Boy, just after loading the truck up for the move, getting ready to head out tomorrow, the truck refuses to start!!!! Any ideas and help out there???

I went to jump in and start it up this afternoon.. Dome light came on nice and bright like usual.

Key on, WTS light comes on, GPR clicks and buzzes.. all is good..

Turn to start.. just a click.. starter doesnt even move. Lights go dim. Figure the brand new batteries went dead on me.. Brought over another car, and it jump started just fine. Pulled the truck around, let it run while loading. Halfway through, the truck just died! Checked the fuel, good there..

Went to start again. Opened door, dome light came on nice and bright, gaugs go on a sweep, turned key to on position..

WTS light comes on, GPR buzzes.. Turn key to start, just a click, turned key back to "on".. series of clicking goes on with WTS light and dome light. Rapid clicking, WTS flashes off and on rapidly.. Traced a series of loud rapid clicking to the relays in the power distro box.

Went to jump start it again, and no luck at all.. Keep getting the second set of responses each time. Another annoying factor I noticed.. the problem I had with the gauges (fuel level, alternator, engine temp and oil pressure) are back, where the gauges all sweep over to the far side and remain there. The odometer also went blank.

Is this a grounding issue? And if so, where?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.. I have to start the move ASAP tomorrow!!!

 

Recently the selenoid on my starter went bad on mine. I had someone hold the key and I wiggled the wires or tapped on the selenoid with a hammer. One time I had to hit the black plastic where the wires connect. Just one idea. Hope this helps.

 

Interesting... So did you have all the clickinng and switching going on prior to finding out it was the selenoid?

I went back out just a few minutes ago, and tried again. Now all the truck does, the minute I switch the key from "ON" to "START", it just clicks (GPR, Power box, WTS light, Dome light)... all of them in unisom! I let off the key, it goes back to "ON" but all the clicking continues.. And now, any time I put the key in and turn it to "ON", all those items start clicking off and on, rapidly...

Would the selenoid cause this???

 

I'd start at the starter relay. Pull the cable going to the starter and test. Then pull the hot side and test.

 

Ok, I will check out the relay..

This is really bizzare.. I am really interested to know, but would the relay really cause the dome light off and on rapidly, along with all the other indicators? And the gauge issue?

I will go check on that relay tonight! I am really really stunned that the relay would cause all the other issues.. Am I tracking right??

 

Gotta start somewhere!

 

Definately an electrical issue somewhere, Oh, but you already knew that.... Any way, seriously now, the gauges will do that with a low voltage situation. Beyond that, I don't think I can help you much.

I could tell you where all the motor ground points are, frame, chassis, etc. But I can't list them all very well on here, I will PM my Phone number and you can call me in the AM if that is any help.

 

Yeah.. though this will likely be my last somewhere, LOL! If I test out the solenoid, and even go ahead and replace it tomorrow, and it dont work, I am forced to put the truck in storage here, and leave it behind. Time is not on my side, and nor are the funds at this point.. Between replacing all 6 tires, IDM, hoses, fluids, belt, coolers, GP, GPR, and other little things, a person has to know when enough is enough... I am crossing my fingers!

 

Absolutely wonderful! Thank you Ian!!!

 

Sounds like a low voltage issue to me. Can you charge the batteries?

 

X2!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That is just how my dead batteries acted after sitting all winter when I went to fire. Couldn't get them to charge, put one good one in, cleaned the connections good and it fired right up. Make sure you have good connections on the batts too. Good luck chris

 

If it were me, before I would buy ANYTHING I would remove all four clamps from the battery terminals and clean all the connections I could find. It really sounds to me like you have a bad connection somewhere. I would start with the battery connections and go from there to the ground connections. I wouldn't start throwing parts at it until you are sure you have good, solid, clean connections everywhere.

 

It sounds to me like a bad starter I just went through this myself try taking the wire off that goes to the starter on the solenoid on the fender then try to turn your key on and see if the lights and gauges still flicker and stuff the starter may be shorting out going to ground due to bad parts inside and every time you send power to it with the key on the power may be going straight to ground .

 

The part that is puzzling to me is where i just died out while running. I had a chev that just died going down the road. The small wire on the starter came off. Put it back on and away I went. I don't know if these trucks would do that or not. I would start with the batteries and connections, but I figured you already tried that. Have someone turn the key while you look for sparks or hot wires caused by bad connections. Wish I could help more.