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No start- wierd electric issues?

950 views 15 replies 5 participants last post by  bigearl 
#1 ·
So, I was just out at the barn pulling the rear seat out for this weekend. I had the dome light on so I could see the bolts in the floor while removing the seat, they were on for maybe 15 minutes alltogether. I got finished up with the seat, and went to start her up, and nothing. I first thought that maybe the battery had just been drained from the dome light, but thought it was weird that it would go so quickly. I pulled up the work truck and put jumper cables on the battery- and tried again to no avail. I should mention, the whole time this was happening the lights were all bright and the alternator gauge was showing 14. I got out and pulled the jumper clamps off the terminals and reaslised the terminal connectors were loose, so I tightened them up. Went to turn it over again and nothing. The whole time I got no click or noise from the starter. I finally got fed up with this, and push started it with success! I drove it around the town for a few minutes, and decided to see what it would do when I tried to start it back up like normal. I went home, parked, then turned the key and it started! WTF is going on? What's the issue here? Could it be the starter?it didn't make any noise (click, slow turn, nada) before I push started. I tried starting it several more times just for the hell of it, and it worked every time. I'm also not sure if it could be the batter cables? What's you fix for this?
 
#2 ·
I'd start by inspecting/cleaning all the battery cable terminals and ground wire connections.

Both ends of each cable. The firewall and block grounds. The BAT terminal on the alternator. Starter relay terminals.

Fifty percent chance that you will find one loose, or corroded. Once those are good, then you can proceed.
 
#3 ·
Battery terminals are clean. Where are all the grounds located? I know there's one for something near the oil filter, but not sure about all the others. Once they are all checked what would be the next step?
 
#4 ·
Could it be the ignition switch? Mine has issues sometimes and I have to turn it off and back on again....almost like the contacts are bad. I just deal with it for now. I'm not sure what's involved in changing it out but I'll cross that bridge if it comes.

Sent from my QMV7B using Tapatalk
 
#9 ·
If it were the ignition switch wouldn't none of the lights or radio come on? When the key was in he on position lights/radio would work, but when they were turned to the start position he lights and radio cut out like they normally do.
 
#5 ·
Clearly the battery is good if the lights are bright. The starter could be worn out if it is making no noise at all. Other than that maybe an ignition wiring like stated above. When my starter went out I had my friend hold the key in the start position and went down underneath with a regular hammer. If you tap carefully on the side of the starter near the back it generally will crank it over one more time for you. Done this on a few cars myself. Just a quick trick to get a college kid to an autozone to get a starter :drinks:
 
#6 ·
I also have had a problem where I get 1 click and then all the power dies but if that happened I would just pop the hood tap the positive wire and all would be well.
 
#7 ·
I've had this happen to me a half dozen times (different vehicles, only once was mine) and it was bad terminals. Inspect the wires like DREDnot said, you likely have a bad ground or bad connection between the positive and the starter. The bad ground will allow you to run small things like radio and lights but can't supply the 200-400+ amperes for the starter motor.

What electrical tools do you have? Test light? Multimeter? You can run a few tests with either to see what exactly it is.

FYI the grounds from the battery are by the distributor and filter like you said, to the firewall right by the battery, and there is another between the engine and firewall in the back by the intake manifold. Those are what I can think of off the top of my head, there is probably one more I'm missing.
 
#8 ·
Do you have these damn terminals? Brand new I've had them cause three no starts, the contacts get the coating on them. Another couple times they corroded between the wire and clamp within 6 months. I have the marine terminals, uncoated, with the wing nuts.

 
#10 ·
No, my terminals are like permanently attached to the wires, and are probably the stock ones from 1995. I'll check the terminals today after school, hopefully that solves the issue for good.
 
#12 ·
So, no start again. I have about 30 minutes to try and figure it out. Te grounds all appear to be in solid condition, no corrosion or loose connections. There is something next to the battery that makes a very faint click when I turn the keys. It's not like the starter click. It's faint, and only happens when I turn the keys from the off position to the start position. I did notice some corrosion on the positive battery wire coming off the terminal just past the clamping head. Could it have eaten enough of the wire away inside to the point that it wouldn't start? I'm just wondering how it would have started last night after being run, but not before that.
 
#13 ·
Did you do the voltage drop test off the positive terminal, and the engine block ground test with the test light? Each while turning key to crank. For positive terminal, put one lead on battery post, other on the fuse block where there are two bolts on the wire termination. Then, instead of the fuse block, test the big stud on the starter.
 
#14 ·
I was not able to do that- but the local mechanic down the street was able to diagnose that either my starter had gone bad or one of the soleniods on the starter was bad(he did the test you mentioned). He replaced it because I really didn't know how, or have the time. I am leaving Saturday morning for a three day hunt, so I wanted a professional to take a look at it and fix it. I've started it up several times since he replaced it and it doesn't hesitate or do anything weird, so I'm thinking it's all fixed! Thanks for the help guys, would have rather gotten to the bottom of this myself, but sometimes it's best to just hand jobs off when you're in a tight space!
 
#15 ·
Glad to hear the starter was the problem. That's really not too bad of a fix.
 
#16 ·
Yeah, I watched him do it and after seeing him pull it off I figured I could've done it. Atleast I know it was done correctly now.
 
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