Batteries arcing

[darkserra]

Looking for some help here. I installed the doghead starter relay mod, replaced my GP controller card and installed a Napa ST65 GP relay.

Somewhere along the line I got some smoke coming from somewhere in the cab. I've looked and looked and can't find any burned spots or burned wires.

Since that time, the alternators don't seem to output properly, the volt meter only shows in the yellow when the truck is running and finally the batteries died.

I charged the batteries but now when I hook them up, I get major arcing when I try to connect the ground cable and my driver side alternator got very warm to the touch when I was trying to connect the batteries. I figured it was a screwed alt, so I switched it out with the passenger alt, but still get the same result.

I've go into the cab and unhooked every bit of electrical stuff I've installed (gauges, a/c system) but still the same problem.

Any ideas...like I said this all started after I installed the GP card, GP relay and starter relay all in the same afternoon.

Thanks for your help

DS

 

[84cucv1ton]

sounds really basic i guess. but you sure the batteries are hooked up the right way?

 

[combatmech]

Is it possible you have a battery wire crossed? It's happend to me......

 

[boondock]

Check that you battery cables are not reversed.
Been there; done that.

 

[donttreadonmebmg]

you probably melted the wire casing and now it's touching a ground some where.
try this.
unhook the batts. get and ohm meter and check if you have continuity between the neg and pos cables. if you have a path then it is shorted somewhere. You have to narrow it down by pulling fuses one at a time. Do this while one of the cables (-) are hooked up to the bat (-) and place a test light between the (+) bat post and (+) bat cable. this light will be lit and go out when you pull the right fuse. but even that may not work if you have melted wires somewhere and I bet you do.



​

 

[doghead]

ST65 is not the correct relay.

 

[darkserra]

Sorry for the confusion with my first post.. it was a Napa ST85 relay.

I checked every cable I could see or feel and they all seemed fine.

Triple checked that I had the battery cables on correctly..been there done that too. Got the wiring diagram out and checked.

I figured that I would have to reverse what I had done that last day before the problems, so I removed the ST85 and put the old black relay on (I never throw away the old parts just in case) and that fixed the problem. *shrugs*

The really STRANGE event is when I was putting the old relay back on, I was getting a minor shock when I was tightening the main wire nuts!!! And the batteries were NOT hooked up. I checked twice to ensure there was no juice from the batteries and I was still getting a mild shock.

Got the wires back on the old relay and she fired right up, voltmeter in the green, alts putting out 14.4 each.... is my truck possessed????

DS

 

[Warthog]

Did you disconnect BOTH batteries?

The system is still "alive"'with just the rear battery hooked up.

Sounds like you got a bad relay from the Napa.

 

[darkserra]

Both batteries unhooked. That's what was so stranger... are there any capacitors in the CUCV system?? Does the new starter relay store power?