Joined
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9,227 Posts
My factory battery started dying this weekend (97 with 100,000 miles on it). I installed my new Optima RedTop 1050MCA/830CCA batter on Sunday and used the factory hold downs. Since the Optima is about 1 1/4" shorter than the original the hold down bolts needs to be screwed in farther. Not a problem there is about 2" of thread left. Installed the battery and the truck started right up.
Problem, no head or brake lights. Blown 40A fusible link in power dist. center. Try to figure out why it blew, pull the one from the ignition and install it in the headlight space. Turn on the lights, hear ticking noise and lights flickering. Fusible links starting to discolor. Turn off lights. Look for short. Hear noise from under battery tray. Pull battery, and tray find 1/4" dia hold in 18 wire wiring harness. Apparently the idiots that wired the truck decided to put the headlight (and who knows what else) wiring harness directly under the fender side hold down bolt when there is 2" to each side that it could have been wired. If it was not meant to be screwed in so far, why the extra 2" of thread!
Strip the harness loom and electrical tape wrapping, and luckily none of the wires were cut, only 6 were crushed with the insulation stripped. Taped them up liberally and replace the loom and tape it even more. No more blown links, lights work great, truck starts fast with new battery.
Since it was Sunday night, no parts houses open to get a new link. Had to use the Trailer link (same amperage as head/stop lights) and everything worked great on the way to work this morning. Heading to parts house at lunch to get some fuses.
Moral of the story, check whats under the battery hold down before you screw it in the extra bit for a shorter battery. I know I should have checked, but this was a bit ridiculous.
Problem, no head or brake lights. Blown 40A fusible link in power dist. center. Try to figure out why it blew, pull the one from the ignition and install it in the headlight space. Turn on the lights, hear ticking noise and lights flickering. Fusible links starting to discolor. Turn off lights. Look for short. Hear noise from under battery tray. Pull battery, and tray find 1/4" dia hold in 18 wire wiring harness. Apparently the idiots that wired the truck decided to put the headlight (and who knows what else) wiring harness directly under the fender side hold down bolt when there is 2" to each side that it could have been wired. If it was not meant to be screwed in so far, why the extra 2" of thread!
Strip the harness loom and electrical tape wrapping, and luckily none of the wires were cut, only 6 were crushed with the insulation stripped. Taped them up liberally and replace the loom and tape it even more. No more blown links, lights work great, truck starts fast with new battery.
Since it was Sunday night, no parts houses open to get a new link. Had to use the Trailer link (same amperage as head/stop lights) and everything worked great on the way to work this morning. Heading to parts house at lunch to get some fuses.
Moral of the story, check whats under the battery hold down before you screw it in the extra bit for a shorter battery. I know I should have checked, but this was a bit ridiculous.
