New M880 Old Wiring Problems-Assistance please

[78dodgeowner]

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum, and hate to jump in asking a bunch of questions, but I searched and couldn't really find an answer.

First off let me start off by saying, I am mainly a civilian dodge truck guy but found out quick these truck usally have good motors and body panels.

I just got a new one home today. It had been sitting since 05, tried to get it started, it hit and great. Now after that an oh so helpfull onlooker went to flipping around on the 3 lever switch. Now there seems to be no power into the cab. What could have happened here?

I know a guy that worked on the VFD that had the truck, and he told me that when they had it some kids got in there and played with the same levers and they had to call in someone from the local national guard branch to fix it.

Is there a certian position these switches need to be in for it to run? It doesnt seem like it to me, but then again, I am an idiot

 

[gungearz]

Start by making sure the batteries are checked and full. Then move to the battery cables and so on. Corrosion is electricities worst nightmare.

 

[78dodgeowner]

I should have mentioned that I did all of that. It was running one second, then the switches on the dash flipped then nothing.

 

[Flyingvan911]

The three lever switch only works the lights. The worst it should do is run down the battery unless someone has played the the light wiring and made a short somewhere. I agree start with the battery and cables. Check the connections then just keep moving along the wires checking everything along the way.

 

[Warthog]

You may have a short in the 3-lever. It may need to be replaced.

 

[gungearz]

Or you can try to take apart your 3 lever switch and clean the internals. People use dielectric grease on their contacts but I found that using dollar store petroleum jelly works the same

 

[78dodgeowner]

I appreciate the help fellas, but I know the battery is a good one, it was taken out of a running 880 (replaced the butchered up mess of a wiring harness on it lol) I might try that on the switch. I don't really want to buy a new one just yet, because I have no idea if the truck is even worthy of fixing. I bought it for use of the cab if it turned out to be junk.

 

[Warthog]

Not as many M880 users out there as the Deuce or CUCV. Hang around for awhile and one of the M880 gurus should be able to help.

P.S.

Welcome to the Loonie Bin. You will enjoy the ride.

 

[gungearz]

The cables maybe corroded or you can have a bad ground.

 

[Flyingvan911]

Try replacing the ballast resistor and distributor cap. Those both can cause the truck not to run and are fairly cheap. Maybe one of those went out and the switch is just a coincidence. That happened every now and then on my dad's '74 Dodge which is basically the same truck.

Oops. That's starting. You still have no power period.

 

[78dodgeowner]

Well, I could accept that under normal circumstances flyingvan. I am a big dodge guy in general and know most of their normal gremlins, but it was sitting and idling at one point. I can't imagine them just "going bad" all of a sudden. I also forgot to mention a funny thing I noticed when there was power in the cab. The oil pressure gauge move up to 40 lbs as soon as the key was turned on lol (kind of like its reversed with the fuel or something

 

[Flyingvan911]

I wonder if someone tried to repair the wiring at some point and screwed it up. Kind of like with the cucv's. Does the wiring look like it's still oem?

 

[78dodgeowner]

It still looks somewhat oem, aside from the BS going to the 3 lever switch and even that is done neatly. The guy I know at the VFD thinks its the funniest thing he has ever heard, because he told me it would happen haha. I know this isnt the classifieds section, but if anyone happens to have a good harness without all this extra crap I would be interested. In the mean time I will still keep trying to figure it out, but to me, the easiest thing would seem to be to take an hour tops and replace the harness , I just don't have one on hand.

 

[Bob H]

The 3 lever switch has nothing to do with the power under the hood. Even if it was shorted out.
The upper right lever should be in the service drive position for the lights to work.

Start at the battery and follow the power, it doesn't get any simpler than that.

Since your a "Dodge guy" you already know to check the ballast resister and the ECU ground.

 

[MWMULES]

The military light harness is a separate deal and you should be able to remove it from the standard Dodge harness without too much hassle if need be.

 

[78dodgeowner]

Well guys, I fixed it. I am ashamed to say it was an accident, and a stupid oversight on my part. I got a little frustrated and punched the cluster and lo and behold it started to crank. It turns out the amp gauge was loose. Being the dodge guy I am, I should have known this. Anyhow all is well now. One question though, what should it be at for normal driving? There was a post up above that said service drive was the place to be, but what about the bottom switch? By the way, I replaced the ballast, ecu and cleaned the engine ground and changed the terminals before one of the mopar gods smiled on me and said here moron.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Service drive is where you want to be, the lower right hand lever is a lock so you can't turn on the headlights w/o lifting it first. The lower left hand lever is for instrument lights and their brightness. If you're in service drive, you can also turn on your parking lights with this switch. This diagram may help.

 

[N1265]

TOP = SER. DRIVE

BOTTOM LEFT = PANEL BRT.

BOTTOM RIGHT = Should spring down Clockwise,
( But you may have to hold it up in the UNLOCK position to get the other two levers to move where you need them to be )

 

[78dodgeowner]

I really appreciate the help everyone. Everything is all set to where it needs to be and it cranks over again as it should. Now to get gas tomorrow to see if it will start and if it does see if it is worthy of a transmission or if its to be parted. Sure was fun making all the neighbors run out onto their porch flipping on the light bar in the dark.

 

[dtracy22]

By pass the factory amp gauge. I did and did the wiring changes per madelectrical website and eliminated most of the wiring problems I had with my truck. The other problems being bad grounds.