S10 Electrical system failure

[novek_77]

When driving across town on Sunday I noticed that the battery light had come on my 97 S10 2.2 RWD truck, a closer look showed the volt meter pushing down towards 12 from the 13+ it normaly reads. I drove it home and after looking at the time (20 mins till parts stores closed) I picked up a new alternator. After I installed the alternator and re-connected the battery, I was presented with...completly dead electrical system. No dome lights, no light under the hood, nothing. Checked the fuse box (should have done this before the alternator swap, but forgot) and found at 20amp fuse labeled engine 1 that was blown. I replaced the fuse, which did not re-blow, but there was no effect. I found a wire coming from the + side of the battery that said "fuseable link" on the wire. I don't know how to test to see if this is bad, or know if it could generate the symtoms I have described. For that matter is there another bank of fuses besides the one by the driver's door? I should note that a voltmeter read 12.5 volts on the battery with the electrical system dead.

[badhammer]

sounds like the igntion switch in the steering colum is going bad. when you had no dome lights and such did the lights in the inst. cluster come on or were they out also if they were out too I would look at the switch.