One of my son's friends came up from his base in NC to visit over the weekend. He just called me with a question regarding his truck. He drove from Richmond VA to Jacksonville NC, (about 230 miles), with no issues. The truck is a 2002 S-10 4 cylinder with a manual trans and 80,000 miles. He stops at a friend's for about 30 minutes, and the truck would start but instrument lights are flashing, radio is on and off, AC doing the same. He tried to move it, and it died. I suggested he try hooking up jumper cables and see if the problem continued, which it did. He called just a moment ago and said it was doing nothing now, won't turn over, no lights etc. The alternator has never been replaced, and the battery is 6 months old. He's just home from his 3rd deployment, and I'd do anything I could for him. I just wish the thing had broken while he was here. Thanks.

Loose or corroded batt cables?

I dunno squat about this particular vehicle, but there shouldnt be anything seriously wrong at 80k.

I would check all the power connections (battery, cables etc) looking for corrosion or bad connections. After that start checking grounds, especially the negative battery cable to the engine block, and any other smaller ones they can readily see. Losing the main ground sometimes acts like you describe.

They may have killed the battery, so it would be good to have a second one on hand just in case. maybe even go ahead and replace it, to eliminate that as a part of the problem.

bock

I've had some goofy problems when I had a bad ground. He mentioned that a mechanic recently told him that his cables were loose, and that had tighened them.

If the truck has a tilt column, have him pop the cover on the bottom of the steering wheel and check the pink wire ( its for the ignition). I ran into a similar problem on an Olds Bravada and have heard of it happening to other s-10 variants. Basically where the pink wire attaches there it becomes loose from the tilt steering wheel.
Best of luck.
Mark

Make sure the Positive battery cable is tight and clean. I think these trucks use a double positive cable connection on the battery, they get a bit loose and you will only have partial power in the truck.

John

Did you/he ever get it fixed ?

I woulda guessed alternator fried and took battery with it
Had a pontiac 600ste that it happened too.
Night mare....went through 6 alternators with that car in a 3 years
Parts shop kept saying it was faulty electrodes in the alternators

It was corrosion in the positive cable. He got it fixed and traded it on a Tahoe. Thanks for the input.

Wow let the battery get nasty, & a little trouble. Then go get a new rig. after what he's been through good for him!
Tell him Thanks for his service.

I'll pass it on. He's in the Marines and a graduate of the Citadel in Charleston, SC. At one time his sister was in Kuwait, his brother was in Afghanistan and he and his wife were in Iraq. Had I been in his parents place, I would have been in an asylum. Tough kid, and to say I'm proud to know him is an understatement.

nice ride choice.
glad he got it fixed as well..
get more money trade in driving it in vs being towed
LoL
Also congrats and thanks to him for being in the Service !