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1989 Chevy C1500 won't start.


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mayerst
Novice

Oct 12, 2010, 5:17 AM

Post #1 of 12 (3247 views)
1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In

Hello all, I’m sure glad I found you guys. I recently bought a 1989 C1500 with a 4.3 V6 5 speed. After getting it to run it was smoking badly so I removed all the plugs did a compression test (160-170 lbs) and poured Marvel Mystery Oil in all of the cylinders in hopes of freeing up the oil rings (the truck was sitting for some time), while waiting I also replaced the valve stem seals. Everything went back together fine until it came time to start the truck. The battery tested at 12.89 volts but when I turn the key I get a weak click and then nothing. After turning the key several times I noticed smoke coming from the wiring harness behind the front bumper and it turned out to be the ground wire for the horn (?) cooked the insulation off the wire. So I started looking for a short and checked the positive battery cable to the starter and found it to be in good shape and have 12.89 volts at the terminal. I then hooked up my remote starter and still nothing but, a weak click. Because I had a hard time starting it up for the first time I thought I may have burnt the starter up an bought a new one and works fine when testing it out of the truck but, when installed same thing. I am at a loss has anyone had anything similar happen to them? Does anyone have any suggestions as what to check next? I’m sorry for the long first post and thanks to any and all who try to help.

Tom


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Oct 12, 2010, 6:45 AM

Post #2 of 12 (3243 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In

Sounds like you left a ground wire off somewhere when you had it apart. The engine has no ground path so it is finding one through another circuit.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



mayerst
Novice

Oct 12, 2010, 7:24 AM

Post #3 of 12 (3239 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In


In Reply To
Sounds like you left a ground wire off somewhere when you had it apart. The engine has no ground path so it is finding one through another circuit.



Thanks for the fast reply, I'll check the ground and report back. Thanks again

Tom


Sidom
Veteran / Moderator
Sidom profile image

Oct 12, 2010, 8:35 PM

Post #4 of 12 (3230 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In

I wanted to help but couldn't read the post....Blush Shocked (damn those are some small fonts.....Sly)

All kidding aside I think Desi is right, the neg cable has a bad/no connection....


mayerst
Novice

Oct 13, 2010, 4:27 AM

Post #5 of 12 (3221 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In


In Reply To
I wanted to help but couldn't read the post....Blush Shocked (damn those are some small fonts.....Sly)

All kidding aside I think Desi is right, the neg cable has a bad/no connection....



LOL, Wait until you get to be my age. Thanks for the reply. I won't be able to get back to the truck until the weekend but, I will let you know how it turns out. Again thanks to all.

Tom


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Oct 13, 2010, 5:27 AM

Post #6 of 12 (3218 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In


Quote
LOL, Wait until you get to be my age.



Hahaha.................... Yeah, right



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



mayerst
Novice

Oct 13, 2010, 6:11 AM

Post #7 of 12 (3215 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In


In Reply To

Quote
LOL, Wait until you get to be my age.



Hahaha.................... Yeah, right



Old age is not for the faint of heart.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Oct 13, 2010, 7:17 AM

Post #8 of 12 (3212 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In

Believe me, most everyone here is well aware of that. Most of us are well "up there"............LOL



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



mayerst
Novice

Oct 14, 2010, 6:32 AM

Post #9 of 12 (3203 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In


In Reply To
Believe me, most everyone here is well aware of that. Most of us are well "up there"............LOL



It's nice to know I'm not alone


mayerst
Novice

Oct 18, 2010, 5:59 AM

Post #10 of 12 (3189 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In

I wanted to thank you all again for your help. I found out today that I did in fact have a ground problem. There is a power distribution block on the passenger side firewall with a ground wire. I removed the wire, cleaned the connection and that was it. Again thanks to all.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Oct 18, 2010, 6:55 AM

Post #11 of 12 (3186 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In

Thanks for posting the resolution. We like happy endings.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



mayerst
Novice

Oct 18, 2010, 6:56 AM

Post #12 of 12 (3182 views)
Re: 1989 Chevy C1500 won't start. Sign In

Thanks for being there to help. I'll be hanging around to try and learn a few things. Many thanks.






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