime before all this the battery would be dead and i would have to jump it i put a battery maintainer on it since i dont use the truck all that much. but im not sure if that was leading up to all this , I BEG for help since i rely on this truck in the winter to get my wife to work when it snows " shes a nurse so if u help me ill put in a good word if you ever need her assistance :haha:, lets hope you wont though ,,,,, look forward to anyones help THANKS GUYS !!!
 
OK, trying to understand here, It went dead, recranked OK. Then went dead and would not turn over, but did with a jump.

That much sounds like a battery on its very last legs. Will only hold enough charge for one crank. Don't know why it died in the first place though.
You replaced the battery and alt, which should have taken care of that problem.

Next, it still will not turnover, which suggests a bad starter or solenoid. Does it click when you turn the key?

However, the engine light staying on with the key off sounds like either a ground problem with something feeding back through the light, or a bad ignition switch.

I would check all the ground wires you can find. There are folks here who can tell you what to look for.
Check the wires where they hook to the starter solenoid to make sure they are not loose.

The ignition switch is on the lower part of the steering column. Look for a box with bunch of wires going in.
I have not heard of many of those going bad on Blazers, but feel it to see if it feels hot, and wiggle the wires.

If you can come up with volt meter or test light, we can talk you through some tests.
 
Couldn't this whole scenario be explained by a bad ignition switch?
 
I'm thinking a grounding issue also. So many times electrical gremlins can be traced to a grounding problem somewhere. (I'm an electrical retard, but having a Corvette teaches you the importance of grounding).

Good luck and welcome to the best truck site on the web!
 
Sounds like a ground problem to me. I've done alot of work on old muscle cars and grounds can cause all kinds of problems, from lights coming on or not at all to starting problems. To rule out the ignition, get a volt meter and make sure you have power at the switch in the off position and the run position when you turn the key.
 
I vote for ground problem too. The CEL light being on means to me that power is going backwards through your system and grounding out at the dash.

Check the battery cable to the frame, block to the frame, and the battery cables themselves.

You did use a battery terminal brush and clean off the terminal coating before you put the cables on the new battery, right?
 
new guy shady

the ignition slide switch on the steering column does all those things, sounds like either the metal rod attached is bent or contacts getting bad. had this happen before.
 
Sorry guys just got over a round of the stomache flu with myself and my boys, it wasnt pretty to say the least I will save you the details... anyway i am going to take your advice and replace the ignition switch , because what you say makes sense it acts like the igition is on the on position when i hook up the battery even though its not. now to be clear am i replacing the acutual key and cyclinder or is there something else that i need to replace. you guys are great i never thought i would get so many suggestions so fast,
 
i did clean and check the battery terminals and cables, fortunitly the truck was garage kept most of its life so its in pretty good shape
 
On the lower portion of your column. I also vote to start there. Make sure to check the 2 harnesses going into the switch, make sure they aren't burnt or melted. And replace if they are. I would vote starter 2nd.
stevek said:
now to be clear am i replacing the acutual key and cyclinder or is there something else that i need to replace.
Click to expand...

Fordum said:
OK, trying to understand here, It went dead, recranked OK. Then went dead and would not turn over, but did with a jump.

That much sounds like a battery on its very last legs. Will only hold enough charge for one crank. Don't know why it died in the first place though.
You replaced the battery and alt, which should have taken care of that problem.

Next, it still will not turnover, which suggests a bad starter or solenoid. Does it click when you turn the key?

However, the engine light staying on with the key off sounds like either a ground problem with something feeding back through the light, or a bad ignition switch.

I would check all the ground wires you can find. There are folks here who can tell you what to look for.
Check the wires where they hook to the starter solenoid to make sure they are not loose.

The ignition switch is on the lower part of the steering column. Look for a box with bunch of wires going in.
I have not heard of many of those going bad on Blazers, but feel it to see if it feels hot, and wiggle the wires.

If you can come up with volt meter or test light, we can talk you through some tests.
Click to expand...
 
ok guys, i bought the switch and droped the steering colum after a wrenched back and no skin left on my knuckles i got it in and no dice. same thing service engine lights still on no juice at all. i pulled the starter that i just replaced and i tried jumping it to get it to turn over and nothing so im going to exchange it. but i belive there is still other factors causing the problem. any other suggestions. PS i need the cable that goes from the motor to the gears on the rear window anyone know were i can get the best deal on it?
 
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