really strange

[cubstiva1]

I finished working on my wifes tiva a week or so ago, and its been doing fine. i have been driving it to work , just to check it out.
its and automatic, efi, 92. yesterday she drove it to church and then walked home (good thing we live so close). when i went to check it out the car would do nothing when i turned the key, not even click, so i jumped it off our trailblazer, and still nothing. i went back late last night in the cubstiva to try it again. i had the cables hooked up and still nothing, then i turned on the headlights (which worked) and everything else in side the car come on. dash lights wipers radio, and the air, but only when the head lights where on, then it would fire up and and run fine. the started did made a slight "grinding" noise at the end of its cranking.
not sure if this is a wiring problem, and i haven't had much chance to look it over, but thought you guys might point me in the right direction

derick

[Bathtub Tom]

Sounds like it could be an earthing fault to me.
When you switch other stuff on, a return earth path is set up through them. It'd be carrying a hell of a current though to operate the starter!

[GenevaDirt]

it is the fusible link on the front fender behind the battery, they are 3 wires in a little box. It will be the middle one. Look for corrosion at the connections.

[collegeboi]

dang geneva u are scary

[FB71]

Geneva beat me to it...

[cubstiva1]

ok will do, thanks.

(edit)

yepper checked it out and the little wire was fried, will replace soon with one from my parts-tiva.

derick

[jglutz]

How about the park/nuetral switch....Run the shifter top to bottom.

[agart5]

I have had the same problems with the fusible link in my 93. Mine had an inline Bus Fuse put in to replace the fusible link. How many amp fuse should I have for this. When I start the vehicle, it blows a 30 amp fuse within a few seconds. Any ideas? Thank you for any help.

[GenevaDirt]

There is a bigger issue then just the fuse if it is blowing like that....

[agart5]

That's what I thought. I would assume it has a short somewhere on it. The old battery had leaked some acid, actually melted the old fuse link, so I'm going to check all the wiring in that area. Thanks for the help.

-Adam

[FB71]

you can't use an AGC glass fuse in place of a fuse link. 30A fuse links have a surge load of over 100A, while a 30A glass fuse has a surge load of only about 45A. On key-on, the electrical system can draws well over 50A for a second or two, overheating the fuse filament. That will cause rapid failure of the fuse under normal current draw.