Hi all, I need help with my 1995 5.8L that suddenly drained the battery overnight, and wouldn't charge back up. I don't have a good wiring diagram for this truck. but I removed the battery cables and the battery charged fine. I replaced the cables and found that one of the cables at the starter solenoid is causing the drain (shorted to ground). On my truck, it's not the thickest wire, but on the same terminal, and it looks like two tan wires (for about 2 inches) that then are combined to one thick gauge wire (10g?) that then goes around the front of the engine. Is this the same yellowish wire that goes into the engine fusebox on the other side of the engine?

I suspect the two-wires-to-one wire is some hack by the previous owner, but this wire is now grounded (shorted to ground).

I did replace the alternator a few weeks ago. We were on a long (dusty!) trip when the alternator gauge dropped and I was lucky to find a NAPA that had the alternator in stock. The engine fired up with the new alternator and the voltage was normal (13.8V at battery). Truck ran fine for the next few weeks so any advice is appreciated!!

Pete

 

Fair enough. The noob gets to do some research. So here's the update:
I traced the short up to the engine fusebox, and started pulling fuses. When I pulled the 50A fuse in position 21, the resistance on my continuity meter started to slowly creep up, finally ending at infinite resistance (must be a cap in this circuit somewhere). Fuse #21 protects circuits 4, 8, 12 (cb), and 16 inside the cab. So I start pulling and find it's circuit 8:
"Courtesy, Dome, Cargo Lamps: Electric Outside Mirrors, Radio/Clock Memory, Speedometer; Warning Buzzer/Chime Module; (Overhead Console); Sun Visor Mirror Illumination": not sure besides the radio where a capacitor might be hiding in those circuits.
So the good news is, I can drive the truck! Just no speedometer and a few other non-essential things. Heck I could maybe even put the fuse back in while driving, just have to remember to pull it when I stop.
The bad news is now I have to trouble shoot those circuits. Can I get a cab wiring diagram for this 95 XLT?

 

The truck made it to work this morning, barely. The speedometer wasn't working of course. The transmission now seems to be acting up. It shifts really really hard, and the E4OD overdrive light on the shifter handle is blinking. Tranny was rebuilt only about 1000 miles ago and hasn't given me any problems. I didn't have time to check codes but I will tonight.

Would driving with this (#8) fuse removed cause this problem, or did I hit something while checking connections in the engine compartment? There's a short in the #8 circuit, resolved by removing the fuse. Why would the tranny be acting up?