no power

[launchpad]

I have an 82 c-10 6.2 diesel.....Any ideas on where to start looking.   Was driving home and the old girl died, no power to ignition, headlights etc.   My batteries are good even hooked up the charger to make sure.  The terminals are tight as well?  Thank you

[Displaced_Txn]

are the cables corroded at all? I would check that and also any and all fuses just to make sure.

[launchpad]

Thanks....   Cables are all good, I'll have to find the fuse that would be the "main one" and check it out.   It's just really weird that all of sudden would die and have nothing???

[bd]

Make sure the positive battery cable is tight at the starter and the negative cable is tight to the block.  Check the fusible links at the starter solenoid and firewall junction block.  Do you have a voltmeter?

[rich weyand]

How old are those battery cables?  They can fail internally with no external indication.

[bake74]

Make sure the positive battery cable is tight at the starter and the negative cable is tight to the block.  Check the fusible links at the starter solenoid and firewall junction block.  Do you have a voltmeter?

How old are those battery cables?  They can fail internally with no external indication.

     You need to do as bd suggested, a volt/ohm meter is your best friend in diagnosing where/what is causing the loss of battery power.

[Irish_Alley]

Make sure the positive battery cable is tight at the starter and the negative cable is tight to the block.  Check the fusible links at the starter solenoid and firewall junction block.  Do you have a voltmeter?

How old are those battery cables?  They can fail internally with no external indication.

     You need to do as bd suggested, a volt/ohm meter is your best friend in diagnosing where/what is causing the loss of battery power.

or you could just try to wiggle the starter wire and see if it moves

[launchpad]

even if bad at the starter wouldn't my lights, radio etc. still work?

[rich weyand]

No.  All power distributes through fusible links off the starter hot post.  Just look at your battery: just one cable from the + terminal, to the starter.  That's why when you lose EVERYTHING at once, you should start by looking at that cable.  It's the only thing all the electrical systems have in common.  One easy way is to measure the voltage between the battery + terminal and the starter + post. If the cable is good there should be no or close to no voltage difference.  If the cable is 10+ years old, just replace it.  We've had a couple cases just in the past few months of bad positive battery cables with no external sign of problems.

[launchpad]

I will do that....   Your all the best,  Thank you

[launchpad]

Battery cable down at the starter was off(broke).....   I didn't realize it was hooked up like that.  I was baffled when not even the head lights worked.     Love the truck, glad it was nothing major.   Once again thanks to all!!

[dvdswan]

glad to hear you solved your issue.

[Irish_Alley]

yeah its weird how they wired the trucks up you would think the power would split before the starter one to the starter and one to the power boxs