why wont it start????

[firechero]

the man truck wont start now, it was running great, i went to check the e-drive and low range, they both worked but i couldnt get it back into high range cause it was grinding so i shut the motor off, when i tried to start it again it was dead! i had it jumped with a power unit and went to the battery store, they told me my battery and alternator were working good, and of course it started at the store. when i took it home i shut it down, it started hard the first time, and didnt start anymore, tried later that night, only clicking, this morning everythings dead, couldnt even get the dang ford 150 to jump it, not enough juice, so whats up??? in the 3 weeks ive had it i havent had starting problems till yesterday.

[The Anti-Chrysler]

Sounds like you have a battery draw somewhere! Try disconnecting the battery, after turning everything off. If, when you reconnect the negative, there's a spark, then you have a draw somewhere.

The part I don't get is that it wouldn't start right after turning off - the battery shouldn't have died that fast if the alternator is good, and the battery holds a charge.

[letank]

the clicking sound of death..... even if they try the starter at the store there is no torque....

i had brand new rebuilt dead on install... even it tested fine at the store.....

Otherwise i was thinking of the ignition switch but you know how to bypass it!

Michel
74 wag

[River Beast]

Check all your connections for corrosion and tightness... a friend of mine almost spent $300 + on starter/battery/alt to find a loose wire on the starter.

Worth a look...

[The Anti-Chrysler]

Maybe we need a clarification - is the battery dying, or is it a bad connection in the starting system??

Do the lights still come on?

[firechero]

everything is dead today, the electric fuel pump barely whines, i just dont understand how i could never have a problem and go to a dead battery, when they say it and the alternator is good, the battery is almost brand new, when i tried to jump it this morning and had battery to battery hooked up, everything came back on, it just wouldnt try to start, it just click

[Don S]

..
firechero...
...Did you try 'shorting across the starter solenoid' (ie buy passing) it?

Good Luck ;) and CUL.. Don S..

[The Anti-Chrysler]

Either you have a short, a bad solenoid, or a bad starter it would seem....

[firechero]

how do u short across the starter solenoid? if it starts when u do this what does that mean?

[The Anti-Chrysler]

Make sure it's safe to turn over (in Neutral or Park, wheels chocked) and jump power to the start terminal on the solenoid with a piece of heavy gauge wire to the battery. DO NOT jump to the starter wire direct. You will be doing some amateur welding!! If the wire works to turn over the starter, it's your solenoid, or lack of signal to it.

[Al Johnson]

Don't forget the simple stuff: Check (clean) your battery cable connections, connections at the starter solenoid, starter, and block ground cables. Be sure you have high quality battery and starter circuit cables, none of that clamp-on battery cable crap.

Good luck!
:D

[firechero]

ok, so i hooked a booster to the battery and it started, its cold here so it died, i tried to start again, it acted like it was going to turn over but then started clicking again, gatta be the battery right? i mean it shouldnt be the starter if it starts right up with a battery booster, which is charging so i can try again, i gatta get this thing out of the street we got 4 inches and i got a ticket cause the thing was parked there when the snow plows came through, bummer

[Wesdog]

Bad starter relay solenoid maybe? Gets hot on 1st start and doesn't make a good contact from battery to starter after that until it cools off. Also, if it's damaged it might be failing to completely open after start. Take a volt meter and measure the voltage drop across the starter relay during successive starts. Across the relay means measure the voltage difference between the relay's battery and starter posts when cranking, that will tell you how much battery voltage is being dropped across the relay as the starting current flows through it. There shouldn't be much voltage dropped across it when cranking, the voltage should be dropped across the starter and battery negative when cranking. When not cranking there should be zero volts on the starter side of the relay referenced to battery negative.
Also check both ends of both of your battery cables and make certain all your battery connection are clean and tight. Make certain the starter mounting bolts are tight. The battery current path for the starter is basically from the battery positive terminal through the starter relay to the starter terminal through the starter motor to the body of the starter to the engine block and from the engine block back to the battery negative terminal. All those connections must be good. Check em all! Wes

[ March 05, 2003, 07:38 PM: Message edited by: Wesdog ]