No Power to any lights.

[CamdenTC]

So I just bought my first M35A2 Deuce and a Half. The guy I bought it from said that one of the grounds for the drivers side headlight had arced on a metal support piece. He replaced the switch first before looking at the wires then the CB then the wires. I since have put in a new switch and a new CB at the firewall. I’m not very electrically inclined. So the switch has power. The whole harness has it in the cab. But when I put it into Service Drive I get a clinking sound from the switch and then the red light flashes on the dash and nothing... no turn signals, no headlights, no stoplights, no running lights, not even any B.O lights, and no panel lights.. there’s a new ground on the B.O. light on the driver side cause he said it blew apart when the ground from the headlight arced. I can’t seem to figure out why there’s no power at the lights. I’ve traced the schematics best as I can. Everything seems to have power best I can tell. But nothing is working.

 

[NDT]

The clicking is the self resetting circuit breaker inside the light switch keeping your truck from catching fire. You still have a dead short to ground somewhere in the headlight wiring. It could be the dimmer switch, it could be inside the buckets, who knows until you start looking for it.

 

[CamdenTC]

Thanks! Would you suggest starting with the ground that Arced? Just replace the whole wire or just the section that he retaped?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NDT]

Any wiring that is frayed or has crumbling insulation needs to be replaced. Erik's Surplus has everything you need.

 

[CamdenTC]

So I used my multi meter on the ohm setting, negative lead on the negative ground from the headlight on drivers side to one of the “hot” wires on the same headlight, ohms read anywhere from 20s to 34+ that ground is the one that arced. and on the passenger side, same wire locations, I get a reading of O.L. Circuit off and same locations on wires. Not an electrician haha.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[frank8003]

Put your phots, here, into the Steel Soldiers website.
Not tapawhatever, nor photobuckets BS, not a presidential tweet or anyplace else.
Otherwise they go away and We can not help you.

 

[doghead]

Use the paperclip icon(tapatalk), to attach the pictures.

 

[NDT]

So I used my multi meter on the ohm setting, negative lead on the negative ground from the headlight on drivers side to one of the “hot” wires on the same headlight, ohms read anywhere from 20s to 34+ that ground is the one that arced. and on the passenger side, same wire locations, I get a reading of O.L. Circuit off and same locations on wires. Not an electrician haha.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OK I am not following you exactly, but that does not matter, you need to do a visual inspection of the harness, just poking around with the ohm meter will just tell you what you already know, is that somewhere the hot wire is rubbing against the chassis.

 

[CamdenTC]

OK I am not following you exactly, but that does not matter, you need to do a visual inspection of the harness, just poking around with the ohm meter will just tell you what you already know, is that somewhere the hot wire is rubbing against the chassis.

The two chassis grounds from the headlights (one each side) have a spot of worn insulation. They’re still in one piece. Would the insulation being worn off be such a problem as to not allow lights to work? The passenger side, supposedly something chewed the insulation, the driver side arced.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NDT]

The headlight ground wires can have worn off insulation and it won't cause a short.

 

[CamdenTC]

That’s what I thought.. would the ground that arced be the problem possibly? The wire wasn’t replaced. Would a short keep the wire from working? When it arced it blew the ground off of the BO light as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NDT]

It sounds to me that bad things have happened inside the headlight bucket(s). Lots of wires stuffed in there.

 

[CamdenTC]

It sounds to me that bad things have happened inside the headlight bucket(s). Lots of wires stuffed in there.

Okay. Would it be easier at this point just to replace all the lights/assembly’s and the worn wires, and switches?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NDT]

No, I would locate the problem and fix it and replace any wires that have degraded insulation. No need to replace good parts.

 

[Eliteweapons]

I am concerned about the GROUND arcing to a support piece. As already stated check all the ground connections and wiring in the bucket but also ANY work performed by the previous owner. A new to you truck may have some issues caused by previous work. I am not trying to bash the previous owner just saying that some people do things differently than they should and to not rely on previous repairs. The wire that arced may be a positive to the light and if he grounded it that would be your direct short.

 

[Ajax MD]

Hey, bashing previous owners for their shoddy workmanship is a time-honored tradition in other forums I participate in. Especially shoddy electrical work!

 

[blisters13]

So, to be clear, ground wires carry current from a load (like headlight lamps/bulbs) to the truck frame as a return path to the battery negative, which is also connected to the truck frame.

IF a “ground” wire is arcing/sparking anywhere, there is a bad/poor connection at the frame. Even, the wire is broken and you have an open circuit.

First, with everything turned off, disconnect the questionable ground wire at the load connection and, using an ohmmeter, test that circuit for very low resistance (less than 2 ohms or so). Do this by connecting the positive lead of the meter to the load-end connection of the ground wire and then touch the negative meter lead to a clean, bare metal spot on the truck frame or a clean spot on the battery negative. This would make a complete circuit if everything is serviceable. Anything over 2 ohms is not serviceable and needs repair such as cleaning, new connectors, or a complete wire/connector replacement.

Anything other than shiny, clean metal-to-metal connections will cause trouble. Rusted bolts, rusty frame metal, axle grease, corrosion, paint, ANYTHING like that will cause trouble.

The fact that the breaker is tripping means exactly what has been said- you have a SHORT between circuits and are at risk of burning the truck to the ground.

I REALLY recommend that you make a very careful hand-over-hand inspection of all the wiring harness for damage.

My own truck’s front wiring harness caught fire when I tested the BO lights. The harness had chafed on a bolt head at the radiator crossmember and shorted the 24 volt circuit to ground.