Sons truck. The battery won't hold a charge.He has a new battery, alternator, ignition switch,starter,plugs,wires,distributer cap etc.I believe it is electonic ignition. Computer on air cleaner. He was putting the fuse panel back under dash and he had a spark and a pop? Point is it starts only by running a wire from battery to coil. Will not start without it. It will turnover but won't start. Appreciate any help. Thanx Zach and Paul

Good chance he zapped the computer. If you dont have to pass emissions it would be a good time to convert to HEI. This will give you better milage and more reliablity.
If you have to keep the computer I have a couple of them I could part with.
Frank

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73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

Are there any other electrical accessories that don't work? Specifically, does the heater fan work?

There is a possibility that one of the fusible links coming off the battery has failed (actually, has done its job) and is no longer completing the circuit of the starting system. I had to repair precisely this problem last year on my brother's van.

Once you get this problem sorted, it is a very good idea to switch form the computer controlled ignition and carb to non-computerized ignition and carb.

Here are the 84 Dodge van wiring diagrams- an 84 Dodge truck should be virtually identical:












However, none of this will solve the problem with the battery not holding a charge. Batteries not holding charges are due either to (a) a short somewhere and/or (b) a fault in the battery.

To help find the short, pull the (-) battery cable. Connect a test light between the (-) terminal on the battery and the terminal on the (-) battery cable. If you have a short, the test light should light. Leave the test light hooked up and begin pulling fuses one by note. Note after which fuse is pull the light goes out. When the light goes out, the fuse you just pulled powers the circuit with the short. Use the wiring diagram above to trace where the short might be on that circuit.

If you pull all of the fuses and the test light never goes out, check for correct installation of aftermarket accessories such as amplifiers, stereos, lights, etc.... You also should check for frayed wires or melted insulation in the wiring harness. Good luck.

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