F350 complete loss of electricity

Pete Q · #1 02/02/13, 03:03 PM

Yesterday I plowed our driveways with my 1995 F350 Diesel truck. Everything was working perfect until I started pulling the truck back into barn for storage, it suddenly died and lost all the electricity. This is my first diesel truck and I'm still pretty ignorant about trucks to start with. I checked all the fuses and did not find any that looked like it was blown. Also the batteries are two months old and show full charge. I have no idea where to look next, I have been trying to find some kind of web site with a check list or some good clues, but have not found much anything.

What should I be checking next? Just give me some pointers or let me know if there is a website that might have some kind of check list for things that might have caused this. I appreciate all the help. We are expecting more snow over the next few days and I am plowing our shared driveway for the neighbors as well.

Pete

agmantoo · #2 02/02/13, 03:17 PM

Bad battery connections would be my first place to look. Look for corrosion at all battery terminals both the positive and negative sides and the leads. Check the ground side where the battery connects to the engine/chassis. Turn the headlights on and see if they burn. Headlights should burn (safety factor) when nearly anything will not since they have circuit breaker and not a fuse.

Pete Q · #3 02/02/13, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Bad battery connections would be my first place to look. Look for corrosion at all battery terminals both the positive and negative sides and the leads. Check the ground side where the battery connects to the engine/chassis. Turn the headlights on and see if they burn. Headlights should burn (safety factor) when nearly anything will not since they have circuit breaker and not a fuse.

Headlights are not burning. I guess that means that when I swapped in the new batteries couple of months ago I might have left something slightly loose. I go check right now. Thanks.

joejeep92 · #4 02/02/13, 04:18 PM

Sounds like a connection. Check everything.

Pete Q · #5 02/02/13, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Bad battery connections would be my first place to look. Look for corrosion at all battery terminals both the positive and negative sides and the leads. Check the ground side where the battery connects to the engine/chassis. Turn the headlights on and see if they burn. Headlights should burn (safety factor) when nearly anything will not since they have circuit breaker and not a fuse.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete Q

Headlights are not burning. I guess that means that when I swapped in the new batteries couple of months ago I might have left something slightly loose. I go check right now. Thanks.

No luck there yet. The terminals and connectors are still clean and all the connectors are tight after the battery change. I tried to follow all the cables from the batteries but could not find anything loose. I keep going over and checking but nothing obvious there so far.

vicker · #6 02/02/13, 04:29 PM

I could be the computer went kaput.

ace admirer · #7 02/02/13, 06:31 PM

No power at all?

on the 350, + power connection made up at the starter solenoid?

have you checked the main ground connection at the frame end for mechanical damage?

sandfly · #8 02/02/13, 06:34 PM

alternator bad ???

bikehealer1 · #9 02/02/13, 10:37 PM

ok... take a DC volt meter and check voltage , black lead on the ground terminal of the battery, red lead to the positive terminal. 12 + volts ? if yes, good
next- set the meter to ohms so you can do a continuity test. on the positive battery lead, gently skin back a small amount of the insulation to expose the copper wire. touch the black lead to the positive battery post ( not the lead connector, but the POST ) and the red lead to the exposed copper wire. should read as close to zero as possible.this would mean a good connection between the post and the wire thru the cable connector. ( i have had this happen many times on formed battery connections and replacement connectors that looked perfectly good, but had corroded and lost connection between the wire and connector.)
do the same for the negative battery terminal. if you have a good connection, move on to the solenoid connection and disassemble, clean, reassemble and check for voltage ( black to negative, red to solenoid)

basically, you have to trace the path the current travels. any interruption of that path and you lose it all. I still havent lived down the day my brother had to come rescue me and it turned out to be a corroded connection( formed lead connection) on a brand new Ford oem battery cable.

**alleyyooper** · #10 02/03/13, 06:39 AM

More like a fuseable link fried. they are usally placed between the batterys and the main fuse block some place.
You really need a power distbution circiut diagram. If you have a auto parts store in the area that carries Chilton manuals It may help or check to see if the local liberary has one to loan out.

Al

Dale Alan · #11 02/03/13, 10:06 AM

I was going to suggest fusible link also . Its an easy/cheap fix if that is the case.

agmantoo · #12 02/03/13, 10:31 AM

There probably are exceptions but I am unaware of the headlights being on a fusible link. Headlights are on a circuit breaker and with a bad short will let the lights flash on off until you can stop as a safety measure. A fusible link on headlights could put you in the dark when at a high speed and create an accident.

**Ross** · #13 02/03/13, 11:12 AM

I'd remove and clean the neg ground to the chassis/engine. While its off check for continuity through the negative lead.

Pete Q · #14 02/03/13, 01:25 PM

Thanks for all the advice. I actually got the phone book size maintenance manuals and Haynes with the truck. I need to hit the books to make sure I'm looking at the correct cables and fusible link. Pretty ignorant about the stuff under the hood, and with two batteries and tightly packed engine compartment it is quite a challenge just try and follow the cables. I will give update when I have done the checks.

Allen W · #15 02/03/13, 02:34 PM

Outside chance that a well grounded short occurred and blew the main power fuse in the fuse box on the fender. If that model even has one.

Wis Bang 2 · #16 02/03/13, 04:00 PM

He was plowing. Check the leads for the plow too something could have pulled loose from plowing.

**alleyyooper** · #17 02/04/13, 06:14 AM

OP said the truck lost ALL ELECTRICS ("it suddenly died and lost all the electricity.") so some thing that could totly wipe out electric from getting to the main fuse block PUKED. that is normally a fuseable link befor the power distbution blocks.
I don't Know Fords. GM fuseable links wer usally in the main cross engine compartment wire harness. GM stopped useing them on most models in 2000.

Al

Pete Q · #18 02/05/13, 04:54 AM

Update: All the battery cables and grounds seem good, so based on the advice here I am thinking now that it is a busted fuseable link. Only problem, even with every manual and diagram in hand I'm having really hard time locating them. Main reason being the wiring is mostly hidden and with all the hydraulics and wiring for dump box, blow, sander, warning lights, etc, the engine compartment is packed really tight with gear and wiring. I am finally giving up and have asked a technician from a close by shop to come over and diagnose the truck. I will give you an update when he has time to stop by in couple of days.

Pete Q · #19 02/05/13, 07:10 PM

Well, my technician did not have time to come by yet today, so just for a principle I spent another half an hour trying to figure out this fuse situation. Based on the service manual electrical schematic there is a 300A Mega Fuse in between engine and starter motor relay. No other fuseable links are marked in the schematic. Could this Mega Fuse be causing my problem if it has failed? Another thing - I can't find it. I even have some kind of idea how it might look like, but so far have not been able to locate it.

foxtrapper · #20 02/06/13, 06:23 AM

The 300 amp fuse is on the ambulance package equipped cab and chassis, not the F350 pickup.

Do you have a multimeter or test light? Without one of these tools, it's hard to identify where the failure point is.