My truck sat in mexico for Hurricane Paul and apparently water got in the passenger side A-pillar. I left my truck at the airport in Loreto and returned to it a few weeks later but the batteries and the starter were dead. limped home (1800 miles ) with only one undersized battery and a starter rescued from a mexican junk yard.

So now I am home and I replaced the starter ( again ) and installed 2 new batteries. I turned the key to test my fix and nothing. tried again and held the key in the start position for about 15 seconds. no turning over, no cranking, no nothing. tried it again and after about a 10 second delay it turned over and started. turned it off, tried it again. same thing only the delay was about 5 seconds. this is the same type of behavior that happened with the junkyard starter and that one eventually burned up. my truck has killed 2 starters.

so I drove around the block then parked it and turned it off. tried to start it again. engines starts but the starter keeps engaging and spinning. turned it off, pulled the key and the new starter was still trying to crank over the motor. I quickly jumped out and pulled the battery cables.

I appreciate any and all help but there in no moisture in the fuse panel under the steering column or in the distribution box under the hood. I can't drive the truck. heck I can't even hook up the batteries. Something needs drying out but I am not sure where. What is behind the glove compartment? I pulled off the kick panel on the passenger side and there wasn't anything unusual. I am at a loss of what to do.

 

I would start by replacing all of your battery cables. If you got any water intrusion into the cables, you will have corrosion inside the sheath, which will produce the symptoms you describe.