Harbinger Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 (edited) As some as you might have heard, my trucks now refusing to start -- had to happen in the middle of a switch panel rewire to boot. I've already checked the battery (12.6V), cleaned the terminals and checked the condition of the cables. You turn the key all the way to the last position, and all you hear is a buzzing from the PS of the engine compartment. After maybe 20-30 seconds the buzzing stops. Is it a bad relay? or is something else wrong? All my haynes manual says about relays is to have the dealer check them. Edited January 26, 2006 by Harbinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armelius1 Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 It's the relay in the engine compartment passenger side I believe. Take one from another bank that won't be used and replace the bad one. Should start. Then go buy one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 24, 2006 Author Share Posted January 24, 2006 I've narrowed it down to the one labeled "Main Relay" as being the culprit -- but which ones are required to run the truck that I can use in the meantime? Going to the J/Y tomorrow to find a replacement and a few spares if I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj big shoe Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Double check your fusible links, especially after the re-wire. Those things have hampered many a Pathy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 24, 2006 Author Share Posted January 24, 2006 Double check your fusible links, especially after the re-wire. Those things have hampered many a Pathy. Dually Noted, Thanks I don't think its the re-wire that blew things to hell though -- might have been -- all I know is the battery was dead one morning (think I left the light switch on, but am not 100%). So I jumped it and let it run -- but a little while later it was dead, jumped it again, dead a hour later. When I jumped the 3rd time I got the situation I'm in now. I'm guessing somewhere in there this relay died. The batterys holding charge now (charged on sat and still holding strong) so if I did short something to drain it it must not be present now. Hopefully I can find a Pathy or a HB in the j/y tomorrow -- the damn dealer wanted $30 for a relay -- plus it would be a week before they could get one in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89_trailboss Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Maybe just put a few small peices of wire to jump the wires over untill you find one at a resonable price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 24, 2006 Author Share Posted January 24, 2006 Maybe just put a few small peices of wire to jump the wires over untill you find one at a resonable price. I thought about that -- but my Pathy isn't my daily driver so I'm in no big hurry, outside of my snowboarding suffering. I've actually got a 30amp 4pin relay sitting @ home I could wire up -- but the pin pattern is diffrent so it would be pretty ugly wiring it up. That and I'm not sure what amperage the OEM one is rated for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 24, 2006 Author Share Posted January 24, 2006 Scored 4 relays free at the j/y today.:cool2: But that didn't solve the problem. Will check over the fusible links when I get time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 26, 2006 Author Share Posted January 26, 2006 (edited) Can someone elaborate on where the fusible links are located? The haynes manual specifies there coming off the + battery terminal -- but I can't find anything like what the manuals describing. Edited January 26, 2006 by Harbinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 i think it's in the bundle there.. might have to open it up.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 The fusible links are basically all the connectors that plug in at the + terminal if I'm not mistaken. A while ago, there was a guy on here (can't remember who) who's fusible links were all corroded....he just put on ring connectors, and hooked them all directly to the terminal....worked fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 26, 2006 Author Share Posted January 26, 2006 (edited) I May have just found it -- next to the relay bank, theres the cover covering the "PTC HEATER, Ignition Sw, Eng Cont, Injector" links respectivley -- and the PTC heater one is completely burnt up. I'm going to go see if I can score a new one, but will this fix my problem? As far as everything coming off the + I can't find where the other end of the connector is, as it dissapears into the wiring harness. Not to mention all the wiring going to the harness looks fine, no ashes like I found with the PTC Heater. :confused: Edited January 26, 2006 by Harbinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 As far as everything coming off the + I can't find where the other end of the connector is, as it dissapears into the wiring harness. you have to splice it in.. it may not be your FL.. maybe it's the PTC thing effecting the starting.. fix that first and see.. