Truck won't start troubleshooting

jdaddy33 · May 14, 2024

Moved my truck last night and it started fine, went back outside to move it back into driveway 10 minutes later and wouldn't start. After messing with jumper cables for awhile it finally turned over. Drove it to autozone to have them test the battery and they said seemed like cell was bad and time to replace. Bought new battery, drove home and replaced and truck started up right away. Went out this morning and truck wouldn't start, just get a click. Battery seems fine when tested with volt meter, lights and everything work. Tried to jump it with two different sets of cables and a jump pack but no luck. All I get is a click.... Any thoughts? Starter maybe? I did get some message when I started it up last night about rolling the window down and then back up, which I thought was odd. The window was actually down so I just went up and then down...Thanks for any help, just trying to trouble shoot before towing somewhere.

mikeyk101 · May 14, 2024

I had that happen earlier this year on my 2016. My battery still had enough power as everything else worked, just wouldn't start it crank. I had mine towed to dealership where they diagnosed a bad starter and replaced it. It's worked fine ever since. Well fine except my transmission took a dump a month later...

Mine gave absolutely no warning. Always started whenever key was turned. This time turning the key and I got nothing. No crank, nothing. It ran fine up until coming out of ex-wife's house and trying to start to drive away. Luckily tow truck got there fairly quick.

rav3 · May 14, 2024

Try taking a steel type rod & lightly tap the starter/solenoid a couple times the net time it does this. I it does start, yo have a sticking solenoid & will need to replace the starter.

How many miles on it?

jdaddy33 · May 14, 2024

Forgot to mention 2018 1500 Denali....

Edited May 14, 2024 by jdaddy33

jdaddy33 · May 14, 2024

44 minutes ago, mikeyk101 said:

I had that happen earlier this year on my 2016. My battery still had enough power as everything else worked, just wouldn't start it crank. I had mine towed to dealership where they diagnosed a bad starter and replaced it. It's worked fine ever since. Well fine except my transmission took a dump a month later...

Mine gave absolutely no warning. Always started whenever key was turned. This time turning the key and I got nothing. No crank, nothing. It ran fine up until coming out of ex-wife's house and trying to start to drive away. Luckily tow truck got there fairly quick.

sorry to hear about your transmission! I'm constantly worrying about that with these trucks. I had the major shudder issues at 20K miles. They did the fluid swap and has been fine since, but I've also had leaking from transfer case twice! Just dumped 4K into this truck in December (front struts, leaking seal in transfer case, front axle seal leaking, and engine oil coolant line seeping oil) and now they have already quoted me close to $900 if it's the starter. Should have bought the extended warranty!!!

jdaddy33 · May 14, 2024

49 minutes ago, mikeyk101 said:

I had that happen earlier this year on my 2016. My battery still had enough power as everything else worked, just wouldn't start it crank. I had mine towed to dealership where they diagnosed a bad starter and replaced it. It's worked fine ever since. Well fine except my transmission took a dump a month later...

Mine gave absolutely no warning. Always started whenever key was turned. This time turning the key and I got nothing. No crank, nothing. It ran fine up until coming out of ex-wife's house and trying to start to drive away. Luckily tow truck got there fairly quick.

I'm going to try tapping on the starter when I get back home today from work. Hoping to get lucky enough to get it started at least once so I can avoid the towing cost of getting to a repair shop.

Before I left I put a smart charger on the battery just in case.

It has 58,000 miles on it. If it is the starter what are the odds when I installed the new battery that it actually fired up?!?!?!? crazy! - thought I was good to go when that happened. Also makes me wonder if the battery I replaced was truly bad.... but it was almost 6 years old and the guy did test it at autozone.

asilverblazer · May 14, 2024

Check the cables for corrosion. Use jumper cables to bypass them if necessary to test. Run a jumper cable from battery positive to starter terminal. Run a jumper cable from engine to battery ground.