Grid Heater Problems in June

[cmann250]

Starting several weeks ago my WTS light started flashing for no apparent reason as I was going down the road. It would randomly start and the next time I started the truck, it wasn't on initally. It's gotten to where it's flashing before I get out of the driveway now. I know that flashing indicates an open circuit. My basic check-over found nothing disconnected. This morning I disconnected the cables at the grid heater and I got no flashing light on the way to the farm. I came home for lunch and it was flashing like before. My question is this: Is there anything besides an open circuit that can cause that light to flash?

The FSM isn't much help because the tests need an analog mulitmeter and I don't think those have been made since Ben Franklin's life time It says that the needle movement can determine if the heaters are good, bad, or dirty by checking resistance, but I don't have a needle on my multimeter to watch.

Thanks guys

[Hansen01]

Mine used to do that, i just wiggled a mess of wires by th grid heater. It didnt help.. And then one day it just stopped blinking And It still fuctions properly

[bmoeller]

You can still get cheap analog meters.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-analog-m ... 482362000P

[cmann250]

I had a new development this morning. I turned on the key, got a WTS light, and heard the solenoids click/whine. I turned off the key, turned it back on, no light or click, and started the truck. I think it's got to be wiring somewhere

[PToombs]

A wiring problem on a 1st gen? No way!

[Hansen01]

I bet its in that mess of wires by the grid heater, thats where mine was i think

[PToombs]

Right between the bumpers!

[cmann250]

Yea I disconnected the two cables going the the grid heaters, so the grid heaters aren't actually on. Who knows.

Mark Nixon mentioned that I could fry something running around with no battery like I did a while ago. I could have fried something while I was boiling a battery with at least 19V too. I have no idea what though

[cmann250]

I did a little digging in the engine bay and I may have found the issue. In fairly recent history, I deleted the fuel heater and got an FS1221 fuel filter, doing away with that high quality, leak proof plastic valve on the bottom of the stock filter. The fuel heater had a ground on the intake plate and the thermistor had it's ground soldered to the ground for the WIF sensor. That mess dissappeared into the harness and I didn't chase it. Oh yea and remember how I unhooked the 6 ga. cables for the toasters? One arced on the #6 injector line and fried the fuse link the second time it did that. Can't beat sparks, electrocution, and blue smoke

The fix: I took a jumper from that ground the fuel heater used and attached the other end to the soldering mess. I still didn't hook up the toasters because I haven't gotten around to replacing the smoked fuse link. I took a 137 mile round trip today with no sign of a WTS light. I started and shut if off half a dozen times or more, so it wasn't luck. I'm thrilled

[Hansen01]

My water in fuel light has been unplugged for years, i think i know what soldered wires your talkin bout just never traced the wires back, maybe il have to check that if mine ever come on again