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 26, 2006 Author Share Posted January 26, 2006 you have to splice it in.. it may not be your FL.. maybe it's the PTC thing effecting the starting.. fix that first and see.. good luck Thats odd to me for some reason -- I just got back from the j/y and an 88 pathy, 93 pathy, and 89ish Hardbody all have plugs on both sides of the FL w/ Green/Black connectors on the + terminal. Wheras my 87 doesn't. *shrug* I bought a pice of the wiring harness off the 88 pathy to splice in though. Just in case. Found a replacement for the PTC link too -- plus some spares. But replacing it didn't fix my problem. Anyone know what a PTC Heater is anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 The fusible links are basically all the connectors that plug in at the + terminal if I'm not mistaken. A while ago, there was a guy on here (can't remember who) who's fusible links were all corroded....he just put on ring connectors, and hooked them all directly to the terminal....worked fine. that was me. here's the link to the thread. You can tell where the link is from there. thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 26, 2006 Author Share Posted January 26, 2006 (edited) MURPHYS LAW STRIKES AGAIN! GRRRRRR I can't believe myself sometimes -- the truck wouldn't start because I had moved the shifter to one of the drive gears to get cleareance for taking off the dash pieces and failed to move it back after removing it. I gotta swap this slushbox for a manual.... O'well -- I got my first j/y experiences out of this, plenty of spare relays and FL's, spliced in new style FL's, found the fried PTC link, etc. And it didn't cost me more than 5.25 for the extra parts. *sigh* I gotta lay off the beer. Thanks everyone for their help -- I feel like a moron Edited January 26, 2006 by Harbinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted January 26, 2006 Share Posted January 26, 2006 Glad you found the problem.....don't worry, we've all had our moments!! :judge: That said....tighten your helmet, you special little boy!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 lol.. congrats though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj big shoe Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 First off, glad to hear your problem is resolved. Secondly, nice job confessing to the blunder. I would've made something up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 27, 2006 Author Share Posted January 27, 2006 (edited) That said....tighten your helmet, you special little boy!!! Thanks for that little vote of confidence simon I'll be sure to hop the short bus to work today! Secondly, nice job confessing to the blunder. I would've made something up. Lol that crossed my mind -- but I figure that would have made me look just plain dumb when I listed a reason that would make no sense to any of you pathfinder gurus The fusible links seem to be diffrent on my 87 as everyone elses though -- everyone (and the trucks in the j/y) have the two links right off of the battery, green & black connectors. 1 wire out of the black one, and 4 out of the green. Ok, so my truck has one wire coming out of the black, and it ran to a diffrent style FL that was between the fender and the battery. I spliced in the newer one I picked up, just to update it to the newere style and make it a little more convienent. But the Green one I haven't touched yet, as it doesn't appear that it has a FL, as theres two 12ish gauge wires running from it. And whats confusing me is, the green FL I picked up from the 88 has 4 wires coming from it. Weird. Edited January 27, 2006 by Harbinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj big shoe Posted January 27, 2006 Share Posted January 27, 2006 If you could find out what the amp rating for the stock FL's are you could run a wire from the +battery to a fuse block and hook everything up from that plus you'd have a place to add circuits later on. I installed one and ran power for stereo, lights, etc. from it. You can find them at Auto Zone and other places for under $10 or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 27, 2006 Author Share Posted January 27, 2006 (edited) If you could find out what the amp rating for the stock FL's are you could run a wire from the +battery to a fuse block and hook everything up from that plus you'd have a place to add circuits later on. I installed one and ran power for stereo, lights, etc. from it. You can find them at Auto Zone and other places for under $10 or so. Already covered I've got a six fuse block mounted in my glove box already! I'm not to worried about the FL -- if my truck didn't come with one on the green connector I don't see why I should install one. At least untill i resolve the 2 vs 4 wire thing. Edited January 27, 2006 by Harbinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 The PTC heater is the fuel mixture heater under your TBI unit. It helps reduce emissions when the engine is cold. If you can, take off your TBI, take out the heater, clip off the wires, then break out the center heater grid. Reinstall and you might gain as much as 3-5 HP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 The PTC heater is the fuel mixture heater under your TBI unit. It helps reduce emissions when the engine is cold. If you can, take off your TBI, take out the heater, clip off the wires, then break out the center heater grid. Reinstall and you might gain as much as 3-5 HP. I'm guessing I'd still pass emissions with this removed, provided the engine was at operating temp right? What could cause the PTC heater link to blow like mine did? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 I bought one a while back... until this thread I have never heard them called a "PTC Heater" but they are also called Mixture Heaters and iirc Nissan called it an Insulator when I ordered the new one. A shorted out heater could cause a fusible link in the circuit to blow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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