My 79 has went a little crazy, help?!

[Got Smoke?]

Ok so a buddy of mine's wife called me Thursday last week to come pull his truck out of mud in his yard. So I drove my K20 over just as the sun was going down.

All the way over there my truck was fine, I ran the headlights used my turn signals and everything was A-ok. Get over there...pull out a MUCH larger truck than I expected and head home.

This is where it gets weird.

I start noticing something is goofy when cycling back and forth from my low beams to my high beams.

With my high beams on: My clutster lights (single diode LEDs) for my Speedo & Gas gauge go off Volts/Oil/Temp still backlit, and my gas gauge goes from reading whatever's in my tank to empty. Also using my Left turn signal is completely normal, but using my right turn signal my headlights flash high beam low beam with my pattern of my signal flasher?

Go back to low beams and ALL my cluster lights work, my gas gauge reads correctly, but my right turn signal still results in flashing headlights High beam/ low beam.

HELP!

Oh...and the truck my ol girl pulled out. 20ft long, 13,000lbs Service truck sitting on both axles.

 

[tRustyK5]

Those oddball weird electrical issues are almost always ground problems. I'd start at the batteries and work my way back checking each and every ground cable, strap, etc. I think you'll find a bad ground strap or similar...

 

[Got Smoke?]

Those oddball weird electrical issues are almost always ground problems. I'd start at the batteries and work my way back checking each and every ground cable, strap, etc. I think you'll find a bad ground strap or similar...

As hard and as many times as I had to snatch on that truck to get it out, I wouldn't doubt that...just needed someone to bring it to my attention. LOL

 

[tRustyK5]

Amazing that you got it out, that thing looks heavy, and very stuck!

 

[Got Smoke?]

Amazing that you got it out, that thing looks heavy, and very stuck!

That's the after picture! I forgot to take a before picture!

His wife left out the "service" truck part I thought I was going to pull out a 2wd ranger. LoL
I let him hook his end, took off my tailgate and hooked mine to the gooseneck in the bed(30ft 30k strap). Was stuck in the yard driveway was up hill and half mud...when it came OUT I didn't let off till my front tires hit asphalt!

 

[tRustyK5]

Hammer down til you see God...

 

[K85 Octane]

all those lights in front share the same ground point, on the radiator core support. Then check the large connectors attached to your steering column, leading up to your blinker lever and headlight switch. I'd say any problem, like said already, will be found before going any further.

O yeah, each tail light has a grounding point behind it too IIRC

 

[dhcomp]

took off my tailgate and hooked mine to the gooseneck in the bed(30ft 30k strap).

Are gooseneck balls really that much stronger than hitch balls? Or did you hook it to the gooseneck mount itself?

Snatching off of a hitch ball is a great way to send it flying, as they aren't designed for that much shock load.

Am i missing something about a gooseneck that makes this safer?

 

[Got Smoke?]

all those lights in front share the same ground point, on the radiator core support. Then check the large connectors attached to your steering column, leading up to your blinker lever and headlight switch. I'd say any problem, like said already, will be found before going any further.

O yeah, each tail light has a grounding point behind it too IIRC

Thank you sir, I will be sure to check those places this afternoon.

Are gooseneck balls really that much stronger than hitch balls? Or did you hook it to the gooseneck mount itself?

Snatching off of a hitch ball is a great way to send it flying, as they aren't designed for that much shock load.

Am i missing something about a gooseneck that makes this safer?

Mine is...mine was welded to a half inch thick steel plate (thats attached to the frame) 20-something years ago when this truck was my fathers farm truck. I don't have a reciever hitch on this truck, and I know better than to hook to the bumper or a standard ball hitch. I've used it for pulling people out for the last 12 years I've drove the truck. I feel much safer using it than the bumper. Plus it usually gives me a leverage advantage because I'm pulling up on whatever I'm hooked too just like that truck above.

 

[dhcomp]

Mine is...mine was welded to a half inch thick steel plate (thats attached to the frame) 20-something years ago when this truck was my fathers farm truck. I don't have a reciever hitch on this truck, and I know better than to hook to the bumper or a standard ball hitch. I've used it for pulling people out for the last 12 years I've drove the truck. I feel much safer using it than the bumper. Plus it usually gives me a leverage advantage because I'm pulling up on whatever I'm hooked too just like that truck above.

Fair enough. Just wanted to post to make sure people didn't think hitch balls were a good recovery point

 

[Got Smoke?]

all those lights in front share the same ground point, on the radiator core support. Then check the large connectors attached to your steering column, leading up to your blinker lever and headlight switch. I'd say any problem, like said already, will be found before going any further.

O yeah, each tail light has a grounding point behind it too IIRC

Looked the truck over this afternoon and so far I'm worse off then when I started.

2 core support grounds entact.
1 14-16ga ground wire on bolted to pass side frame rail close to the front of the truck unhooked. Cleaned it and hooked it into my negative batt cable which I also cleaned.
1 ground strap between engine and body on passenger side entact.

Didn't get around to checking my steering column...that's next on the list. However, at this point I have NO dash lights what-so-ever, and high beams still cause my gas gauge to go to E.

Thinking I'm also going to pull my Sunpro gauge trio out so I can eliminate any of that wiring also. I think one or two of the fuse tap's might be loose. Geez...just when I had this thing running good. Can't wait to get started on my garage after Christmas...this things going down to the frame and getting ALL NEW WIRING!

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Check your front turn signal sockets and grounds for them. Sounds funny but a bunch of people have fixed flasher/lights/dash issues by cleaning/replacing those.