Won't start!

[mmayo]

My truck won't start (96 K1500 5.7 liter).  I think its my starter, it clicks when I turn the key but doesn't start.   I tried removing it yesterday, but couldn't figure out how to easily disconnect the wires from the solenoid.  Advice anyone???      

[CMNTMXR81]

Have you tried whacking the starter case with a solid albeit not deadly blow with a rubber mallet of something?

 

Sounds like it's getting hung up on the brushes, a sign it's on it's way out, but this ancient Chinese secret works quite often.  

[mmayo]

Yeah, I did that already, and it worked two weeks ago but isn't working now.   I'm gonna try to take it off again tommorrow, just wish it was easy to get to the terminals on the solenoid.

[Charlie in TX]

Starter should be easy.

1. Disconnect battery negative terminal.

2. Remove starter mounting screwa.

3. Remove wires from solinoid.

[CMNTMXR81]

It sounds like it's more an issue with the slack available in that heavy gauge wire more so than he not knowing how to do it.

 

It may be easier to physically remove/unbolt the starter itself then disconnect the wiring.

 

But please disconnect the negative side of the battery first.  I don't want you welding your wrench to the thing if you accidently cross terminals in the process.  

[MarkD]

Clicking usually indicates insufficient juice reaching the starter.  I would do a voltage test on the battery first.  Maybe jumpstart it.

[CMNTMXR81]

Not necessarily.  If the starter armature is hung up on the brushes it could do the same.  If really hung up it won't, and it'll just draw amperage, but it can act much like a dead battery.

[MCourson]

Mine did the same thing a while back on my '94.  It seemed to be a hit or miss situation on if it would start. The only way to get it to start was to wait about an hour so I ended up replacing it. (Especially after it left me one last time at Burger King on the wrong side of town. )

[mmayo]

Well, I replaced the starter with a new one and when I tried it the same thing happened  ??? They did test my old starter at the auto parts store, and it appeared to be working but the guy told me it smelled funny and that he thought that it did need to be replaced.  So then what I did was clean all the battery connections really good on the starter and the battery itself.   After that it worked.   So it appears that all I had was dirty connections, either on the battery (there was no corrosion), or at the solenoid.  Moral of the story is to clean your connections before buying a new starter!!!

[CMNTMXR81]

Sorry, I presumed you checked all connections!  

 

One of those "If youre TV doesn't work, check to see if it's plugged in first" types of checks.  

[Black02Silverado]

Here is what happened to me with my 98 suburban. The battery leads had corrosion down inside the casing and you couldn't see it but when you cut it open man was it a mess inside.  The burb was doing the same thing, click click and all seemed right. I knew the starter was fine and the battery was fully charged, I just charged it on a 2amp overnight charge and was good. When I cleaned up the area I decided to check in the neg and pos lead wires and sure enough the corrosion was down inside the wire. Thus this didn't let the full current flow and was giving me this big pain in the butt.  So when in doubt punt and give the leads a look see.  Can't hurt. :thumb: