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Here's the deal: Turn the key all the lights & buzzers come on, solenoid clicks, then all goes dark. Turn the key again, all dark, no click, even headlights do not light. Battery checks ok as charged, won't start with a jump. Is there a circuit breaker on the starter circuit that resets automatically? After letting it sit over night, headlights and courtesy lights work ok, haven't turned key again. I have noticed this truck eats starters: on my third, but lifetime warranty, so I'm only out the skinned knuckles.
Sounds like a bad connection on a battery cable. Could be either end of either cable.
Most likely one of the ends on the battery posts. They tend to corode first. Just pull them and clean off any corrosion. Scrape them down to shiney bright lead. Do the same with the post on the battery. I like to use those colored felt washers. The chemicals in the washers slow down the corrosion. If cleaning both cables and posts doesn't get you going, move to the other end of the Positive cable, and then the neg.
I think one of them will solve your problem.
Actually it is a good idea to do all the ends, even if the first one solves the problem. The next time it might be in the middle of no where and raining/snowing and blowing like hell.
Good Luck Frank
Sounds like a bad ground and some bad connections.
If your eating starters, it's burning the motor out no less. Perhaps with poor voltage to the starter.
Perhaps a new cellinoid is in order also.
Make sure when you check your battery cables, you clean the ground cable on the block also, as well as the other ones wherever they go, no matter how hard they are to get too.
Do a voltage drop on the battery cables and if there is a high voltage your cables are shot or corroded.. I had the same exact problem on my 95 I6 and it was the battery cables/connections
Thanks for the suggestions; everyone is heading in the same direction: cables. Had the battery and starter checked at Murray's this AM; both good. Cleaned battery connections and starter positive and ground, more clicks, no start. May try new cables and solenoid tomorrow. Where is the clutch interlock switch on this one?
Hats off to the Rock Star / Wizards of FTE. Started checking connections and in no time got to the negatory terminal where I'd used a forgotten quick fix clamp insted of replacing the cable like I otter(d'oh!) and it was all fulla rust, crap, even burn marks(!).
after a wire wheelin she started right up. I'm off to the parts store for a new cable in 10. Thanks guys: if you're passing through Cleveland, let me buy you a drink.