HELP - Electrical Problem with 1983 F250 6.9 - Diesel Forum

ricktullos · 11-07-2009, 10:03 PM

Any suggestions? It has new alternator, voltage regulator, lights come on but when i turn the key to start.... everything dies including the battery. I had to jump start it today. I noticed the headlights flickering the other night and I could hear a ticking sound under the hood. Can't figure out what the problem is.

**THANK YOU TO ALL THAT RESPONDED WITH THESE GREAT TIPS. I WILL GIVE THEM A SHOT. I KNOW THERE'S AN ANSWER HERE SOMEWHERE. THANKS AGAIN!**

Joe Mc · 11-08-2009, 11:13 AM

Check your battery cables, especially the both ends of the ground cables.
Then pull the starter and have it tested. If all that is ok then start checking the fuseable links and connectors on the passenger fender-well area.

87CrewDually · 11-08-2009, 10:02 PM

I too would check the grey plug herness that powers the body. It's on the passenger wheel well and should have larger wires/fusible link coming out of them.

cdnsarguy · 11-08-2009, 10:13 PM

That yellow connector is a known problem area, burns up inside and the yellow wires do not contact good. Some members have soldered all the wires and heat shrinked them individually.

83f250 · 11-26-2009, 09:07 PM

not trying to be obvious, but are your batteries/connections on batteries good? I had starting probs then I looked at the dates on the records and they said "New Batteries 05/10/99" so.... i need new batteries!

Scoobywagon · 11-27-2009, 04:34 AM

If EVERYTHING dies when you start cranking, then your batteries are likely shot. But you should make sure to check all your battery connections, too. Both can cause the problem you describe, but poor battery connections will eventually eat your batteries.

hillbilly357 · 12-01-2009, 07:12 PM

you might try checking the power wire going into your voltage regulater box. if it doesent have power into it it will not return a dharge to your batteries and that will cause some same effects. mine got corroded inthe middle of the harness and i like to never figured it out.

bigblackstroker · 12-02-2009, 02:14 PM

Is your voltage regulaor grounded well? I have the same problem in my 86 and it was because the voltage regulator wasn't grounded well enough. It would drain the battries and it sarted going through headlights and alternators.

damac · 12-04-2009, 01:36 AM

If you are talking about a one time deal, we had this happen with an 85 we brought home a couple weeks ago. Started and ran fine for the test drive.

But the truck ended up barely making it home 3 hours later. The batteries were so low at that point that the lights were dim and electronic signals, etc. started to tweak out.

So we charged the batteries back up and went under the hood the next day and jiggled some wires in the voltage regulator area and noticed bad connections that would cause the truck to surge while idling.

Then there was a ground strap that should be bolted in and that was completely off. These are little things we did not notice at the time at night, and learned real quick

Anyways we cleaned off various contact points for better connections and ended up having to replace some wiring in that area and reattaching the ground.

So the alternator wasn't allowed to even do its job and it made for wierd things happening during normal operation upon first start after we recharged the batteries.

The symptoms you mention sound exactly what ours was like when trying to restart the truck after the initial problem showed itself with the clicking, low batteries, pulsating lights, etc.