LUVTruck.com

Hello,

When I first got to look at my truck before I bought it, the guy said it wouldn't start. I bypassed the resistor after some cranking, and it fired up. It ran fine the way home. When I went to start it the next day, it seemed to crank for a long long time before it started again, and also a long time the next time it was cold.

I see a resistor bypass relay in the wiring diagram and my question is this:Could my resistor be the cause of the hard starting and the need to hotwire the ignition system? I don't have my truck here in the state, nor do I have my manual yet, so I figure it'd be best to ask this question now.

90% of Luv electrical "gremlins" are from poor/corroded connections due to the poor location of it's fusebox under the hood, it's design, and the type of fuses it uses - and poor ground connections elsewhere. If you disconnect your battery, take your fusebox loose from where it is mounted under the hood, and (using a small wire brush - preferrably brass) clean both ends of the contacts for all of the wiring connections and the contact clips for the ends of the glass fuses thoroughly, and then track down your ground connections throughout your truck and clean those too - you will eliminate nearly all of them.

Clean and corrosion free battery connections are a necessity - plus check your 2 fuseable links, which are basically a wire-like fuse that is designed to burn out in case of an electrical short at the battery.

Considering it's an approximately 30-35 year old truck, you never know what "creative electrical engineering" has been done by the previous owners - so a good thorough inspection of your wiring is a must anyway. A good place to start is to look for poorly spliced wires around the battery, the alternator, the headlights, and the tail lights.

There is a link to the information section of this site on the front page that includes a printable wiring diagram for all model years of a Luv. I personally recommend printing yours out, and then taking it to a copy place like Kinko's and having it enlarged as big as possible and laminated. Then you can use fine point dry erase pens to mark wire pathways, make notes, etc. - and it will last practically last forever. It doesn't cost much and really pays off in the long run because you will more than likely go nearly cross-eyed and blind trying to read a normal sized wiring diagram...lol

Last but darn sure not least - pick up a manual for your truck. Either a Haynes or a Chilton will do - and they can be found usally at your local auto parts store. If not - they (or Chevrolet factory mechanic's shop manual or an old Clymer manual) can be purchased on ebay cheap. I have one of each...but I'm an old obsessive pack-rat...lol

Good luck...hope this all helps ya!