Starter-- One click won't start

Doublebase · June 30, 2019

2018 5.3...rained like crazy last night...32,000 miles, original owner, battery and connections appear to be good.

Just one click. Crawled under there and hit it with a hammer, didn't help. I can hear the solenoid coming out but it won't turn.

I read that the starters on the 2014's had issues with moisture, but I thought they had "fixed" that. Anyone know anything about starter issues on the 18's?

Called the dealer - it being a holiday week they said they're pretty backed up. Might be able to get to it this week, might not. I figured...I can't be bothered with this crap, I'll just throw a starter in myself. Called the parts store, they can't even get a starter for the flex fuel 5.3 (which tells me maybe they do fail a lot??). And the price would be $240. So I guess it's going to the damn dealer.

HeySkippyDog · July 1, 2019

Have you tested the battery?

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Racindave · July 1, 2019

Do the lights go out when u try to start it?

Paintor · July 1, 2019

Replace the PCM B fuse. 20 amp. If it pops, stop.

Dealer will replace fuel pump. Plug melted to fuel pump because of a short. Rain.

If PCM B fuse is fine, put jumper cables on it and try starting.

Doublebase · July 1, 2019

7 hours ago, HeySkippyDog said:

Have you tested the battery?

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Yeah battery was fine.

Doublebase · July 1, 2019

6 hours ago, Paintor said:

Replace the PCM B fuse. 20 amp. If it pops, stop.

Dealer will replace fuel pump. Plug melted to fuel pump because of a short. Rain.

If PCM B fuse is fine, put jumper cables on it and try starting.

Ok thanks, I'll give that a quick try before I get it towed.

Doublebase · July 1, 2019

Well it wasn't the PCM fuse. Tow truck came, girl gets out and says...I see these things all the time, these things need a lot of juice to start. She puts her jumper box on it and it fires up. WTH? I tried jumping it with TWO different jump packs...then I went the old fashioned route and used jumper cables. One click.

The battery is one year old. I literally drove it the less than two hours before we had what was the most violent microburst rain and lightning storm I've ever seen. Next day it won't start. Didn't seem to be any amperage draw on the battery...didn't leave a light on, nothing was plugged in. Water shorted out something. Something is wet. The girl said the starter solenoids are crap on these trucks...haha, I laugh because I did read that on this forum.

So now the dealer will start it, it'll be fine and they'll tell me to pick up. Great. Then I'll get stuck again.

Doublebase · July 2, 2019

Dealer replaced the starter. Works great now. Battery tested fine, cables good, no voltage drop on the connections...the starter just gave out.

Honestly kind of surprised the starter went after only a year and 32,000 miles. Great truck so far though...at least I finally got to use that bumper to bumper warranty.

Edited July 2, 2019 by Doublebase

Beer Belly · July 2, 2019

I had the same issue, but intermittent and the dealer kept pointing at the battery, meanwhile I was telling them the battery was fine, check the starter. They would not budge on thier diagnosis, even though I told them "When it does start, it cranks and starts strong", so I caved and paid for a battery, it was 3 years old anyhow. 2 hours later, no start, so I called them and they were sending a tow, I went outside and she fired up and drove her in. I told them once again "It's the Starter, check the damn Starter !"....his answer "Did you ever think it might be the Alternator ?".....he must of noticed my puzzled look "How the freak does a bad Alternator cause an intermittent no start ?".....to shorten an already long story......yep, new Starter

Doublebase · July 3, 2019

21 hours ago, Beer Belly said:

I had the same issue, but intermittent and the dealer kept pointing at the battery, meanwhile I was telling them the battery was fine, check the starter. They would not budge on thier diagnosis, even though I told them "When it does start, it cranks and starts strong", so I caved and paid for a battery, it was 3 years old anyhow. 2 hours later, no start, so I called them and they were sending a tow, I went outside and she fired up and drove her in. I told them once again "It's the Starter, check the damn Starter !"....his answer "Did you ever think it might be the Alternator ?".....he must of noticed my puzzled look "How the freak does a bad Alternator cause an intermittent no start ?".....to shorten an already long story......yep, new Starter

Alternator? Lol, I probably would have lost my mind at that point.

I consider myself very lucky that the truck only had to go to the dealer once for this issue because the tow truck girl was able to get it start, and it started at the dealer. But luckily the tech said he was able to get the starter to act weird once, so they threw a starter into it.

Tell you what, I don't know if they're using different starters now...if they've made changes to who's manufacturing them now...but the starter they put in it sounds different/feels different, than my other starter ever did. It's faster, you can hear it engage and spin faster. I know that sounds crazy but it's different.

I asked the dealer if they replace many starters on the 2014-2018's he said, yeah some but not an unusual amount. Meanwhile the tow truck driver said they see these trucks all of the time. Well my next starter failure will be on me, as my warranty will be out soon, but it looks like a real easy starter to replace.

Mn2014Silverado · July 11, 2019

When my 2014 Silverado does a click and then no start I loose everything. I checked all the fuses and they only had 9.2 volts, then I checked the battery and it had 12.35 volts. I have owned a lot of gm truck’s and suv’s, but this one been a pos. Problem is I love the truck when it’s running good and not acting up. If anyone got any ideas? I’m all ears!!!

Beer Belly · July 13, 2019

On 7/11/2019 at 2:33 PM, Mn2014Silverado said:

When my 2014 Silverado does a click and then no start I loose everything. I checked all the fuses and they only had 9.2 volts, then I checked the battery and it had 12.35 volts. I have owned a lot of gm truck’s and suv’s, but this one been a pos. Problem is I love the truck when it’s running good and not acting up. If anyone got any ideas? I’m all ears!!!

I'd start with the easy stuff and have a Load Test done on the battery, then check the battery connections.

Mn2014Silverado · July 13, 2019

4 hours ago, Beer Belly said:

I'd start with the easy stuff and have a Load Test done on the battery, then check the battery connections.

I have done all the battery tested good. I checked every positive and negative connection I can find. It did it again last night. You can hook a jumper to it and everything and it will not do anything. After letting it sit and waiting something resets and it starts. I scanned it after I got it started and I had 4 can bus codes in bcm, radio, dash and I don’t remember the other module. Out of all the gm vehicle I have owned over the last 20 years this one has been a pos.

Edited July 13, 2019 by Mn2014Silverado

Mn2014Silverado · July 17, 2019

I have found a tsb for this problem. TSB # PIT5391A.

Whatnext · January 20, 2020

I have just had the same problem on my 2018 silverado with 40k on it. It happened the first time 3 weeks ago. drove it, stopped and it wouldn't start. I jumped it with a jump box and then cables just to make sure.. The dash, lights and radio all come on as normal until i go to the start position, then everything goes off/black and 1 click. As i let off of start position the dash all comes on again. After watching some youtube videos and 2 hours later, i went out to the truck, reached under the passenger front fender and gave a wire a shake (thinking it went to starter) got in and it started.. Probably a total coincidence but never the less it was running. Then 3 weeks passes and it does it again. I waited 2 hours, gave the wire a shake again, and nothing. Got it towed in and luckily it still did not start when it arrived at the dealership and they diagnosed the starter. Here is the kicker, there are no starters in North America and it may take up to 3 weeks for them to get one!! I think they have a huge problem that they aren't telling us!! I work in the auto industry and i know as a parts supplier the pipeline is always full unless there is a big big issue...