no crank, no lights, no anything.. the door buzzer works.

[jasonram-50]

ohk so where to begin? i tried to be proactive and sift through the different threads about electrical and felt i did not come across anything that will help.

i had driven my truck to work one day and that morning the truck started just fine and everything was working as normal. i park the truck for the day and go to start it hafter getting off work, and nothing. no crank no lights, no dash lights NOOOOTTTTHHHIIINNNGGG. tried to jump the truck and still nothing, had to leave it for the evening.

so after testing the battery, and bench testing the alternator and starter (all 3 checking out fine) i started diving into the wiring and checking connections, all the typical things, checked all fuses (good) and fuse links (good, after having to make a few new ones lol)

so now out come the trusty test light, and i tested everything from the battery all the way to the ignition switch (new) power is getting to the fuse box and to the ignition switch, when in off position, as soon as i turn the switch to acc, or the on position, nothing, the fuse box looses power and the switch hot wire looses power, i will also mention that even to this point i still have no lights outside the truck or inside, literally the only thing that works is the door buzzer for when you leave the key in the ignition and open the door.

any help or advice is welcome and appreciated.

89 ram 50 2.0L 5 speed

[pennyman1]

Still sounds like a fusible link open - look in the manual section for the wiring details

[camoit]

It's going to be a fuse-able link or a real bad ground from the battery. I have seen that before.

[travhous]

On my '86 there is two additional fusible links for ignition switch and headlights located in the engine compartment on the passenger side fender well. They come out of the harness with connectors on both sides.

[pennyman1]

are they good?

[xboxrox]

I was hoping to read an answer that solved jasonram-50s starting problem...

Thirty + year old wiring & electrical circuits could easily have problems... My truck scared me today; when I turned the key to start this morning, there was nothing... No dash lights no cranking, no nothing (I thought the problem was I had not turned the key all the way to start...) But on second try, with dim red dash lights; it did start but s l o w l y cranked as though the battery was very weak, almost dead... Then in late afternoon, if it was any worse; it would not have started; acted as though the battery is shot...

This truck got a new over sized, Interstate battery for warm climates in April when it arrived on the island... I need to buy a digital multi meter and get help how to use it to figure out this starting problem... The truck has had two new starters installed by my brother in the mainland since 2011...

Happy Holidays

adding: RepairPal Recommendations for battery issuesWe recommend using a battery rated identically to the original one. Using too small or too large of a battery will result in overcharging or undercharging, and will lead to repeated failure.

[pennyman1]

I do not agree with repairpal - batteries will charge whether it is too small or too large as long as the alternator is good. The amount of draw is what impacts battery life. Grounding and old battery cables are prime reasons for starting issues.

[Giovanni89]

Repair pals advice is not driven by electric theory, it's driven by liability. The alternator can't see the battery. Every battery is going to charge to 14 volts. If you are charging a battery from dead, a larger battery will need to charge longer. This could put additional strain on an alternator, but realistically, not enough to notice a difference in lifespan of the alternator. I put the biggest battery I can fit, a group24. It has way more cranking amps than the original. When it's 10 to 15 below zero, it makes a world of difference.

[xboxrox]

BTW, I am not trying to thread jack :) I searched Google for RAM 50 starting problems and this mightyram50 thread was the result... Somewhere on a thread here, I read that jasonram-50 installed a new ignition switch which solved his starting problem...

Anyway, sticking with a starting problem topic; today my truck started strong and I got the battery tested where we bought it in April (Firestone Service Ctr on MCBH) test result: Battery GOOD... Probably should test the alternator (after I find a place that can OR if I ever get a DMM)... and continuity test & wiggle on all the starting circuit wire connections next time the truck is up on a lift... If all the aforementioned checks out good then perhaps it's something under the dash (starter solenoid..?) n' start switch on the column (how the heck is that sucker checked..?) oh well... The interior courtesy light does not come on regardless of it's switch position (bulb looks good) perhaps something (IT) is drawing current and draining the battery..?

One thing is for sure, this truck every so often acts like the battery is 90+% dead & it's a miracle that it even cranks n' starts...

Ya don't suppose it could ever be the starter itself..? after all else fails to expose any problem... pennyman says a Starion starter fits and is stronger; this truck may someday get the chance to prove it... Ho, Ho, Ho... God Bless Ya'll for helping...
:merryxmas:

[xboxrox]

Guess all it takes sometimes is complaining to fix things..? Ma truck starts great ever since making the post above; making me a liar (I hope...)

