alderfall

Hello folks!

New to both these forums and Chevrolet pickups! I live on the Oregon coast, way out here in the boondocks. I have recently taken ownership of a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD (base model), four wheel drive pickup. It has the Vortec 6000 and an automatic transmission, I have had it for a few months and it has been a delight so far, with no drivetrain trouble of any kind. It has about 230,000 miles on it. I have really warmed up to this truck, and have appreciated my "upgrade" compared to my other pickup. We have had to put some money into it but it has been worth it.

Went out to go pick up something at the hardware store today and started the truck. The fuel gauge is either pegged or else stuck on empty (it changes at times when I turn the key off and on) and I have a red battery light in the message center. However, the voltmeter is showing good alternator function on the gauge there and everything else seems to be a-okay (lights, radio, courtesy lamps, A/C, etc. all work and the pickup starts and run no problem for at least 20 minutes of testing in the driveway). We just drove it Saturday with no issues whatsoever. I think we have put about 2,000 miles on it in 3ish months.

Is there a potential for a fuse that might influence both of these at once?

Does anybody have any input on what might be going on? Thank you for your thoughts and I look forward to getting to know all of you as the years go by,

Have a great day and take good care in your neck of the woods, and you can call me Rand, by the way.

Rand

oilcanhenry

Hello Rand,

You really need to have your battery checked out professionally, along with the alternator. The dash gauge is okay but not able to test your battery in all ways. How old is your battery? I'd run an 800 Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) minimum battery in cold weather. Recall that you have a 2001 so it's far from a new vehicle. At 230,000 miles, sounds like your motor and transmission are good to go, which is always nice.

As for your gasoline gauge, it could be in a stuck position, which is in the fuel tank or it MAY be the gauge itself. I have found over my many years, it's usually the fuel sender in 9 out of ten instances. I once bought a 70's Jeep CJ-5 brand new, and ran out of gas at 1/4 tank. Warranty covered it and it was the sender.

I am a loyal fan of General Motors vehicles and have worked on many of them over the many years and have found them to be better the F**ds and D**ge products, but my Jeep was also well made, much of it
from GM parts. The 258 cubic inch motor was reminiscent of my 1970 Chevy Nova 250 I-6 which was a ladder-framed nice vehicle.

I now own a 1998 Chevrolet K-1500 4X4 and its last minor service was the water pump seeping coolant. Everything else is original stock from the engine, transmission, clutch, driveshafts and both 3.73 ratio axles. Even the A/C Compressor is original equipment.

My 2015 2.5 liter non-turbo Malibu at 197 HP is a dream. 40MPG at 70 MPG. 50 MPG at 55 MPH. Chevrolet's rule the road, IMO!

-Oilcanhenry

alderfall

Thank you Oilcan! I appreciate hearing from you my friend.

Okay guys, I might've sent us down the wrong road here because I didn't pay close enough attention!

So, I went to the hardware store this morning anyhow and discovered something MORE. And, this is likely very important!

8/10th's of the instrument cluster is dead. Here is what I mean:

No fuel gauge, no temperature gauge, no shift selection indicator (digital), no odometer or trip odometer (digital), no means to control that lighting brightness. Battery light in the message center. Bulbs for seat belt and ABS at the top are functioning. NOW, what this says to me is this... The cluster needs power and is not getting it. OR, the cluster is electronically damaged somehow. I think the message center is showing the battery icon because it is not detecting power to the cluster. I am hoping there is a fuse for that, but I cannot seem to see a label for that on the fuse panel cover.

I also noticed that, and please forgive my failure to know the exact terminology for this, there is a small cigarette pack sized plastic box adjacent to the alternator that seems to have two heavy gauge copper wires with live DC and a bus bar in the back of it. I have no idea why this is here but I am certain it is important to the system, routes power to the starter, perhaps? There is a stud on the driver's side of the interior of that box. There is a small yellow wire with terminal lug that is on that stud and fastened down tight with the proper nut. That yellow wire is very brittle and almost seems broken off. I am HOPING that this wire is what supplies power to the cluster, but perhaps that is just a fantasy. Hahahaha...

Is there a fuse for the instrument cluster? Is that almost (or entirely) broken small gauge yellow wire in that small red "junction" type box related?

Is the cluster fried?

I think this will all help the cause and clear some things up, I hope I am right.

Thank you all for your help, and have a great rest of your morning...

