2004 GMC Yukon XL cranks, but no fuel after starter replacement

[jonrpick]

Hey guys...

I'm trying to get the Yukon (5.3L / 2WD) started... The ex wife was out in it and it wouldn't crank the other night. She happened to be in front of an Auto Zone. The dude there looked underneath, and while she tried starting it there was smoke coming out of the starter. So she picked up a new one.

Fast-forward to today... I just swapped the starter out (with no jack or any way to safely lift the truck, mind you). It now cranks/turns over, which is an improvement, but the only gauge that moves on the dash is the tach. I don't hear the fuel pump whine when I move the key to the run position. If I leave the key in the run position, the fuel gauge doesn't move, and the check engine light stays on, although I think the CEL being illuminated in a non-running car is normal, no?

I've seen some mention of the starter failing and causing other problems further upstream. Right now the truck is parked in the street on a cul-de-sac and needs to be moved ASAP (nosy HOA neighbor-types *will* complain).

Where do I look?

Thanks, Y'all!

~jp

 

[jonrpick]

Also... the radio is on even after pulling the key out and opening and closing the door, yet there is no sound... ‍

 

[ZooMad75]

Start checking fuses. The fuel pump and started are fed from different circuits so outside of some serious bs it should should not be effected by the starter issue.

Find the fuel pump relay in the under hood and feel for it to click when someone else turns the key on. If you have to swap it with the ac relay and try again.

 

[jonrpick]

This is getting worse. I put the windows down before I started working on it. Now they're stuck down.

 

[jonrpick]

Okay, I loosened and then retightened the negative battery cable. That restored most of the functionality and allowed the truck to start. So I think it just came down to a bad connection at the battery. I'm going to hit it with a wire brush in a little while. Almost everything works except for the dash gauges. None of them are working, including the gear indicator. Looks like crisis averted.

 

[bigjbear]

If the battery isn’t a sealed type make sure it’s not low on water. Use distilled to top off if needed. Either way I’d probably have the parts store put a load test on the battery and make sure the cables are corroded. May also want to check the other end of the the ground cable.