Thank you!

Chad

 

This clearly is one of those days... I had a big long post about this all ready, and tried to run the spell check on it, at which time all my text disappeared! ARGH! So, time to start over... Next time I am going to make a copy before I spell check though.

I previously posted: https://blazerforum.com/forum/showth...light=ignition about this problem, and this is the continuation of the saga. I got everything put back together, but still with a broken ignition switch rod, but I had decided that for the time being I would start the truck with pliers... not really a big problem... but when I tried again to start it I pulled up on the rod to no avail. Nothing at all from the starter. All the accessories work, the glow plug lights come on and off, but in the final position there is nothing from the starter. The dash lights dim ever so slightly, and I would say that on the dash volt meter there is about a 1 volt change when I am trying the starter, but otherwise nothing. Usually when I have had bad starters on other vehicles it was a much more drastic change in the volt meter... I charged the batteries well and took them out and had them load tested at the Wallie-world. They both appear to be ok... I checked all the fuses in the main fuse block under the dash... but I don't know if there are any others??

I was told by a friend that diesel injectors are VERY adverse to water, so I thought that perhaps there is a water sensor in the fuel system somewhere, but I have no idea if it would disable the starter or not... I did try just about everything I could think of to make sure it wasn't the transmission interlock, I even tried just unplugging the switch and shorting the connector, but that didn't help. I don't know if it is that sort of switch though... ?? I looked at the wires connecting the starter, they look like they should be ok... I really don't want to have to try to drop that heavy beastie if I don't have to though.. I did replace the fuel filter after all this and it didn't seem to help, and when I was doing that I wiped off the sensor that was inside it... I do not really know what that particular sensor does... but I thought that might be a water sensor? I have not tried to connect a jumper to the solenoid because of where it is located! It would be a nightmare to get under there ... partially because of where it is parked..

Does any one know for sure if there is a moisture sensor, and whether or not it would disable the starter?

Any other ideas about getting it to turn over? I am pretty desperate at this point. I really want to make it live, but I don't really know what my next step should be... I live in a small town and I don't really trust any of the mechanics that much, and really the truck isn't worth putting that much money into if it isn't going to work for long any way.. ??

Also, it has been sitting for about a year and a half, so any other advise about any other dangers from a diesel sitting for a long time would be helpful.. Am I missing anything obvious here? I really feel like I am..

Thanks!

 

The sensor on the fuel filter is to detect water to make it plain and simple..Does the filter have a drain on it? if it does its a fuel/water seperator

what you are describing sounds like a starter problem, guess you just need to pull it off and test it.

Having water in the fuel will not affect the starter from cranking the engine it will just affect it from starting/running

 

I don't have it in front of me, but I am sure that one of the ports on the filter said drain...

So can the filter acutally separate out the water and remove it or does it remain in the system?

 

The water will remain in the system you have unless you drain it.. If you have water in your fuel i would definately drain it and also change the filter. The water is heavier and will sit at the bottom..if your tank has a drain in it crack it open a little and let it drip out or run out..

 

I just thought I would post a bit of a continuation of this trucks saga...

I decided that my only real option was to pull the starter, so a friend and I towed the truck to my home, where I had a nice flat place to work... We dragged it across town, and rolled in into the driveway, where I thought it would remain dead... but I thought just for the heck of it, why not try the starter. So I did, and low and behold, it came to life! It took a little cranking, but it started!

My girlfriend used the truck over the sumer, and as fall came and she left for school, I started driving it on occasion, and at the same time I started working to restore the poor old beast.. I stripped the interior, and rebuilt it, I sanded and bondo-ed the exterior, and pounded out the dents.. by fall it was looking pretty good!

I drove it to a friends house one night, and as I was cruising along, I noticed that the voltage meter was running low: about 10 volts instead of the usual 14.. I thought this was strange, but as I wasn't going far I decided to keep going. I arrived at my destination, shut off the truck and could hear a motor running somewhere... I was puzzled as there is nothing that should ever be running like that. I jumped out and could smell the odor of hot electrical.. I popped the hood, and could see smoke coming from the passenger side of the engine.. I got the flashlight, and looked down to see that the noise and smoke were coming from the starter, which was apparently somehow stuck on but wasn't engaging the engine. I tried the ignition switch several times to no avail, I ran inside the house to get a wrench to take off the battery cables... I was afraid it was going to catch fire.. It was already hot enough to smoke! By the time I came outside with the wrench, it had stopped.. I really thought it was dead... really I did... but after leaving it for a few minutes to cool, I tried it and it fired right up! I was blown away... so I continued to drive it for several weeks as winter was approaching. One day a snow storm was hitting, so I thought I would go start the truck before it got too cold (being that it is a diesel) and let it warm up so that if the snow got deep I would have the truck to drive... and when I went to start it, it did exactly what it did the first time last year when I tried to start it.. it turned over for just about half a second, and stopped, ... and hasn't made so much as a click from the solenoid since... I am guessing that is what is broken, and am planning to pull the starter in a couple of days to see if I can find out for certain. I really hope it is the solenoid!

O the joy of an old truck!