No Headlights, dash lights, radio, lighter? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

wildwln · 12-31-2011, 03:57 PM

Hello gentleman, i am the proud only owner of a 1986 GMC 4x4 i bought right off the show room floor...i have done most of the repairs on this truck throughtout its life including engine replacement to interior..my problem i am having now is that my headlights do not work, dash or dome lights do not work, cig lighter does not work, signal lights do work and truck starts up just fine...

i noticed the main feed wire from the battery to the starter was melted onto a header so i respliced and retaped that damaged area-still same problem..have checked all fuses at interior fuse panel 3-4 times- none blown..there is a fusible link near the damage i repaired to the main wiring running down to the starter..it looked ok but i am not sure how you tell if they have been blown??...i think there is another one on the firewall but again, it appeared to look ok but how do you know?...i thought perhaps the battery but it has adequate cranking power for start up...i thought initially light pull switch itself was bad but why would that effect cig lighter & radio?..could it be my old nemisis mr computer?..i am on my fourth or fifth one of those so far?...

any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated!

**mr48chev** · 12-31-2011, 04:04 PM

Did you check the fusible link to make sure it wasn't blown when the wire shorted out?

I'm not sure how the wiring runs on those but there may be one feed wire that supplies the ignition and start circuits and another that supplies the lights and accessories.

wildwln · 12-31-2011, 04:10 PM

hey thanks for replying...well i am not sure how to check that fusible link to determine if it had blown or not...i just wrapped some tape around it but it was within an inch of where the main harness had burned itself right on the header...if i just spliced wire around it to bypass it temporarily, would that be one way to test that fusible link?

wildwln · 12-31-2011, 07:40 PM

well if anyone is interested i did fix the damaged wire from the header burn but the fusible link close to it appeared ok..however once i replaced that fusible link back on came my headlights, dash, dome and the rest...

thanks

"God bless Headers and the Men that have to work around them"

**78 Big10 454** · 01-01-2012, 12:37 AM

All's well that ends well!

12-31-2011, 03:57 PM	#1
wildwln Registered User Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: salt lake city, Utah Posts: 10	No Headlights, dash lights, radio, lighter? Hello gentleman, i am the proud only owner of a 1986 GMC 4x4 i bought right off the show room floor...i have done most of the repairs on this truck throughtout its life including engine replacement to interior..my problem i am having now is that my headlights do not work, dash or dome lights do not work, cig lighter does not work, signal lights do work and truck starts up just fine... i noticed the main feed wire from the battery to the starter was melted onto a header so i respliced and retaped that damaged area-still same problem..have checked all fuses at interior fuse panel 3-4 times- none blown..there is a fusible link near the damage i repaired to the main wiring running down to the starter..it looked ok but i am not sure how you tell if they have been blown??...i think there is another one on the firewall but again, it appeared to look ok but how do you know?...i thought perhaps the battery but it has adequate cranking power for start up...i thought initially light pull switch itself was bad but why would that effect cig lighter & radio?..could it be my old nemisis mr computer?..i am on my fourth or fifth one of those so far?... any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated!

12-31-2011, 04:04 PM	#2
mr48chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Toppenish, WA Posts: 15,711	Re: No Headlights, dash lights, radio, lighter? Did you check the fusible link to make sure it wasn't blown when the wire shorted out? I'm not sure how the wiring runs on those but there may be one feed wire that supplies the ignition and start circuits and another that supplies the lights and accessories.

12-31-2011, 04:10 PM	#3
wildwln Registered User Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: salt lake city, Utah Posts: 10	Re: No Headlights, dash lights, radio, lighter? hey thanks for replying...well i am not sure how to check that fusible link to determine if it had blown or not...i just wrapped some tape around it but it was within an inch of where the main harness had burned itself right on the header...if i just spliced wire around it to bypass it temporarily, would that be one way to test that fusible link?

12-31-2011, 07:40 PM	#4
wildwln Registered User Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: salt lake city, Utah Posts: 10	Re: No Headlights, dash lights, radio, lighter? well if anyone is interested i did fix the damaged wire from the header burn but the fusible link close to it appeared ok..however once i replaced that fusible link back on came my headlights, dash, dome and the rest... thanks "God bless Headers and the Men that have to work around them"

01-01-2012, 12:37 AM	#5
78 Big10 454 78 Big10 454 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Pismo Beach, CA Posts: 839	Re: No Headlights, dash lights, radio, lighter? All's well that ends well! __________________ 1978 Chevy SWB C-10 2WD 454/400



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