Not starting....
More Turbo
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 508
Likes: 29
From: NE Ohio
If you are bypassing the starter solenoid and getting a click, I purpose you either are lacking in amps (bad battery), bad ground (doesn't hurt to clean terminals, ground to block, and + to starter), or bad starter. Autozone or the like can test your starter if you remove it and bring it in. In my mind if you dont get a crank when jumping the solenoid its one of those.
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Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2018
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If you are bypassing the starter solenoid and getting a click, I purpose you either are lacking in amps (bad battery), bad ground (doesn't hurt to clean terminals, ground to block, and + to starter), or bad starter. Autozone or the like can test your starter if you remove it and bring it in. In my mind if you dont get a crank when jumping the solenoid its one of those.
<Googling how to remove starter>
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
It's tough to diagnose third hand sight unseen, that's why everybody is sniffing around the same likely faults in the general order of troubleshooting. Bad cables and/or connections are very similar in symptoms to a dead or dying battery. Batteries will often test OK for voltage across the terminals, but then choke when any kind of actual load is placed on them. If everything were working OK you can see this, during cranking a good battery will never drop below about 9.6 volts. Actually a good battery will maintain a lot more than that, but that's the minimum cranking voltage under load. Then the voltage will (should) "bounce back" after ten minutes or so to 12.8 volts. There's a few things like that can be done with the battery in the truck that will sort of tell the tale, without an actual load tester.
Do the easy/easier stuff first before removing the starter, by process of elimination. How old is the battery? I know I keep harping on this but the first step in troubleshooting this kind of thing is to be certain the battery is serviceable and charged up. If you turn the headlights on HI beam the battery voltage across the posts shouldn't drop below maybe 12.2 volts or somewhere in there, even if left on for a long time. Maybe turn the radio and heater blower on. If the battery is bad it would drop below 11 or 12 volts probably, something like that. If the battery is bad it would really drop noticeably.
Another thing you can try is banging on the starter itself with a hammer or small sledge and then see if it turns over.
I'd want to try that too, before removing it. Now don't break the starter case, but don't be shy either and give it 3 or 4 good love taps and then try it. Oftentimes when a starter is on its way out this will at least get you going again, and does prove the need for a new starter. If it's been super slushy/icy followed by a deep freeze they might sieze up sometimes, but as mentioned if the cables and ground point connections at the block and frame etc haven't been cracked open in a while that can cause trouble. Clean & bright connections = Happy Electrons.
Do the easy/easier stuff first before removing the starter, by process of elimination. How old is the battery? I know I keep harping on this but the first step in troubleshooting this kind of thing is to be certain the battery is serviceable and charged up. If you turn the headlights on HI beam the battery voltage across the posts shouldn't drop below maybe 12.2 volts or somewhere in there, even if left on for a long time. Maybe turn the radio and heater blower on. If the battery is bad it would drop below 11 or 12 volts probably, something like that. If the battery is bad it would really drop noticeably.
Another thing you can try is banging on the starter itself with a hammer or small sledge and then see if it turns over.
I'd want to try that too, before removing it. Now don't break the starter case, but don't be shy either and give it 3 or 4 good love taps and then try it. Oftentimes when a starter is on its way out this will at least get you going again, and does prove the need for a new starter. If it's been super slushy/icy followed by a deep freeze they might sieze up sometimes, but as mentioned if the cables and ground point connections at the block and frame etc haven't been cracked open in a while that can cause trouble. Clean & bright connections = Happy Electrons.
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Joined: Jul 2018
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There is about a foot of snow on the truck now....so ain't nothing happening...for now. Thanks for all the tips. I'll report back once the weather is a little better, and I've found my voltmeter.
Tuned
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 305
Likes: 2
As mentioned, clean all connectors. There's small wire with a spade connector that attaches to the starter. It's very common for the wire to corrode several inches inside its protective coating.
It's also very easy to pull the starter and have it tested, literally a 15 minute job.
I had starting issues also, cleaned all contact points and still had issues. The problem was the amount of unseen corrosion inside the protective wrap. New wires fixed the problem for good. I honestly think it's a waste of time to clean 30 year old wires, just replace them and not worry about it for another 30 years
It's also very easy to pull the starter and have it tested, literally a 15 minute job.
I had starting issues also, cleaned all contact points and still had issues. The problem was the amount of unseen corrosion inside the protective wrap. New wires fixed the problem for good. I honestly think it's a waste of time to clean 30 year old wires, just replace them and not worry about it for another 30 years
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