84 C10 Ignition problem, URGENT

[rally912]

Hey guys, I need some help fast. My truck is stuck at the gas station, driver window halfway down, IN the rain. This is the 2nd time.

First time it drove solid, put gas in, cranked it up, started to pull out of the station and it shut off. I'm pretty sure its NOT the battery, my lights still work, etc.

At one point, the buzzer nor the radio wouldn't come on (even on ACC), and then they started working again but when I turn the key it won't even turn it over.

Today I drove all around town, had to go to the bank, get some food, and to autozone to get a rebuild kit for my carburetor. Shut it off at AZ and it cranked up. Went to get gas, and it shut off before I got to the pump right after I pulled in.

I'm thinking it's gotta be my ignition switch, because my lights and such work, but when i turn the key I can't get the radio to come on, it wont turn over (it BRIEFLY tried once), and my windows won't work. Also, most of the time I couldn't get the buzzer to come on when I inserted the key.

. It's times like this I wish I had my old 96 C/K truck...or manual windows at least.

Any thoughts? I really need to figure this out so I can get my window up and get my truck home..

Also, call me stupid, but if my battery gauge is reading over halfway, between the 13 and 18, that means my battery IS charged and not dead, right?

[rally912]

Alright guys, I got her home. Hotwired it and drove like a bat out of hell. Kinda reminded me of Gone in 60 Seconds.

Anyways, I'm still not sure what it is. It's either one of the return wires off my starter or something in the ignition, I believe. I'm gonna try to solve it, and if I can't, I imagine I'll be investing in a 600 dollar wiring harness and some ignition pieces.

[Pontiac1976]

Well it does sound like wire or ignition . I would check all the wires going to the starter back to the firewall make sure there good and clean clean all the grounds on the motor bay! then retest your windows. other thing check the fuses box to see if there water dripping on it does the fuse box look new or rusty & white on the wire end's
As to the ALT it should between 12V to 14V if it's staying higher it OVER Charging
Another place is the fire wall + "junction block" has two bolts with red wires
Make sure they are good and clean (side note be careful not to break them there molded in Plastic.

[rally912]

The fusebox is good to go.

How can I stop it from overcharging? Get a new alternator>?

Also I figured this out today when I was pulling it up on the ramps: yesterday when we hotwired it we noticed that just crossing the starter wire with a hot wouldn't keep it going, so we ran a straight wire from the battery to the battery connector on the distributor cap. When thsi straight wire isn't connected, I can't crank it from the inside period, and it won't stay running when it's hotwired either, but when it is, my inside ignition switch WILL turn it on. So apparently I'm losing a connection with the hot wire between my starter and distributor cap, correct?

[rally912]

Figured it out, I hope. Some oil from when I had my back main seal leak had filmed over one of my starter wires and apparently it wasn't making a good connection, cleaned it off, tightened it back up good, and now everything seems to be working good.

So far.

[Pontiac1976]

Good to here you got working again. If it's the ALT over charging is most likely the regulator you can replace the regulator in the ALT. or buy a used good ALT. or a new ALT. Then have used tested first and after you fix it or get a new one most places like pet-boys and other will test it free if you bring it to them.