Howdy, new to the forums here!

Anyway, I have a 90 Ram 150, 2wd, 318, auto. Stopped at a friends house over the weekend, went to leave and the truck would not start.

When I turn the key to the 'on' position, the left blinker light on the dash lights up (the blinker does not come on and the switch is not on). When I try and start the truck, I can here the starter relay click and the headlights and parking lights try and come on!!!! I popped the hood and when I turn the key to the on position, I can hear a electronic 'screech' coming from the ECM. I tried to roll up my windows (power) and the dome light went dim and they would not roll up. When the key is in the off position, lights will all come on fine and the power locks work. I have a new battery and I also tried another just in case. I think it maybe a short, but where do I start looking?

Thanks in advance!!

 

Wow, that's messed up. I'd start by following the wires from the battery, look for anywhere they could rub on a metal edge. Check the firewall harness plugs for cracks or melting. Also check the fusebox for anything melting there. Other place to look would be toward the back of the air cleaner, coil wires, anything that would be hot when ignition is on. I dunno, if it ran fine before you parked it, sounds like maybe something fell and melted on the exhaust or maybe somebody got in there and started chewing on stuff. Screeching from the ECM isn't good though.

 

Sounds like your battery is nearly dead, but since you said you tried another battery I would check the connections. Make sure the cables are tight and clean on the battery posts and make sure you have a good connection on the other ends, at ground and at the starter solenoid. Don't just wiggle them to see if they're loose, but take them off and clean them up good with sandpaper. Good luck.

 

fuseabl;e link going? My first thought was the battery too, but he said he tried another. Make sure there's a good ground from the block to the chassis and from the battery to both. I'm a big fan of redundancy when it won't hurt anything.

 

I went and pulled an entire body harness at the junk yard today. I am going to try that along with new cables for the battery. Did notice today the the lights do not come on normal, even with the key off. The driver side lights up fine but, the passenger side headlight is really dim and the side marker and blinker do not light at all. The dome pretty much goes out, it is barely lit. Don't know what that means other than there is one serious short somewhere!!!!!

 

try the ground to body like was mentioned before i had an 87 model do the same it was the ground from the back of the pass exhaust manifold to the body.

 

Alternator maybe? I say that cause my moms car did something like that the other day and thats what it was, but hers went kinda crazy, like stuff coming off and on without her messing with anything. I thought it was possesed.