Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

[Don S]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Let me ask this, you are using a test light. That is fine IF. Is this a 12V test light similar to this one?

If so, do you have the clip on a good ground?

I will stick with this thread tonight as long as you want to, just let me know when you are done.

 

[dmoss8928]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Yea my light looks a lot like that and I useing the ground on the fuse panel. The only thing I can think of is that I check the purple wire before it got to the butt connector, so it maybe a bad splice? But I'm on call for work and going to have to call it a night... thanks so much for the help. I will get back on this tomorow or sometime this weekend, so I'm sure ill be back on here with more questions. If you think of anything else let me know

Thanks again for all you do!!

David

 

[Ragnarokii]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Ok, it's probably obvious, but make sure that the "kill switch" on the throttle is turned on. I went through the full troubleshooting listed above only to find out that I had accidentally tripped it. Big waste of time. Also make sure the shift interupt is good (there is a switch in your shift handle that prevents you from starting the engine with the drive in gear).

Rather than strip the insulation, you can stick a sewing needle through the insulation (use vise grips) and check power there. It's less invasive.

 

[achris]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Yea my light looks a lot like that and I using the ground on the fuse panel. The only thing I can think of is that I check the purple wire before it got to the butt connector, so it maybe a bad splice? ...

Use one of the instrument grounds... Depending on how the wiring is, the grounds may be separate...

Chris.......

 

[nola mike]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Its neither the shift interrupt nor the neutral safety switch. can't speak to the kill switch, I don't have one.

 

[Failproof]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Ok, you have power coming out of the run position. How about the "start position"? And one note, find where the gauges are grounded, and use that ground. It will help rule out bad grounds. I think we have a connection issue here. Make positive all your battery connections are CLEAN AND FAIRLY BUT NOT OVERLY TIGHT! I think we are looking at a voltage flow without amperage flow issue.

 

[Fromtoronto]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Not sure If I can help but I was stranded on lake due to no power at key. I ran boat for 30 minutes, while idling it shut down and no power to key but everywhere else as you described, I tore the wiring apart to find the issue on water and was towed back. Now I have a 3.0 liter 2009 Q4, but marine mechanic found a small inline 15amp fuse by accident near engine on a red wire. This was the auto type fuses but a mini one, hard to locate, he found it behind engine at stern, near where ski ring is but inside engine compartment. Hard to decribe but was not the type show in picture in this thread which is the glass tube type, this was the U shaped one, he replaced the 15 amp with a 20 amp.

There is a hidden fuse in there, just keep looking!

Ok, you have power coming out of the run position. How about the "start position"? And one note, find where the gauges are grounded, and use that ground. It will help rule out bad grounds. I think we have a connection issue here. Make positive all your battery connections are CLEAN AND FAIRLY BUT NOT OVERLY TIGHT! I think we are looking at a voltage flow without amperage flow issue.

 

[Don S]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

There is a hidden fuse in there, just keep looking!

If he had a blown fuse in the red/purple wire, he wouldn't have power to the ignition switch (which he does). The red/purple wire ends at the ignition switch.

 

[dmoss8928]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

If he had a blown fuse in the red/purple wire, he wouldn't have power to the ignition switch (which he does). The red/purple wire ends at the ignition switch.

I don't know why I didn't check the purple wire on the other side of the butt connectors but I will look for power there tonight. Any thing else you can think on Don?

 

[Don S]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Check on both purple wires at the end shown by the arrows in the picture below.
The lower one looks like the wire is pulled out of the connector, and may be why you have no instruments.

 

[dmoss8928]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Check on both purple wires at the end shown by the arrows in the picture below.
The lower one looks like the wire is pulled out of the connector, and may be why you have no instruments.

View attachment 151160

I will try this once I get home...

 

[dmoss8928]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Check on both purple wires at the end shown by the arrows in the picture below.
The lower one looks like the wire is pulled out of the connector, and may be why you have no instruments.

View attachment 151160

Don...

I just checked for power after the butt connontors and I have power there..... and I made sure the connector was plugged in good and it was. Do you have anything I can check?

 

[Don S]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Have you checked your kill switch as mentioned earlier? Without knowing how you wiring is set up, it's really tough to troubleshoot 2500 miles away. If I was there, it wouldn't take but 15 to 30 minutes with a meter or test light to find the problem without a meter, just because I could look and see what went where.

Turn the key to the run position and find a purple wire (not striped, just solid purple) on the engine and see if you have voltage. If not, it has to be a connection or kill switch between the engine and ignition switch.

 

[dmoss8928]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

I got power goin to the kill switch.... I grounded the test light and touch the red / yellow coming out of the ing. Switch without the key in it and the boat started... What's that mean??

 

[Don S]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

I grounded the test light and touch the red / yellow coming out of the ing. Switch without the key in it and the boat started... What's that mean??

At this point, I don't have a clue.

 

[Failproof]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Yikes. It should not do that. Ground issues is all i can think. Double check the battery conections. Take them off, clean them and reconnect. This is going to be something simple.

 

[Don S]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Between this thread and this one http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=553627 you have something hooked up wrong.
Take some pictures of your starter solenoid and the engine, you have something hooked up wrong. (maybe wrong kind of test light).

Cue "Twilight Zone" music.

 

[Failproof]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Dmoss. Just got off phone with an old friend. He had the same boat as you. He said there should be a BLACK fuse box box, transom area, near the ps cooler. Said it does not look like a fuse box. It is very well camoflauged. 5 amp engine control fuse inside of it. Said he had to carry a box of fuses with him, because it would carbon arc (not fully blow) and then gauges and engine would act funny. Try looking again maybe for the elusive fuse? He also said bass pro (dealer?) took him for 3 hours of diag. Time for something that they later slipped and said was somewhat common.

 

[dmoss8928]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

Failproff...
thanks for thinking about me I looked up the power steering cooler (# 14 in pic) but how old is it to find the cooler? i recall trying to locate it the other day and really couldn't till it from the other hoses... and did ur friend ever see the hidden fuse cuz I can't find it in the diagrams on mercuery's wed site... The reason I ask all this is I have spent a lot of time looking for any kind of hidden fuses back there haha

 

[Failproof]

Re: Hidden Fuse on 4.3 Tahoe Q4.. Please Help

He said he would have to replace the fuse al least once a season. From what i understood it is in the wiring loom, running inline with the wiring. Not mounted on anything.