02 Silverado 4.8L no crank, power everywhere else[SOLVED]

Eagle_Silver · January 18, 2019

So I park the truck a couple weeks ago and all is working fine. Come back today and nothing when I turn the key. I charged the battery and tried jumping from another truck. No dice. Everything else comes on headlights, interior, stereo. I can hear the fuel pump pressurize, but nothing to the starter(no crank, no spinning over). I checked the fuses for ignition/ starter and switched some relays around, but still nothing. Bad ground?

riverbanks · January 18, 2019

Bad starter?

redvett · January 18, 2019

Check NSS and relay plus grounds.

Might want to put info on your vehicle to help us out.

Eagle_Silver · January 18, 2019

10 hours ago, riverbanks said:

Bad starter?

I did think of that and when I get back to the truck I think I'll bump the solenoid to see if I can get it to engage. I've had bad starters before but you usually hear at least some noise from the starter even if if won't engage. I don't hear the stater trying to do a single thing.

riverbanks · January 18, 2019

Right on,stuff happens,I would disconnect excite wire, purple? small one to solenoid,see if it has power at crank

Eagle_Silver · January 18, 2019

9 hours ago, redvett said:

Check NSS and relay plus grounds.

Might want to put info on your vehicle to help us out.

I didn't even think about the Neutral Safety. If I get the truck in neutral and start does that run a different path? It's a 2002 Silverado with 4.8 L 2WD extended cab. It's a "V" engine code on the VIN. Is there any other info that might help out?

Eagle_Silver · January 18, 2019

3 minutes ago, riverbanks said:

Right on,stuff happens,I would disconnect excite wire, purple? small one to solenoid,see if it has power at crank

yeah no doubt. Stranger things have happened. So I should disconnect the small solenoid wire first and then jumper the 2 posts for a second to see if the starter engages?

sefiroxx · January 21, 2019

No need to disconnect. Get a shorter length of wire and jump from the battery cable wire on the starter to the smaller wire on the solonoid.

Starter bolted to block of the ground point

If it bumps, then nss, relay, security, ignition is likely at fault. I just went through this on my 04 Sierra. Eventually found that the starter brushes weakened or stator had a dead spot. Starter would work 95% of the time, then nothing. Had to key start it about 5-10 times before it would crank.

Eagle_Silver · January 26, 2019

On 1/18/2019 at 6:47 AM, riverbanks said:

Bad starter?

This was absolutely the problem. Here's what I did in order: It might help someone else:

1. Got in and pulled it down in neutral to see if it would start this way (No crank).

2. Put jumper cables from another running car just to test (the battery tested 12.8V on the meter with or without the other car clamped on).

3. I already checked every fuse that was labeled "Ign E/A etc" in the under the hood fuse box and the one inside.

I turned the key on and pulled the starter relay. I measured that I was getting 12V at pin 30 and then I jumpered that to pin 87 to see if I could get the starter to engage(No Joy).

4. So I get under the truck and made sure I was getting 12V on the battery cable to the starter. It read 12V. I run a jumper from this big cable over to the small solenoid wire. Just touching momentarily to see if I could get the starter to bump.(Nope).

5. So then I pull the starter off and go to the parts house. They test it there also and it wouldn't doing anything on there machine either. So yeah bad starter that failed with no warning. Started right up after new starter installed.

Notes: The 2 starter bolts were either 13/14 mm head. Both mine were the same length so I didn't need to worry about that. The small solenoid wire was an 8mm and the large one was 12/13mm. I never really figured out a good angle to slip the starter in and out, but it is a very tight fit.

Edit: Oh yeah I banged on the starter pretty good before I decided to pull it off. You guessed it. No crank. ALSO be careful of the oil level sensor that is mounted right by the starter in the oil pan and its plug comes off the same harness as the starter.

Edited January 26, 2019 by Eagle_Silver