[geezer101]

I wouldn't agree with RepairPals advice either. A bigger battery means more initial cold cranking amperage available on start up which means more efficient cranking, less demand on the battery and less demand on the alternator to top up the charge. There can be issues with using the wrong kind of battery (some cars require a gel cell battery and I've been told using using an alternative battery can cause damage) so it's important you use the correct type for the application. You could potentially 'boil' a battery dry by running a too higher input voltage but it's the amp output that is the key. Higher amp output assists battery recovery time and load on the system in times of heavy demand.

[tortron]

Repair pals advice is not driven by electric theory, it's driven by liability. The alternator can't see the battery. Every battery is going to charge to 14 volts. If you are charging a battery from dead, a larger battery will need to charge longer. This could put additional strain on an alternator, but realistically, not enough to notice a difference in lifespan of the alternator. I put the biggest battery I can fit, a group24. It has way more cranking amps than the original. When it's 10 to 15 below zero, it makes a world of difference.
I did this to my Morris minor 540cca or something silly, no issues even being charged with a 30amp generator

[xboxrox]

Awrite :) my interstate battery even tho one step up from original size rating (mine 600 cranking amps?) and it's a type for hot climates (Hawaii) all should be good with it... I think Firestone's testing meter reading showed 550 amps... My gut is beginning to guess the ignition switch or the use thereof could very well be the (infrequent) poor starting issue... It's an old switch and my wrist & reflexes are 70 years old too... I'm hoping that a firm, good, solid, quick, full twist of the key will prevent the dead battery syndrome... It might be me not perfectly turning the key in the best way possible for the old switch to make good contact..? Plausible..? We shall see... I'm left handed, so turning the key requires using the less coordinated right hand; perhaps some ginseng will fix things..? LOL

[geezer101]

My gut is beginning to guess the ignition switch or the use thereof could very well be the (infrequent) poor starting issue... It's an old switch and my wrist & reflexes are 70 years old too...

I've come across a couple of bad ignition switches. They are mechanical and do wear out - the copper contacts and inner bezel get some fairly deep trenches in them. I would say by the time a daily driver vehicle reaches the 35 year + mark, it's EOL. You can carefully take them apart and freshen them up a little (beware of the ball bearing and springs in them - they have a tendency to go flying while prying the casings apart), polish up the contacts and add fresh grease - maybe stretch the springs a touch... but it won'y be long before it does annoying things like trip past the starter contact or break contact to the on and ignition circuits. Mitsubishi used those switch assemblies in a lot of cars (there a 2 different diameter assemblies and I'd put money on them being used in other manufacturers cars as well) so there's a chance they are still around.

[xboxrox]

geezer, if it wasn't for guys like you, pennyman, tortron, giovanni, camoit and many others; fixing my truck would be darn near impossible... Your info is very appreciated, thanks...

[BradMph]

Ya, them guys are all groupies. They live out back of this place in tents. :lmao:

[geezer101]

:rolling: - "groupies" Brad? Half the stuff I know is from desperation due to my broke ass (the tent reference isn't far off either...) The other half is from paying attention in class. You watch the guys who have builds in progress or have been working on these trucks since the invention of the balance shaft and you can learn sumpin'. That is the thing I like about this community the most - they share the experience and knowledge from getting their hands dirty minus the attitude. Big question - is it finally fixed George? :shrug:

[Giovanni89]

Groupie :lmao: How do I get on the tour bus Haha!
I've also seen a number of failed ignition switches. One that resulted in an intermittent no start issue. The solenoid connector would see 12 volts, but if you backprobed the connector while it was hooked up to the starter. Only about 8 volts. The contacts in the switch could no longer pass enough current to engage the solenoid.

[xboxrox]

Wishing you all, much Happiness in the New Year :clap: geezer, I'd call it fixed; by turning the key in a very deliberate & firm manner, the starting has been ok... So far this deliberate n" firm twist has worked...

[pennyman1]

On the first gen trucks the ignition switch can be replaced separate from the key cylinder, if it acts up again.

[xboxrox]

Thanks pennyman; I'm now feeling more confident & relieved just knowing this key n' switch info; switches are still sold too... It will be a really sad day if something breaks or destroys this little toy truck beyond repair... New vehicles are way too expensive & way too big for my tastes...

[geezer101]

Trust me, you can find a fix for anything you run into if you search outside of the box. Luckily Mitsubishi is a very adaptive platform to work on and due to their design principles (err, being a little cheap and lazy lol) a lot of parts are cross compatible. If you look at my still non running Gen 1, it has parts from a Gen 2, Mitsubishi Challenger, Peugeot 306xsi and even a Volvo 240 (bloody Volvo of all things...:rolleyes:) When I'm ready for the head and carb swap it'll get a touch of Lancia Beta as well! So it's got Sweden, France, Italy and Japan all in one truck.

[xboxrox]

geezer :clap1: