I broke my new truck

[Goldie Driver]

Update! I got the new horn and blinker wiring from LMC Trucks, and I also repaired a power orange wire that went to the fuse box. Now I am putting all together again and I am stuck in two places:

1) The ignition lock when I install it, has no spring feel to it. I see how it works there's this round black plastic thing with teeth that engages this other long silver thing with teeth. How is it supposed to go so the spring is 'engaged'? I am following common sense but done it like 4 times and each time the ignition has no spring feel to it.
2) And haven't gotten to this part yet but, how do you put the ring that you remove from the shaft? The one that is a PITA to remove. I saw a video and the guy seemed to have like a reverse steering wheel puller and he cranked it all in. What is that called?

Thanks

You must be registered for see images attach

That spring up top in your picture is only for the steering lock.

The springy feel in the ignition comes from the ignition switch.

If that was not the way it was before, check that your new turn signal wiring harness is not somehow jammed against the ignition rod.
Or, you got lucky and your ignition switch went bad.

Depending on your lock plate puller, you may be able to slide that lock ring on the outer diameter of the puller. If you could have done that, though, hopefully when you pulled it, you slid it up said collar.

If your puller is a cheap pos like mine, you cant, so you put the lock plate in place, push the clip on the shaft, compress the lock plate and spring with the tool, and then fight it down in place with 2 small flat bladed screwdrivers.

Not really as bad as it sounds.

 

[Juan Cano]

That spring up top in your picture is only for the steering lock.

The springy feel in the ignition comes from the ignition switch.

If that was not the way it was before, check that your new turn signal wiring harness is not somehow jammed against the ignition rod.
Or, you got lucky and your ignition switch went bad.

Depending on your lock plate puller, you may be able to slide that lock ring on the outer diameter of the puller. If you could have done that, though, hopefully when you pulled it, you slid it up said collar.

If your puller is a cheap pos like mine, you cant, so you put the lock plate in place, push the clip on the shaft, compress the lock plate and spring with the tool, and then fight it down in place with 2 small flat bladed screwdrivers.

Not really as bad as it sounds.

Thank you! I managed to put it back in the correct way. I found the Jazzman Saginaw step by step and understood the lever was not engaging with the pins that push the rod to the ignition switch. Thanks for confirming this. I watched a couple vids and it is like you say on the lock plate; it's gotta be pushed in all the way so the ring can snap. I don't think my puller does that but maybe it does.

But now, I finally tried turning the truck on, turned the key, got lights, my headlights worked, turned to start and it all went dead. I am so sad. It's also 8:30 PM and there's mosquitoes. I am back to before square one.

 

[Goldie Driver]

Thank you! I managed to put it back in the correct way. I found the Jazzman Saginaw step by step and understood the lever was not engaging with the pins that push the rod to the ignition switch. Thanks for confirming this. I watched a couple vids and it is like you say on the lock plate; it's gotta be pushed in all the way so the ring can snap. I don't think my puller does that but maybe it does.

But now, I finally tried turning the truck on, turned the key, got lights, my headlights worked, turned to start and it all went dead. I am so sad. It's also 8:30 PM and there's mosquitoes. I am back to before square one.

No, you have completed the repairs and been cursed by the mosquito gawds.

Probably a loose battery cable that can be fixed in the daylight when the blood sucking insectoid vampires are asleep in their coffins.

Think positive!

 

[Juan Cano]

Thank you for the positive thoughts. At least I figured the ignition switch part (although I misinstalled the high beam rod so need to take apart). Will check on the weekend.

 

[Juan Cano]

First, good news. Trucks starts and no smoke coming out of the steering column!! So that's great. I need to adjust the high beam switch forward a hair so it 'clicks'. But for some reason my directionals don't work at all, even with the truck on. The hazards work fine. I haven't put the whole steering wheel back together so I can see that the blinker arm is moving the plastic discs (all this is new) and doing its thing.

The directionals don't use a fuse right? They depend on the round silver flasher in the fusebox. Could that be bad suddenly? I guess it could. Or perhaps somehow one of the cables is not getting power to the blinker arm to send a signal?

 

[Goldie Driver]

Turn signals and hazards use flashers, and I believe both are probably protected by fuses.

