This is a huge headache because I can't figure out what it can be!

Saturday my truck wouldn't start, I would turn it over and it sounded like a howling or a faint siren. Checked all the wires and battery terminals and everything looked fine. Put some jumper cables on in case the battery was low and the same thing. Got the battery checked and it was fine. I bought a new solenoid thinking it might be that and nothing, doing the same thing. Pulled the starter, had it tested and it was bad. Bought a new one, put it in, and now it's just clicking like it's a low battery. Put the jumper cables on for about 20 mins and still nothing! Just the clicking sound. I've checked to make sure everything is grounded properly and it is.

Any idea what it can be? This is driving me absolutely nuts!

Thanks in advance.

 

Forgot to add, it's a flat six 226 c.I. 12 volt .

 

If the engine was turning over when you pressed the starter switch, what made you think it was starter or solenoid? It sounded like those are working if the engine is turning over, but not starting.

In that situation, I'd check if you are getting spark at the plugs. If not, trace back through distributor, points and coil.

If you're getting spark, but still not firing, then look at fuel/carburetor. Basic questions like...is there fuel in the tank? If so, then check to see if the fuel filter is clogged (e.g. is the gas flowing to the carb).

Hope that helps.

 

My first thought when I saw that you had a bad starter is that it's a 6 volt starter that you fried on 12 volts trying to get it to start.

A 6 volt starter works to start under normal conditions with 12 volts applied, but it should be for brief periods of time.

This doesn't solve the problem after you replaced the starter, but the problem did change with the new starter. And the clicking does sound like a low battery, bad grounds or a stuck starter. Did you actually see the new starter work before you installed it?

 

Thank u guys for your replies.

I installed the new starter then it was making the clicking sound like if it was low on battery. Put the jumper cables on the battery and let it charge for a few minutes and was getting the same result. I took off the starter again and took it to get tested and they said it was good. Installed it again and it was the same thing.

I figure it should be something simple but what it is, I don't know.

Any ideas are greatly appreciate it.

 

Does your new starter look like this?

 

Next things I'd check...measure the voltage at the battery and at the cable connection at the solenoid. For a 12 V battery, it should be something like 13.8 v.

You've probably already done this, but double check all the cable connections from the battery through to the starter.

Maybe you've now got a bad (new) solenoid, perhaps swap back to the original solenoid and see if that helps.

 

Yeah my starter looks exactly like that but with a black case.

I've Checked, double checked, 20 times checked, etc. Tested the new solenoid and it's good.

I'm thinking the jumper cables are really old and crappy, and might have not been effective. My buddy's on the way with his. Hopefully that remedies the situation.

 

Was the problem a cranking over normal with the noise you described or slow crank or no crank? Your engine may be dragging, try turning it over at the crankshaft front bolt to rule out mechanical binding.

 

Yes, it sounds like low voltage. That's a good bet.

Let us know.

 

It was not cranking.

I'll try that now. Fingers crossed.

 

You said you hooked up jumper cables to the battery. Are they connected to a battery charger plugged into the wall or to another battery?
Just hooking a second battery with a set of jumper cables won't charge the first battery, especially if you ran the second one down trying to start it the first time. If the second battery is in a vehicle and that vehicle is running at a high enough RPM for enough time, it may eventually charge the first battery but not if the vehicle is running at idle or is shut off.
Sounds like the first starter may have had a hung bendix or bad solenoid. Now it sounds like you don't have enough juice in the battery, could be just a run down battery or a dirty/corroded battery terminal. Buy a decent size battery charger (one rated at at least 15A charging, about 40 -60.00 at Walmart, not one of the little ones) and hook it up for a couple hours to put a charge on the battery before trying again.

 

Double check the cable connection on the starter. That connection, and the ones on the solenoid has to be absolutely clean. Even if they look clean polish them with some emery cloth to make them shine. I toasted a starter terminal stud once in my '49 226 because the end wasn't clean and it caused the connection to grow hot.

 

When you say you checked the connections, what did you do? If you opened the physical connections and used a wire brush to shine up the terminations, then we can move along to the next possibility. If you haven't - do this before buying /changing anything else.

If you have a standard transmission, I would think about trying to push (or pull) start it.

 

I'd pull the plugs and see if you can turn the engine over by hand. I had a car spin a crank bearing and I thought it was something simple. (hopefully not your case)

Wally