LUVTruck.com

Okay guys. It's been like, 5 years since I've been here, and I've got a problem with my girl.

I'm going to try to explain this the best I can, but I'll probably have to upload a youtube video or something for more help. I can start the truck, but when giving it gas, it immediately loses power (most of the time), the truck shuts down. If I turn on my lights, when facing the truck towards a solid surface (wall, garage, etc) I can see the lights flickering, and while driving, it will completely die on me (again most of the time). My dad and I (the one who helped me rebuild the engine) have tried trouble shooting it over the phone, he lives across the country now, and haven't been able to find the issue. I've replaced the alternator, gotten a new rotor and cap, new spark plug wires, made sure the points were correct, SEVERAL new batteries, and am still having the issue. I'd love to drive this thing around for the summer, as it's been an amazing truck, but it's just sitting now because I can't figure it out.

A couple other things I will point out, I've had a bad electrical problem, no idea what it is, but when I started up the truck last, the stereo started smoking, had to yank it out of the dash. I've covered all loose wires with electrical tape and those wire caps to ensure they're not touching anywhere. The other was when I was charging the battery once, I noticed a rope-looking wire hanging from the bottom of the truck, I thought that was causing the electrical problem and proceeded to cut it, to discover it was finely woven copper, or something along those lines, and am curious if it was a ground wire or something? Perhaps that's causing some of these problems, but the problems were around before I cut it. And if this is the source of at least some of the problems, could someone point me in the direction of where I can find a replacement? And where it hooks up to? I'm guessing it goes from the block to the tranny?

Thanks guys!


EDIT

Also, can I use a synthetic blend of oil? I have a 2003 passat that uses full synthetic, and I accidently bought this "blend" and have no use for it.

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you busy tomorrow? i can come by after work tomorrow around 4-5pm and look it over with you, have you checked your fuse box for corrosion?

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

I've checked the top of the fusebox, haven't looked at anything else. And that'd be cool if you could stop by, I'll pm you my number.
Still freaking out that you busted out the venture thing. hahaha.

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Other than the regulator it sounds like you've covered most of the electrical parts. That does leave the wiring harness which could cause all sorts of problems though. My first 79 wouldn't turn off with the key, turned out to be a wire leading to the backup lights melted to the alternator wire in the middle of the harness on the firewall. If what you have is really intermittent then I'd consider checking out the wiring. It is a big job though and the problem could be anywhere. It does sound like you clipped off a ground wire. There should be one that goes from the body to the motor/tranny. It will find a ground, but that guarantees a good ground for the body. When I was having some electrical issues I put a few on mine, block to cab, block to frame, bed to frame, just to make sure. Made a few things work better, and eliminated the faint glow in the GEN light.

The other thing that comes to mind for me is fuel. If you have a pump going out, clogged filter, or somesuch the truck might idle great but fall on its face and die as soon as you give it any gas. My second 79 had crud in the tank, including a couple dead yellow jackets. One of those got sucked up the fuel pickup, and its body would fit through the hose until it hit the filter. Then it acted like a cork. I would take the hose off, blow back into the fuel tank, and everything would work great for a day or two till it got sucked up again. Then once I blew a little too much air into the tank with the cap on, pressure pushed gas, and bug, out the hose at me.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

I looked at the fuel filter today and it's nasty looking. I'll replace that. But man, oh man, I've got some pictures to post here in a second with what happened today. I went out, jumped it with my car, but tried starting it right away, and smoke started coming from positive terminal, and it melted the wire that I'm assuming is the "main" power wire, because without it being connected, nothing works. Not the larger positive cable. I disconnected it, let the battery charge up, then reconnected the wire (melted and all...like an idiot. i know ;-) ) and it started up fine, no smoke, no noises, but now it just won't stay on. It immediately dies. So I'm wondering if maybe the new alternator got fried in the process, my tach doesn't work either, along with the fried stereo. Lights work, running lights, and if I keep my foot on the gas, I can turn on the lights and there's no longer any flickering. I'm going to replace this wire today, and am wondering if there's any specific gauge I need to be getting? I also bought a 700 cold cranking amp battery a few years ago and I think I'm going to replace it with a suggestion someone said of a 1000 cold cranking amp.

Pictures in a second..



this is where the red wire was spliced into the 2 black ones. they fused together after the smoke..


had some smoke coming from the connector


and this is the result. the cable melted.

