As the title states, my starter doesn’t always engage,I turn the key, get the WTS lights, then turn the key to engage the starter, I hear a click or light “thud” (but not a mechanical banging thud) and nothing, no crank, I repeat the process and either the next time or 20 times later it fires right up.)

I replaced the starter a few months ago with a brand new (not remanufactured) NAPA starter. When it cranks it works unbelievably well.

A few weeks ago a had a weak batteries that wouldn’t start the truck, after a quick jump it started up easily and hasn’t had any battery issues since.I thought the weak batteries may be due to a broken Key cylinder, my door chime would ring with the key removed and I could even remove the key while the truck was still running. I was thinking somehow I must have left something on and the cylinder was in the ACC. Mode and drained the batteries.

I replaced the key cylinder about two weeks ago, it was surprisingly easy, about a two minute job but while pressing the slot under the column to remove the cylinder I remember thinking “wow, I’m putting a lot of pressure on this slot” but the cylinder slid out and the new one went right in. The first turn of the key the starter didn’t engage but then the next time it did, it occasionally has done this over the last two weeks but would always start on the 1-3rd tries.

Last night ON THE BOAT RAMP it took me about 10 tries. Once I got home and parked the boat while blocking my wife’s car it took about 30 tries and 10-15 aggravating minutes and then it fired right up. I moved the truck turned it off tried it again and it fired on the first turn.

I’ll check all the connections especially on the starter itself tonight and I’m assuming the relay is normally the most likely issue but wondering if I could have broken something doing the key cylinder swap??

Thank you for any advice,

 

Make sure the truck is in park (neutral for a manual transmission!!!!!) and parking brake is on.
Open the hood and stand on the passenger side with a screwdriver or wrench that can jump the terminals on the relay mounted on the fender just behind the battery. That is the starter relay.

Remove the wire on the small terminal, that wire comes from the ignition switch. Jump the large terminal with several wires connected (should have a red wire coming from the battery to this terminal) to the small terminal. This should produce a click at that relay and the starter should engage. If you don't have that click, try again a few times. If still no click, or its intermittent, chance are that relay is on its way out. If it clicks right off every time you test it, and the starter turns everytime, than the relay is good, might be an issue with the ignition switch/key cylinder.

Note, the actual ignition switch is at the base of the steering column, not where the key is! Its common for the actuating rod to break, or get gummed up with old grease, plenty of threads discussing that here.

Oh! if you can't get the key to work, but need the truck to start ASAP, jump the fender relay (also called solenoid...) If it doesn't work from big terminal with lots of wires to small terminal, jump it from big to big and it should start the truck. Note that you'd have to have the key in run position first or it won't actually start...

 

still struggling with this, batteries weak again after sitting for two weeks, jumped it and started,
started 4 times ran it to the lake and back home yesterday, in the driveway got the no crank issue, 7-8 key turns and it started
I have some numbers for review,

this morning
battery at beginning of test 12.24 V
@relay battery 12.26 V
@relay to starter 0
@relay S terminal 0

working correctly / starter cranking / engine starting
@relay to starter 8.1 v
@relay s terminal 5.8 v

then luckily experienced the issue to record some values,

no crank - I hear/feel thud at the relay when the key is engaged
battery 11.7 v
@relay to starter 9.1 - 10.6 v
@relay s terminal 9.3 v
also won't jump start with the screwdriver across the relay terminals, only hear the thud

I think the relay is newer, I don't remember buying/installing it buy I must have when I replaced the starter,

I could believe a bad/cheap relay happened to go out I just don't want to throw parts at it

This picture is during key engaged / no crank, it seems the relay is working but I don't know what voltage I should be seeing from the relay to starter,

 

It's the solenoid in the starter, the "can" on the side. Inside that are two copper "pads" and a round disc which is on a spring. When you engage the starter, the solenoid activates, pulling the round disc down until it hits the pads, which then powers the motor itself. If the pads are worn out or not making good contact, the solenoid will still "clunk" as the starter teeth are still shoved forward, but you won't get power to the motor.

You can either return the starter for a replacement, or replace the solenoid "module" by itself.

 

Thank you for the reply,

I certainly believe you because it makes sense to me ( I believe most things people tell me on the internet :-) )

That is a brand new (not remanufactured ) NAPA starter maybe 1 year old,

is it believable the solenoid would be going out/is already having issues? if it was a rebuild I could easily believe they skimped on the solenoid contacts but are new starters also that poor quality?

I replaced contacts in my Toyota starter solenoid a few years ago so I definitely know what your talking about,

 

Eh, it's all made in China these days. Quality control is expensive. It's cheaper to just replace it a couple times(and charge more for the warranty) than to pay for QC.

 

^
Even new starters are hit and miss out of the box. I would definitely get that swapped out just to rule out the starter as most times when these issues arise it is the solenoid on the starter itself.

 

I'm very ignorant of electricity and don't understand much more than the test light,

Should I care the S terminal on the relay has 5.8 and 9.3 v when the key is activated, seems like it should be a constant value,

10.6 v leaving the relay should be enough to activate the solenoid ?

I don't mind changing the starter, it's just I this is the reason I purchased a new NAPA,

 

Not sure if you are getting a good connection or what, but if it does the same thing when you physically jump the connections(using a screwdriver or something), I wouldn’t worry about the relay yet.
And this is why I don't go for a "high end" starter myself. I go for the lowest end ones(found some U-haul reman ones for $40 each online, or the $90 chinese cheapys), because they are all going to fail randomly.
You can also just get the cheapest auto parts store starter with a 'lifetime' warranty and just plan on replacing it a few times until you get a "good" one.

If you want the *best* starter, find a good Motorcraft core starter that *wasn't* made in Mexico, and have a local starter/electrical shop rebuild it. A few small parts(brushes, contacts) and you can have a basically new high end starter out of the deal.