I'm An Effing Idiot (2 Viewers)

[cruisin97]

Ok, there is a slightly longer story as to why this happened, but the punchline is this: I briefly reversed the cables on my 1fzj-80's battery. I feel incredibly stupid, especially since I just spent 3 months rebuilding the engine. Feel free to let me have it for being an idiot, I totally deserve it. But also, can somebody pleeeeaaaaaase help me get this thing running again?! I got it running just fine, post rebuild, and only ran into trouble when I went to cross all my 't's and dot all my 'i's. That's when I had my major effup. I've since checked all fuses, and even found/replaces a bad one. But still nothing. It cranks strong, but never starts. Really hoping it's a fuse/relay and not the ECU.

Please, wizards of 'mud, help me. You're my only hope.

 

[APhelps]

Ok, there is a slightly longer story as to why this happened, but the punchline is this: I briefly reversed the cables on my 1fzj-80's battery. I feel incredibly stupid, especially since I just spent 3 months rebuilding the engine. Feel free to let me have it for being an idiot, I totally deserve it. But also, can somebody pleeeeaaaaaase help me get this thing running again?! I got it running just fine, post rebuild, and only ran into trouble when I went to cross all my 't's and dot all my 'i's. That's when I had my major effup. I've since checked all fuses, and even found/replaces a bad one. But still nothing. It cranks strong, but never starts. Really hoping it's a fuse/relay and not the ECU.

Please, wizards of 'mud, help me. You're my only hope.

You should be using a multimeter and tracing power. First thing I'd check is the fusible link though.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Ooooff!!

Thats no good.

Have you checked all the fuses in the engine bay fuse box?

I'm pretty sure you can swap the efi relay with one of the other relays, at least to troubleshoot

 

[cruisin97]

Yep, I did check all the fuses. I even found a blown one and replaced it. No luck though. I'll try swapping around some relays and see. Thank you!

@APhelps I do have a multimeter, but I'm not sure what you mean by "tracing power". Any guidance in that area would be greatly appreciated!

 

[APhelps]

Yep, I did check all the fuses. I even found a blown one and replaced it. No luck though. I'll try swapping around some relays and see. Thank you!

@APhelps I do have a multimeter, but I'm not sure what you mean by "tracing power". Any guidance in that area would be greatly appreciated!

You should be looking to see if you're getting the supplied 12V power to the right components now.

 

[baldilocks]

With the key in the ON position is there a check engine light?

 

[cruisin97]

With the key in the ON position is there a check engine light?

Oh god. No, there's no check engine light

 

[baldilocks]

So you either fried the ecu or it isn’t being powered. What year is your 80? You’ll need that FSM or better get the full electrical wiring diagram and a meter to find out what is/isn’t happening.

Don’t feel bad about an honest mistake.

 

[cruisin97]

It's a '97. Thank you, and I've got both the FSM and EWD. Looks like this weekend is going to be fun

 

[woodsman 44]

check the fusible link on the positive battery cable, its just outside of your battery box...cheap fix if its the culprit..

 

[flintknapper]

check the fusible link on the positive battery cable, its just outside of your battery box...cheap fix if its the culprit..

^^^^^

This. First thing to check....in fact just replace it (its old). IF it isn't your issue then you'll have a spare which you should have/keep anyway. Then let us know what you find.

 

[dralston]

I did this to my 1993 Yota pickup. No check engine light. Replaced fusible link. Fixed the problem.

 

[cruisin97]

Thanks ya'll. My fusible links are pretty new (~5 years), however I'm currently tearing my garage apart trying to find the old ones that I kept as spares so I can eliminate those as a variable.

 

[cruisin97]

And as far as checking the links... I'm not sure what they'd look like if they tripped or fried or whatever. Would it be pretty obvious? I've heard "check your fusible links" a lot over the years, but when I think about it I'm not super clear on what that actually means. Can I verify them with a multimeter in some way? Is it just continuity, or is there some magic sauce that's happening in there?

 

[APhelps]

And as far as checking the links... I'm not sure what they'd look like if they tripped or fried or whatever. Would it be pretty obvious? I've heard "check your fusible links" a lot over the years, but when I think about it I'm not super clear on what that actually means. Can I verify them with a multimeter in some way? Is it just continuity, or is there some magic sauce that's happening in there?

Just check continuity. I'm sure the factory service manual will give a specification. It's essentially just a wire that will burn up if the current exceeds what it is rated for.

 

[mudgudgeon]

The wire could be all crispy and brittle inside the insulation, not flexible, and may be broken

 

[cruisin97]

OK cool. I assumed as much but you know what they say about assuming. Appreciate the clarification

 

[Grandlooser]

OK cool. I assumed as much but you know what they say about assuming. Appreciate the clarification

That should be the problem honestly if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Comet]

Geesh I was expecting some catastrophic blunder that would amaze and impress the MUD community. Thank goodness it was only the fusible link. Wait, it was the fusible link, right? Hope its something simple so you can get back on the road.

 

[CalnSam]

Emergency Troubleshooting Procedures - FAQ Item (Recommend Keeping Copy in Truck)

For updates or revisions, please PM me, nuclerlemon or semlin The below is a troubleshooting guide if your in the boonies to help isolate a non starting vehicle problem. This is a compilation from forum members, specifically RavenTai, KliersLC, Landtank and Beaowulf. This will not catch each...

forum.ih8mud.com