Electrical gurus

[fireguywtc]

I have been having some issue recently with the highboy when it comes to starting. It seems like there is a slow drain on the batter and if I let it sit for a few hours it cranks slow. If it sits for two days it will be dead. But heres the kicker, if I wait a minute or two and try it, it will crank very slowly then fire off. Once I fire it off it is good.

It happened to me this morning when I was leaving work. The truck had sat for 2 days and when I got in to start it, it wouldn't even click over and the dome light even went out. I had nothing. I was about to go get a battery charger when I tried it again. When I got back in the truck, the dome light was back on and it very slowly cranked, but fired.

Here is what I have done so far since I have had the truck. Optima red top battery, starter, new style voltage regulator, and today I replaced the solenoid, the hot wired from the battery to the solenoid and the one from the solenoid to the starter, and lastly cleaned all connections and checked the grounds. All is good now, but I am still having the same issues.

Lastly this seems to be very slowly progressing and getting worse. About a month ago it wasn't an issue, and about two weeks ago I noticed it slowly cranking after sitting several days. Now two days and dead, but not totally dead.

I need ideas on what to lood for because I am out of idea and thanks in advance.

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

hook up an ammeter in line between the ground cable and battery post and start pulling fuses.. unplugging the ignition switch...unplug the dome light switches...ect.

[fordman]

i have or had this same exact problem. i chased it and chased it. i came to the conclusion that is had to be dirty cable ends. they had just a little bit of grey on the inside where they fit over the posts. all i did was to reclean the grey off of them and the truck hasnt given me a problem since. these are molded cables and ends. not those bolt on replacement ends.

[fireguywtc]

Ok, I have tracked it down to the dome/cigar lighter fuse. When I pull that one, I don't get any draw from the battery. I have disconnected the cigar lighter and dome light and it still does it. Is there anything else attached to that fuse before I start going over the wires for those two things. tia

[fordman]

i tlooked like from the 70 master diagram that the dome light got power through the headlight switch. the cigar lighter also ran to the heater light. but that may have been the night light for the cigar lighter i was looking at. unplug the headlight switch and put the fuse back in and see if it still draws power when testing.

[fireguywtc]

I figured it out and I had my tach hooked up to a hot wire that was ultimately attached to the dome light/lighter fuse. I don't know what I was thinking when I hooked it up to a wire that was always hot. Anyways, I found an ignition wire to hook it up to and all seems to be good now. Thanks for all the help.