[Guest]

Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

Last Saturday I went out to start my truck and when turning the key to start it would only give ONE click.
I checked the batteries and they are @ 12.4 volts which is great.
I figured the starter was shot or something to do with the selenoid so I pulled the starter yesterday and installed a new one today.
When I went to try it it did the same thing as before. Only clicks ONCE.

I checked the following voltages. Voltage at the batt, 12.4 Voltage at the starter from batt, 12.4 volts. Finally I attempted to start the truck with my auto starter and checked the voltage at the S terminal, only 0.5 volts. Shouldn't that be 12 volts as well???

Anyone ever have this happen before or know where to begin looking?

Since I have to go to work shortly I can't do any more tests but tomorrow I was thinking of putting the key in the ON position and then jump the starter to the S terminal and see what happends. Think that's a good idea???

Thanks for any ideas!!!!!!!!

 

[578]

Re: Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

either solenoid or bad ground

 

[512]

Re: Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

This may be lame, but have you checked to see if you are in park? Is there any play in the ignition switch?

I pulled my radio a while back and had to tilt the column down. I must have knocked it out of park, and it wouldn't start. I scratched my head a while till I realized it.

I also have had a bad battery cable with the sympotoms you describe.

DG

 

[2629]

Re: Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

I second the bad battery cable issue. Mine was just a bad connection at the battery. I tightened it down and the truck started up with no issues. THe battery gauge even went all the way up to 14v instead of the 12.5v it read previously.

Good luck

 

[Guest]

Re: Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

yeah, i'd say some sort of bad connections or a bad solenoid, if that wasnt replaced with the starter. These problems are a lot worse in the cold. I just replaced all the parts in my distributor, turned out to be a corroded connection to the dist... I had tested that connection before and it showed voltage. Oh well, the sucky part, all electrical parts are non returnable

-Greg

 

[Guest]

Re: Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

Well the starter came with the selenoid.

I just tried jumping the starter and all I got was a little spark.

Tonight is my last shift for the week so Tomorrow I'm going to try unhooking the batt cables and cleaning them as you mentioned.,

Thanks, any more ideas please post!!! I hate not having my truck.

 

[2629]

Re: Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

A little spark probably means a bad connection at the battery. Good luck tomorrow.

 

[Guest]

Re: Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

Well today I removed all 4 battery cables and cleaned everything up. Reinstalled them and tried to start it up. Started right up.

Obviously was a bad connection but the funny thing is why would I still get 12 volts at the starter if the connection was bad???

I just feel dumb now because I didn't check with the basics first. But when the gauge/ voltmeter said all is good for voltage I figured I was good to go. I'm wondering if my dual batteries had something to do with telling me I had full voltage but then when it went to crank the connection couldn't pass the amps though.

Well thank you very much everyone!!!!!!!

 

[2629]

Re: Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

You have a battery isolator between the batteries right? That's probably why the second battery didn't come into play. It really depends on your dual batt setup though. Glad to hear it was a simple fix.

 

[578]

Re: Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

stock dual battery set-up only uses the primary battery (pass side) unless the engine is running . and yes thats what happened with the guage. 12 volts and 20amps is a lot different than 12 volts and 700 cranking amps. thats where those bad conenctions come into play. glad to hear you;ve got it all straightened out though

 

[Guest]

Re: Truck won\'t start. Help please!!!

Just saw your post.
Had a similar problem when the temperature went below zero. Unfortunately I didn't feel like working on the truck then, so I waited until the temps rose to a balmy 20 degrees. Typically as the temp goes down the mechanical / chemical resistance builds up. Thus as the previous post stated, you were probably getting less than the required amount of current to turn over the motor. Actually at the point of the bad connection (high resistance), you might have felt the connection warming up as you tried to start the motor.