I think my truck got hit by lightning last nite?

Wow, they don't take the possiblity for lightning strikes into consideration?

 

In the early 90's a bolt of lightning struck about 10 yards from my PLT SGT (in the Army) and it stopped his heart. Me and the medic workd on kickstarting him for 20 mins until he was going again and on the way to the hospital. That static electricity is some serious stuff. He was standing next to 2 younger guys and all 3 of them were kocked out, but he was the only one who needed a jump start.

 

Yes, I have seen and actually worked on a truck that was struck by lightning! The bolt actually heated the windshield frame and distorted it so fast it blew out the glass. His electronic problems are just simple fuse replacement. Call you insurance company and tell them what happened. They might pay for repairs.

 

It's weird but sometimes it's better for the truck to ctually get struck (computerwise) then for the lightning to hit close by.

 

It was a 97 Int'l 9300 with DD S-60. The engine was the only computer in it. I don't remember if it even had ABS. They had to reshape the top middle driver's side windshield groove and replace the center post between the two halves of the windshield. Yes, he was lucky!

 

Well, they had the entire dashboard torn apart when I peeked in my truck today. (Holy Cow, what a mess!)
Still have not diagnosed the problem! I guess they took out my ECM and sent it to the Cummins dealer to look at it.Why cant they just plug in a new ECM and if the problems go away, it's fixed? I guess that would be too easy but I'm just a dumb trucker!
So I get to spend more time and lose more money to spend the nite in this crappy motel!
I'll update this when I know more.

 

You should have an announcer follow you around and exaggerate how much you're losing by the minute. By the end of 3 days you will have lost 15,000.00

 

I got hit last year in Ks while going down the road. It hit the right c.b.ant and shorten it about a foot. The onlt thing the truck would do was start and idle.

Here is what it took out
ECM
ABS computer (truck)
ABS computer (trailor)
All sending units on the engine (cat)
The Peterbilt computer
Speedo & Tack along with 6 other gauges
All lights
5 rocker switches
XM radio
What it didnt take out
Me and the CB radio.

All total $11700.00 and Ins payed for it all.

 

Sure you can, just before you go to bed. Get out of your truck and drive 1" x 10'L copper ground rods into the ground. Then attach welding cable from the frame of your truck to each ground rod. You should probably drive three or four of these at different locations on your truck. It may or may not work, but its the closest thing to a solution anybody's going to come up with to deal with several hundred million volts of power all hitting with in a few micro seconds.

 

That sounds like an idea! not very portable though. maybe someone could invent a better, easier way, Boom, instant millionaire! The guy that came up with the piece of astro-turf that you cabltie to your steps to clean off your boots was a trucker!