My new plow truck has some kind of electrical issue. It quit running and asI was trying to figure out why I noticed the whole electrical system is dead. Nothing works, the headlights do not even turn on. Yes the battery is charged. If I jump yhe solenoid the engine turns over. Any one have a similar experience? Is there a common failure which would cause this?

Thanks for any help!

Start looking for a fusible link that's burned out. I don't know the system but if it has an amp gauge you might want to check the wiring at it also.

Check for a bad fusible link on the drivers side inner fender. A quick check is to slightly tug on the wires going to them and they will pull right apart if they are bad.

C'mon Tim! It's a Dodge! Add more clean grounds! (after you check the usually by-passed fusible link)

My 79 would get a bad connection at the ampmeter and every thing would be dead

Another thought... try wiggling the bulkhead connectors. That cured my dead electrical system on my 68 Barracuda. Which was followed by pulling the connectors and cleaning.

Hey! Fusable links, checking that will be better than crawling under the dash. Now that I'm old and well fed I do not enjoy that like I used to, and I never liked it!

Hey Eric, how is it going? We can only add so many grounds. The wiring on this truck looks like a Texas chain saw electrician worked on it. I'II be on it again next Saturday. Wish me luck.........

OK, check this out. I stopped working on the truck Saturday at about 3:00. I left the key turned to accessory and a bunch of things turned on. Even though the battery was charged I left the charger on it. Nothing continued to happen Saturday and Sunday, I got home from my night job at about 11:00pm Sunday night, nothing was happening. At 7:00 this (Monday) morning I come out of the house to go to work. The truck is buzzing and the lights are on!

I run over to it and turn the key to off and shut of the lights. The buzzing stops and the lights go out. Just for fun I turn the key forward and the engine turns over. I'll try it again tonight but this is very odd.

Check the amp gauge as said.They burn and do all kinds of weird stuff.I eliminated every one in the 4 70s trucks I had.One did what yours is doing.I just installed a volt meter in them.My 83 also had a burnt up ignition switch at the bottom of the column.Rocky

Yup, fuse links, then bulkhead connectors, then amp gauge...any or all will cause this...good luck!

JS

(PROUD Owner of my Dad's 1976 Power Wagon W100 with factory original and working properly AMP gauge!)

does this M880 still have the dial switch on the dash that controls the blackout lighting? The wiring is often all done in what looks like brown lamp cord, with little numbered aluminum tags crimped to the connections?

I know this dial switch caused a lot of issues on a friends truck. It would not crank, or fire at times, or other odd electrical issues would pop up.

He carefully removed all the military add on harness, and restored to the factory and the problems went away.

Is it a 24 volt system?

The truck still has the military switches and the wiring with those crimps. I am going to bypass the alternator gauge and check the fusible links to see if that helps.

The truck had an add on 24 volt system for the radios it carried but it is still a 12v system.

brother has one. military switch under dash/ on the dash got my brother stuck deer hunting. switch was bad.

Thanks guys! It started to work all on its own. I am going to run a 10ga wire from the alternator to the starter relay to take the big load off the bulkhead connector and ammeter gauge. And hope it lasts till spring.

Reach up and wiggle the amp gauge wires lights and other stuff on If voltage chances u can see it The post burn lose in gauge get a amp gauge for a school bus