B_Leming

Hey guys,

I'm new here to Yota Tech, so bear with me. This is the second '87 I've owned and I've never had a problem like this. I bought the truck 2 weeks ago and when I test drove it it started up every single time for me (six times to be exact). The guy I bought it from mentioned how sometimes it likes to not start but it's a rare occasion. I noticed that the battery terminals were in some of the worst shape I had ever seen. Anyways, I drove the truck home and 2 days later it wouldn't start (all I got was one single "click" from the engine bay). Noticing that the starter also had seen better days, I went and bought a new starter and installed it, still no cigar. The truck would bump start as usual, but wouldn't crank on its own. I changed out all the terminals and re-wired them and I know they are wired correctly. Before I went and bought a new battery, we hooked up some jumper cables to my buddies rig and my truck fired right up. So then I got a new battery and all I get is that one single "click" again. What else could it be? Any suggestions? Thanks for your time guys!

B. Leming

scope103

Put a voltmeter on the battery, then just on the terminals, when someone turns the key. You'll probably get around 12.6v on your new battery, and when you turn the key the voltage won't change. This means you have a wiring problem, probably right in the terminals area (because the jumper cables were able to connect to something that your battery is not connecting to).

If the voltage drops way down on the terminals (but doesn't on the battery posts) you have too much resistance between the two. If the voltage on the battery posts drops way down, the battery is not charged enough (or is bad, but since the battery is new that's probably not it).

You just replaced the battery w/o fixing the problem, so it's possible the old battery was fine. You could have (mostly) determined that with a voltmeter. A battery costs about $90-200, a voltmeter: http://www.harborfreight.com/7-funct...ter-69096.html Think about getting one for next time.

Scrussanation

Do a bypass. I've created a rocker switch bypass to engage the starter when the key is in the run position. It's quite simple to do its just a common problem with the ignition switches going out like that

B_Leming

The battery that was in it wasn't even the correct battery. I'm pretty sure it was a 24F out of a Ford (the terminals were switched), so I just bit the bullet and got a new one anyways. Hooked up a voltmeter to everything and got resistance through all of my wires and proper voltage across the battery, but still when I go to start it, it just gives one single click. I just re-wired the grounds also and made sure they had good contact. This just really has me baffled. It drove it 100 miles before this started happening, it started up every single time but now I can't get her to crank on her own.

Scrussanation

have you done a starter contact replacement???

B_Leming

No I haven't yet. That will probably be the next step, it has to be something like that though because sometimes the starter engages and sometimes it doesn't. Like I said, it has a new starter on it, I will pull it back off and inspect the contacts, might as well just replace them. Thanks for the help Scrussanation, I'll keep ya updated!

Scrussanation

wait its a new starter???

heres the write up of the contacts, but you may have what happened to mine go bad...

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...ct-fix-193101/

gimme sec let me get the other write up that was my problem

Scrussanation

i found the documentation, at the bottom where it talks about bypass for the solonoid thats what I did. not i have a toggle switch that resets back to neutral position once i let go...

https://www.yotatech.com/members/scr...ch-starter.jpg

notice mid center lil to left my lil black switch... works like a charm starts everytime without needing to press clutch cancel too hehe