Rand

mountainmanjoe

A photo would be great

alderfall

Absolutely, you are correct! I am not one of those smartphone folks, so it took a little doing for me, but here are a couple photos attached. I HAVE RESOLVED THIS ISSUE, and will post it below, a VERY INTERESTING SOLUTION! But, I would still like to know what you long time guys call this box since it seems to be a potential source of trouble (corrosion) and that yellow wire is odd to me, knowing what it does will be a relief to me. The alternator seems to feed this box as well.

Thank you for your "illumination" about this for the future!

See the photos below...

Rand

mountainmanjoe

it's just a junction box for dual battery systems. GM calls it the "underhood bussed electrical center (UBEC)"



The yellow wire isn't factory. Somebody added something. Where does the wire lead to?

alderfall

Hello folks!

I have solved this problem and it was an interesting one. Thank you to you all for your suggestions and "thinking" about it, even if you did not respond to the thread.

The issue WAS A FUSE. I did find it. The fuse was not blown but instead not seated properly initially.

The fuse is labeled in the fuse block as 10A CRUISE. I thought it was odd for it to be there in the first place since I do not have cruise control, but I left it alone. I had looked over the fuse block when I first got the pickup home, I wanted to be sure there were spares and the basic layout in case I need it in the future, and that is when I saw that fuse initially. Well, the long story is this, based upon a theory. I operate an annual global radio event commemorating wildland firefighters and all those who prevent wildfires in Western North America. Well, we had been out in the woods, backcountry, rough and tumble stuff. And that 10A fuse in the block and labeled as CRUISE (upper left quadrant of the fuse block) had somehow become not so well seated. I would imagine it was some rough roads, perhaps, but only because the fuse had not been properly inserted the last time it was done.

That fuse DOES control the power to the instrument cluster. Without the fuse inserted or blown, much of the cluster will not function properly, at least in these base models without cruise control.

Again, thanks for all you have thought about, contributed and wanted to help with.

I look forward to future chats and learning more about these pickups. Thanks again guys!

Rand

alderfall

Well, that is a great question! It goes into its own little loom, and is taped to the larger adjecent loom.

Now, for "the rest of the story", since I hooked you in... This was a Qwest Communications service truck, and was sold at auction in 2016 to a private party. The truck was then abused, largely. For example, this is the first vehicle I ever used a pressure washer to clean the inside of the cab with. No, not kidding. Maybe I'll attach some photos later in this thread, of what she looks like now. Anyhow, the last owners were fighting a power drain that exhausted the battery after it sat for a month or two. A couple repair shops couldn't find the problem. I got it home and discovered a TRIMBLE GPS tracker buried deep under the dash. When I got the pickup I was told to not let it sit as long as they did. I didn't think that would be a problem, then, as I was installing my amateur radio, I found that dirty old GPS tracker still in there, lights all aglow, beeping and booping down there. And, as a close friend of mind would say: "There's your problem." Hahahaha... ANYHOW, I am writing all of that to suggrst that maybe that is a power lead for that unit? Would that lug there be a good place to pickup maximum amperage non-fused 12VDC? Perhaps that is what it is?

As a fun aside, I also have a cute little red lighted pull **** in the cabin power bank that illuminates when pulled and does absolutely nothing that I can discern. I believe it might have been the amber beacon control ****, but that's just a guess. Hahaha... I might check it out some day.

I will take a few photos of my great 2500HD and post them here shortly.

Thanks for your time today!

Rand

alderfall

And by the way, thank you also for the information on UBEC, etc. I did fully expect it to have two batteries, but once I got it home I realized that it did not. It either never had it or it was deleted. A single battery only setup now.

alderfall

Here are some photos of our great pickup, I am really enjoying it - overall.

I'd imagine I can put them in my profile and I will do that, as well as my basic vehicle details. Enjoy guys.


Rand



Might only be a base model, but the A/C works and she helps me get good work done. She has been a blessing, really. Prayers were answered, without a doubt.

Yes, I really did pressure wash this interior. Yes, it really was THAT bad. I have never done that before.

We added the truck box from Lowes (Craftsman brand, purchased 05/2023. Yes, this does fit nicely without drilling.

After getting the pickup home, I learned that the truck box was terribly damaged and required a significant bed welding job to repair. After several days at the shop, the box is as strong as ever. We hope to get a Line-X liner sprayed in later this summer or early fall.

Here is that great lighted switch. Yes, it only illuminates when pulled. My theory is that it was originally installed for the vehicle amber strobe, which is no longer present.