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well theres your problem
1000-cca seems a bit much for our little engines needs, if you had a high compression big block maybe, but a low comp 4 banger doesnt take much juice to turn over

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

I'm too damn broke to buy a new battery. I'll deal with the one I have lol.

Bought a new fuel filter and 12 gauge wire, so we'll see what happens. If my alternator died then thankfully I've got the original that still works.

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i also have a 50amp alt sitting in a crate
the one you have should be fine anyway, seems like it had enough power to melt some shiz

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

I think you have what those certified sparksitrician folks would call a SHORT.

If the fat wire at the alternator is melted then you probably have more problems buried in the harness. That wire runs from the alt, to the fusebox, to the firewall, into the cab, back out to the firewall, across the firewall to the passenger side, and up the inner fender to the battery. It is running that whole way along with a whole bunch of other wires that really don't want to be connected to that one.

My suggestion, buy a few rolls of black electrical tape (unless someone has a good link for wire harness wrap, non adhesive aka dry vinyl tape if you can find it). Start at the alternator and unwrap the harness and follow that big wire. Only unwrap what you have to. You will find some places no doubt that it has melted the insulation off, and melted to some other wire. You will have to get under the dash, I recommend pulling out the gauges. (three wing nuts on the back, one at each corner on the left and one in the middle on the right) Replace that large wire the whole way and look for any other wires that got melted too. Wrap them with electrical tape before rewrapping the rest of the harness. (unless they are really bad, you could replace them too but try to keep the ends that show as the stock wire to match the wiring diagram) Once you have that wire all the way replaced and following the original path and potential shorts covered up then you should find your problems fixed and you can rewrap that harness.

It took me most of a day to do this on my 79, but half of that was trying to find ways around having to tear it all apart and break that stock harness wrap look. The end result was the short was fixed and about a dozen intermittent electrical gremlins were fixed at the same time.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

turned out the ground wasnt connected to the alternator housing
and the dying was a broken choke spring starts and runs now

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

again i'll say, i love you! haha.
When I switched out the voltage regulator and the alternator I apparently didn't see the ground wire that was attached and never reattached it. Thus all of my problems began.

Now the only problem is my emergency break won't disengage, so I'm stuck in my driveway. It purrs beautifully, no flickering lights, no fluctuating voltage, but I can't ##$@!! move it! love4theluv I'm sure will be back soon. haha

and thank you 800xl, I'm sure there's more melted wires somewhere, but I think I'll leave that one to someone more certified than myself. lol

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yup im sure i will
if we can get it to roll onto the street and jack it up hopefully we can get the brake free'd up
that wire looked like it could have shaken its way off the bolt was loose and the wire could barely reach it
good to see that truck again man glad its workin now

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

it's one of the u shaped connectors too. maybe i'm not as stupid as i feel.

that truck won't move at all, i've tried shoving the damn thing while in neutral and the tires are locked up on the rear end. and it's only running because of your expertise. I appreciate all the help dude.

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maybe we could put the back wheels on wheel dollys and use the front brakes to roll it down
any time dude always fun to help get a luv rollin

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

Ground at the Alt?? That fat wire held on by a nut is positive, hot right to the battery positive terminal. If it was loose and touched anything metal that would have been your short. Glad it is identified. Having a mysterious short to ground in that wire can drive you crazy, everything works until it randomly shorts and you get a smoke show.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

There's a total of 3 wires on mine, one is that fat wire held by a nut, than the connecting plug or w/e it is, and a smaller wire. Whatever it was, as soon as it was connected, the thing has no problem. Maybe that was the reason why my battery wouldn't stay charged...? haha

In my picture you can't see that other bolt on the alternator tho.

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you can barely see it in the pic, the main one is the + to the battery, the other 2 in the shared plug are for the charge "idiot" light and the individual black wire on the case is the ground

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

Who here knows anything about our damn emergency brakes.. I can't even put the truck in gear, because it doesn't move for anything. I'll try yanking on the cables underneath that are attached to the rear tires but love4theluv tried that today and nothing really happened.

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There is a good chance that you left the e brake on for a long time, several rains and weather changes the brakes bonded to the drums. I have sometimes been able to rock it back and forth to free them.

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Certified pilots, looking down on people since 1903.