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truck wont start - please help electrical noob

FlatBlackBurb

FlatBlackBurb

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on my 87 TBI suburban i pulled out my battery cables and replaced them with new ones and when i hooked everything back up, i accidentally hooked up the additional positive cable that goes to the alternator to one of the small terminals on the starter. i dont know what i was thinking but when i connected the battery, the starter tried to turn over and then just made a sound like it's completely dead. i realized my mistake and expecting the worst, took my starter to kragens. everything turned out ok as it passed all the tests.

so here's the setup i have right now/... is this correct?

positive terminal:
1 thick wire running straight to large post on starter
1 smaller wire running to top of alternator.

i didnt even mess with the negative cables so theyre unchanged and completely stock.

but what about the two side posts on the starter? is one of them a ground? if so which one? i really dont know and i hate electrical stuff :mad:. please help

oh yeah and im getting power because i can listen to the radio and all that stuff but when i go to start it, the starter doesnt even make a sound
 
I don't know exactly where you need to test, but I'd first look at the fuses, then I'd check the fusible links. They are on the red wires underhood. Usually accessories (lights, radio, etc) work, while the engine doesn't, when you lose one fusible link. Does the heater motor work too? (just curious on that one, if it turns out to be a fusible link would be a good test. Need to find something that DOESN'T work, other than the starter. Coil wire perhaps.)
 
okay im going to go check them right now. but just to clear it up, thats the correct wiring for the starter right? theres nothing connected to either of the small posts on the starter. is that right?
 
okay where are the fusible links located that would have blown? there's a small post near the brake boost that i wired my offroad lights too and they work just fine. so does the radio, lights, and heater/ac. all i need to know is where does the starter get grounded out to? does it ground itself out or do i need to ground it myself? if so... where?
 
also could it have something to do with the key cylinder or ignition switch? mine went bad because my truck will not shut off when you take the key out. also could it be the neutral safetey switch? basically what happened is i hooked both wires from the positive terminal up to the starter, the larger one on the main post and the smaller one on the post closest to the flywheel. as soon as i connected my negative cable, the truck tried to turn over and sparks flew everywhere. then the starter made a dying noise and nothing happened. battery is ok and so is starter.


what should i do? like i said i hate electrical stuff!!!!
 
FlatBlackBurb said:
okay im going to go check them right now. but just to clear it up, thats the correct wiring for the starter right? theres nothing connected to either of the small posts on the starter. is that right?
Click to expand...

You should have a positive cable from the battery to the large starter lug and also one more smaller red wire on the same lug, then you should have a small purple wire on the S terminal (closest to engine block) this comes from the ignition switch to make the starter crank. The fusible link is the smaller red wire on the large starter lug, about 10" or so away from the starter is where it will burn.
 
FlatBlackBurb said:
also could it have something to do with the key cylinder or ignition switch? mine went bad because my truck will not shut off when you take the key out. also could it be the neutral safetey switch? basically what happened is i hooked both wires from the positive terminal up to the starter, the larger one on the main post and the smaller one on the post closest to the flywheel. as soon as i connected my negative cable, the truck tried to turn over and sparks flew everywhere. then the starter made a dying noise and nothing happened. battery is ok and so is starter.


what should i do? like i said i hate electrical stuff!!!!
Click to expand...
This was because as 4x4high said, you need the right wire from the ignition switch. When you connected the smaller wire to the S post on the solenoid, it automatically engaged the starter.
 
The switch itself is located low on the steering column. However there should be a purple wire close to the starter that goes to the small S post on the starter.

In the Burb you are going to have two steel rods running down the column, one activates the high beams, the other is for the ignition switch. But, you shouldn't need to trace it all the way back there, it should just be a matter of finding the wire under the hood that goes to the solenoid.
 
ok thanks guys... i feel dumb asking these questions but hey... you gotta start somewhere right? ill post back tomorrow morning and let you guys know what my progress is
 
Ignition and neutral start switch are pretty beefy components internally. Huge contacts. Focus on whether they are getting power before you look at them as being the actual culprit.
 
well i found the purple wire. apparently it broke pretty far up into the truck. wiring it up was a pain because it was just far enough back in that wire tube to be almost unreachable. but the truck is all wired up now and she runs great! thanks guys!!!! :bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow::bow:
 
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