ayoung101

so this one is annoying. if my truck has been sitting awhile (for more than a few days), it won't start. it won't crank, it won't click, it just does nothing. at first i would assume (as i'm sure you will too) that it's a bad/dead/old battery. it makes sense, right? however, first of all, all other electrical functions work fine, lights, radio, etc. and as soon as i put a battery charger on it, it starts right up, no problem. don't have to wait for 5-10 minutes, it just starts right up, i turn it off immediately, remove the charger, it'll start right back up with no problem, and it's good until the next time it sits for a few days. i suppose it could be a battery issue, but my experience with dead/old/bad batteries is that the starter will click, or just not turn the engine over fast enough to start, and when i put a charger on it, typically i'd have to wait a few minutes before charging it enough to start the car. so i'm wondering what else it COULD be. starter solenoid? clutch switch (although the clutch start cancel button seems to have no affect)? ignition switch? i dunno, could putting the charger on somehow. . ."reset". . .something electronically and then it will function fine?

i'm laid off right now so money is tight, so i don't just want to throw a new battery at it "just in case" if i don't have to. i'm really hoping that it's just a battery, cuz that's a helluva easy fix, but i wanted your opinions before spending $50 (that i don't really have) on a new battery that might not even fix the problem.

thanks

Junkers88

If you have a meter you could test the battery yourself. Or if that isn't an option take the truck to an auto parts place that tests batteries for free. Then you'd know for sure if that part is bad or not.

87turboyotals1

check your battery ground as well, if its not making a good connection it could lead to intermittent starting issues like you described

just a 22re

i have this problem right now and my problem is the battery conections the little thingy that goes ontop the battery they seam tight but not power goes though has 12 power just when i hit the start its goes pop and dead everything jiggle the conectors and she most of the time starts right up hope it helps

MUNJUE

First of all get you battery tested, and remember you cannot check a flat battery on a carbon pile tester, charge it first, the electronic battery testers imo are great sales tools, great to show the customer a pass/ fail result 99 percent of the time a fail.
a carbon pile tester loads the battery up nd visual checks can be done, such as gassing of cells dead cells and volt drop to current load.
if it tests ok, next thing to do,

check for battery voltage at the starter,
you simply place a multimeter black lead to earth, red lead on the main battery cable connection on the starter, there should be no more than 0.3v voltage difference of this reading to the battery voltage,
if there is check that there is a good battery earth to eng block and the battery terminals are corrosion free and tight. then check the battery cable for resistance (unlikely)

next to check is you signal wire to the starter solenoid,
it is important to remove the signal wire from the soleniod for step 2 and safety.,
place the red multimeter lead on it and black to a good earth, get a friend to turn the key to start, from memory there should be battery voltage on the mm screen,
if there isnt battery voltage, as in no voltage
you will need to check your fuses first, then follow the wire from the fuse to the ignition switch, then from the switch to the solenoid wire for a break in the wiring.
and if there is a voltage drop, not full battery voltage, then check your wiring and terminal connectors for corrosion(unlikely),

if everything is alright there you will need to remove the starter either replace with aa 2nd hand unit, or

remove the plunger and contact cover, 3 8mm nuts with Phillips screw slots in it,
the plunger can be checked and contacts visually, they should be smooth with no ridges, check the plunger contacts the 2 copper contacts evenly, if not replace them,

then remove the back of the starter an check the brushes, check that the spring is pushing against the carbon brushes, if not replace the bush pack,

clean up and test on the bench before reinstalling to ensure proper operation

MUNJUE

also check for a current draw if the battery constantly drains over a couple of days, check door switches and lights and if your truck has a mirrior light (unlikely)or glove box light are off,
also a poor installed stereo can draw enough current to drain a battery over a couple of days, (not shutting off)

how to check for a current draw is with a mm, and you have to connect in in series with the battery positive terminal and battery positive cable, be carefull that your key is off, and the door lights are off and key out of ingition as a mm will only in gerneral only hadel 10 AMP before you destroy it (cheap one) or blow the fuse in it(better one).

if there is acurrent draw, say more than 0.25 amps, you can then remove the fuses in the fuse pannel 1 by 1, (a fuse box diagram is good so you know where the fuses go back, or draw a picture of it) cheacking if the current draw goes away, if the current goes away on a fuse you have pulled, then the current draw is in that system and needs to be found.

ayoung101

UPDATE:

so my truck has been sitting a few days, and i fully expected it to have to be jumped before driving it. i turned the key, and sure enough, nothing happened. about the 3rd or 4th time i turned the key, just as i was about to get out to jump it, it turned over perfectly and started right up. so, unfortunately, i'm guessing this means that i don't have something wrong with my battery. . .so now i'm really leaning towards the starter solenoid or ignition switch, and i suppose there's a slight possibility it could be the clutch switch.

Junkers88

Check the ground from the battery to the block. When I bought my current rig the battery/starter/alternator and + cable had been replaced due to a starting problem just like what you have only sometimes it wouldn't start after having sat for just a few minutes. I took a look at the ground cable that attached to the block and it was loose as all get out. I moved it to a better location after cleaning it and it fired up every time.

ayoung101

ANOTHER UPDATE:

i'm in the process of ripping my engine apart to change my head gasket, and i didn't find (yet) a loose ground to the block, but i did find a loose ground wire going to the front of the head, attached at the same bolt that the power steering bracket mounts to the head. somebody PLEASE tell me that this is the source of my starting problem!

mightymouse

iTrader: (6)

Mine did the exact same thing last year and for the better part of this year. It turned out to be a bad solenoid on the starter. I replaced the whole starter and have yet to have problem with it.