[Fla crkr 1 ton]

I was pulling into my yard when i noticed smoke and the smell of burning electrical i realized it was my truck coming from under the hood,got her parked turned off the key [engine kept running-idleing] opened the hood and the main fuse box had smoke coming from it ran in the garage to get tools and faceshield,gloves to disconnect batterys by the time i got back out the engine had shut off. I disconnected the batterys and started looking for the cause i found a small ground wire that was not hooked to anything had fell onto one of the posts for the intake heat things [they are two small coil looking things below the drivers battery with wires going to the tops [2 ea] and two smaller ones on the sides. I removed the burnt up ground wire and started assesing the damage kinda hard to see so i checked all the breakers/fuses that were to do with engine stuff [all good] and hooked up the batterys temporary everything works as should lights ect. so i tightened down the terminals and went for a start she fired up and died tried again same thing during the second start there was no wait to start light i aborted and turned key back to off and tried again and no light so i did not try to start it again. I'm a gasoline hotrod guy i have had diesels for many years and my learning has been when a problem arises i ask questions and follow the answers. I have a manual and i'm thinking that the dead short took out a component in the air intake heat relays or the fuel solenoid, fuel relay or a combanation but before i start throwing money [i don't have] in parts i'm asking for some advice.

 

[Rustin]

I was pulling into my yard when i noticed smoke and the smell of burning electrical i realized it was my truck coming from under the hood,got her parked turned off the key [engine kept running-idleing] opened the hood and the main fuse box had smoke coming from it ran in the garage to get tools and faceshield,gloves to disconnect batterys by the time i got back out the engine had shut off. I disconnected the batterys and started looking for the cause i found a small ground wire that was not hooked to anything had fell onto one of the posts for the intake heat things [they are two small coil looking things below the drivers battery with wires going to the tops [2 ea] and two smaller ones on the sides. I removed the burnt up ground wire and started assesing the damage kinda hard to see so i checked all the breakers/fuses that were to do with engine stuff [all good] and hooked up the batterys temporary everything works as should lights ect. so i tightened down the terminals and went for a start she fired up and died tried again same thing during the second start there was no wait to start light i aborted and turned key back to off and tried again and no light so i did not try to start it again. I'm a gasoline hotrod guy i have had diesels for many years and my learning has been when a problem arises i ask questions and follow the answers. I have a manual and i'm thinking that the dead short took out a component in the air intake heat relays or the fuel solenoid, fuel relay or a combanation but before i start throwing money [i don't have] in parts i'm asking for some advice.

How come you didn't shut the truck down when you noticed the smoke? That should have been the first thing. Now that you disconnected the batteries you have just deleted any trouble codes from the history.

OK. No harm done, At least your in a position to do some back tracking from the fuse box. Inspect everything coming into and out of the fuse box. Check your fuel pump and see if you're getting any juice from the battery. If no electricity going to it, back track from there. If you do have electricity. You may have a fuel pump issue.

Once you get everything figured out , inspected and repaired or replaced. Drive it for about 2,000 miles or more and scan for codes. It takes about that much travel time to reestablish the ECM.

 

[Fla crkr 1 ton]

I was in my yard when i realized that it was me smoking and immedatly turned off the key but the engine did not turn off so i had to get tools to disconnect batterys figuring that would shut it down but it quit before i got back. Beleve me the first thing i did was turn off the key but i suppose the short disabled the ignition. Then all i could think of was cutting all power before a fire started or batterys explode. I'm thinking there some fried wireing inside the fuse box or some where i'm gonna dig into it this weekend then i'll decide what to replace.

 

[Rustin]

I was in my yard when i realized that it was me smoking and immedatly turned off the key but the engine did not turn off so i had to get tools to disconnect batterys figuring that would shut it down but it quit before i got back. Beleve me the first thing i did was turn off the key but i suppose the short disabled the ignition. Then all i could think of was cutting all power before a fire started or batterys explode. I'm thinking there some fried wireing inside the fuse box or some where i'm gonna dig into it this weekend then i'll decide what to replace.

Jeeze! I bet that freaked you out! I know it would have done the same to me! At least you were safe and nothing did go seriously wrong. Once you replace the burnt stuff. I would seriously look at the ignition switch in the steering column. This one is not something to be easily diagnose on a forum.

 

[Fla crkr 1 ton]

Here's where we are at i dissembled the harness and engine bay fuse box the wires are roasted in two places there were bunches melted i seperated them and i'm quite overwhelmed with the amount of damaged wires,i'm sure with time i'll be able to repair the truck, i'm concerend that there may have damage to the ecm,relays ect, but i called my insurance company and an adjuster is supposed to come take a look. Either way it goes i'll be ok with it [total loss or fix].

 

[Rustin]

My goodness! You have good insurance.

 

[Fla crkr 1 ton]

I won't say that yet i'm waiting for the adjuster to come and the suspence [i want to go out there and start replacing wires but i can't] is killing me [i'm not gonna be suprised if i get screwed] but i'm being optimistic. I don't want to loose my truck but if that happens i'll deal with it,i have picked a few replacements for it but i would rather have MY truck fixed unfortunatly thats not my call. All i can do for now is wait.

 

[Rustin]

I won't say that yet i'm waiting for the adjuster to come and the suspence [i want to go out there and start replacing wires but i can't] is killing me [i'm not gonna be suprised if i get screwed] but i'm being optimistic. I don't want to loose my truck but if that happens i'll deal with it,i have picked a few replacements for it but i would rather have MY truck fixed unfortunatly thats not my call. All i can do for now is wait.

I have seen this done, if the insurance is a good company. The adjusters are usually non mechanical idiots or non mechanical female. They will take pictures. All you have to do is show them everything. If they decide not to fix it but say its totaled. They will cut you a check for fair market value of the truck. You then buy the truck back from the insurance Usually at 1/2 to 1/3 the value of the check they cut you. Repair the damage with what's left and put it back on the insurance. The insurance will not like it, but they can't stop you. You will then have a fixed truck. Or keep it as a parts truck and go buy another with what you have.