I have 97 T100, 6 cylinder, automatic and it is not wanting to start.

When I turn the key I hear my solenoid clicking, but, it won't turn over. Jumping it from my battery charger or another car starts it just fine.

Because the lights were not dim nor were there any other signs of a weak/dead battery I put my multimeter on the battery and read 12.65. I also put the multimeter on the gray terminal on the outside of the starter and got 9.6 volts (certainly enough to click, but not enough to start). I am expecting that that terminal should read 12+ volts as well. Can someone confirm this before I start chasing wires to find my missing 3 volts?

Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.

sam

 

Sounds like yer cables that run from the battery to yer starter may be bad. If any battery acid/corrosion has gotten into the thick positive cable, it will generate enough resistance where it will cause the problems yer seeing. You might want to replace that cable. Post up some piccies of the current cable and battery connections.

Another thing is to check yer grounds. There are 2 grounds you need to check first. The one by the battery going to the left fender wall and the other under the oil filter. Remove, clean, and reinstall those ground points.

 

Here is a pic of the starter. I am guessing that the large gray terminal is the hot lead from the battery and I should see 12+ volts there. As Stated previously I am only seeing 9.5V.



I removed , sanded, greased and reinstalled the ground right at the battery. I will do the same to the other ground.

Sam

 

Corrosion in your wires... would be my thought. Check the battery to stater wire and the starter's ground wire for corrosion or a wire break. at the terminals and in the wire. My thought is you have corrosion in you terminal that clamps to the batteries positive or corrosion in the part that attaches to the starter since those are the open sides of the wire.

 

Yup...that's the thick positive cable from the battery. You should be able to clean up that connection, too! If the cable is corroded (usually up near the battery connection), yer gonna have to replace it.

 

I fergot to ask...

When you measured the voltage at the starter terminal...did you use the ground on the body, engine, frame, or at the battery post? I'm guessing the closest ground point. Try it at the battery and report back the reading...

You might want to take yer battery in and have it load tested, too. Yer local Autozone should be able to do that fer you.