The flashers are the same, so swap them out and see if your turn signals start working .

If not, check for the fuse, and that the connector for the turn signal switch is plugged in completely.

After that, smarter people will chime in

 

[idahovette]

@Goldie Driver , don't sell yourself short Britt. Your insight is invaluable!!!!????

 

[Juan Cano]

@Goldie Driver you were right. The 15A fuse for the turn signal was blown. That was it. Now the truck is 91.1% correct, even the stupid dome light which is the reason I got into this whole mess works!!!

Now I have this issue which had started before that when I turn the high beams on, the passenger headlight turns off. But it's on before when I have the lights on.

Can a high beam switch go bad like that? Makes no sense it would.

 

[Goldie Driver]

@Goldie Driver you were right. The 15A fuse for the turn signal was blown. That was it. Now the truck is 91.1% correct, even the stupid dome light which is the reason I got into this whole mess works!!!

Now I have this issue which had started before that when I turn the high beams on, the passenger headlight turns off. But it's on before when I have the lights on.

Can a high beam switch go bad like that? Makes no sense it would.

You sure its not just a bad headlight or a loose connection?

Goldie's passenger side low beam would get intermittently stubborn and wiggling the wires would fix it.

Well, until it burned out, and both got replaced with halogens.

No idea how old the GE headlamps were that were on her, but probably a good while.

 

[Juan Cano]

I was reading about and it could be that the headlight is bad. Apparently the top light (low beam) has 2 filaments, one for high and one for low. If one filament is burnt out, then when you switch high beams the light is off. Will get a new headlight tomorrow and test the connectors as well. Thanks.

 

[Juan Cano]

This is a little like that story about trying to stop a damn with your fingers. Headlight issue is solved, or probably solved. But then noticed my left (driver) stop light and blinker don't work. Right one works fine. The tail light turns on with the lights on but not the brake light; it's the same bulb but has 2 ground wires, or whatever they're called. I did some testing inside the tail light enclosure and the brake light is not getting power when depressing the brake.

So looking back at all the other work I did, replacing the blinker/horn wires and also had to redo the orange and white wires that come out of the brake switch, wonder if something happened.

The tailight enclosure is also a little shady looking, maybe it died and it's a coincidence. But it used to work.

 

[Bextreme04]

This is a little like that story about trying to stop a damn with your fingers. Headlight issue is solved, or probably solved. But then noticed my left (driver) stop light and blinker don't work. Right one works fine. The tail light turns on with the lights on but not the brake light; it's the same bulb but has 2 ground wires, or whatever they're called. I did some testing inside the tail light enclosure and the brake light is not getting power when depressing the brake.

So looking back at all the other work I did, replacing the blinker/horn wires and also had to redo the orange and white wires that come out of the brake switch, wonder if something happened.

The tailight enclosure is also a little shady looking, maybe it died and it's a coincidence. But it used to work.

The brake lights are on a single wire going to the back, so if one side lights up and the other doesn't, then the problem is in the actual light harness in the rear after the plug. There is a connector right at the back that connects the frame harness to the rear light harness, you can disconnect it there and test for continuity between all of the individual contacts where they are supposed to run. You probably just have a broken ground or power contact inside of one of the light housings.

 

[Juan Cano]

Thank you @Bextreme04 !! When you say "There is a connector right at the back that connects the frame harness to the rear light harness", is this like under the frame? By the cab? That's what my neighbor thought as well.

 

[Bextreme04]

Thank you @Bextreme04 !! When you say "There is a connector right at the back that connects the frame harness to the rear light harness", is this like under the frame? By the cab? That's what my neighbor thought as well.

I have my truck apart right now with the bed off so I can take a picture of the connector and location as soon as I get out of the meeting I'm in now.

 

[Turbo4whl]

The brake lights are on a single wire going to the back, so if one side lights up and the other doesn't, then the......

This is not correct. The turn lights and brake lights are the same single bulb on each side. Two wires (yellow and green) to make both brake lights light up. If you turn on the the turn signals, then power is interrupted to that side when the brakes are applied.

Brown wire feeds all the tail lights and license light. Light green wire feeds both reverse lights.