1991 3spd auto ""HELP!!!"

[fixkick]

Ok hello again
I gave up on the idea of a trans swap and found a whole new truck already factory AT.. ,, yay,,.
Bad news is its had a engine transplant from a manual truck,, so no bell crank and lots of missing vacuum lines and wires..
this aside it cranks and tries to start ,,,
until earlier today, while trouble shooting some of the issues the engine stopped cranking,,
the electrical puked and the dash lights all went out and it would not crank again.
1st check for 12vdc at the right fender fuse box , all points. there.
all 4 battery lugs clean and tight not just 2 top ends
top starter bolt must have battery neg lug there, and thigh.t

If I unhook the battery neg side and reconnected it ""seems"" to reset the issue but still no crank and when I try it seems to short as before and the dash light s and power go out.. hot battery and ":"good "" connections..

I am not sure if the issue is a starter short a relay (no such thing) short or a dead ecu..ecm..
the ECU on this car does not crank the engine, only the starter, battery and the PRNDL , switch and key.

so I now have the right truck "AT" and the right gear but more electrical issues,, (all this is simple fails)

I do know at some point in the past +- 4 years it was a running driving truck,, and it did crank till this afternoon then I got what seems to be a dead short (its not a short) that's killing the entire electrical system...so I guess im wondering if anyone has seen this issue,, bad ground maybe...
1000 of cars every day fact , no cranks,,, AAA tow shop is busy.

do you have a $10 volt meter? from even walmart,
read my no crank page.?
wiggle the shifter cranking
crank in Neutral yet?>
smack side of starter gently.?


first it must crank, to start, (on manual trans, you can gravity start it and push start it ,but never on an a/t , you are a slave to the mighty start motor)

http://www.fixkick.com/nocrank.html

Events and checks:
head lights dim or dead?
see the schematic above.

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lets fix them 1 at a time
head lights work? they must work even with your car keys in your pocket.
then key on,
all warning lamps glow, if the CEL lamp in cluster is dead, the ECU cant make spark , it lost all power.
if you get this far,, cranking might work.
no crank is next, if it fails to crank, the try NEUTRAL and not park (this uses fresh contacts in the PRNDL switch on side of tranny)


then key ON , and the whole dash lights up, this is self test mode on all cars made.
if this fails you lost power at the fender fuse box. Right top
and they do rust if you live in the salt belt, do you?
here is one. example.

i have a page just for POWER LOSS (elect)
http://www.fixkick.com/electrical-failure.html

see this?

if "test point A" goes dead, you loose head lamps too. and every thing... if head lamps fail fix that first. or dim,,,, its the most easy failure on car to diagnose.

use a voltmeter and make this super easy
battery at 12.6vdc rested. if not charge it. or replace it with one that is good or is fully charged.
then 12v on all points that fuse box, in 1996 there are 9fuses there, so gets worse later years, from salt exposure.

also the grounds can fail, or be fell off, or rusted, or burned up.

i have a page for bad grounds too.

http://www.fixkick.com/Good_Bad_Ugly/com...lures.html

G103 moved to illegal place?
or never tightened last starter swap? sure.