Urgent, truck won't start, can't figure it out

[sled_dog]

Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

I put a new starter in it, battery and charge are fine, solenoid is used but not old(month at the most) and it just clicks. Thats it, just clicks. I can't move the truck at all, have to get up and be at work by 6 in the morning so there is no time to get more parts or anything. I just bought the starter, its a reman unit, I bought a starter for an 85 chevy cause the one for the damn 97 is about $170. This is my 97 Vortec truck. Only thing I could think is the starter doesn't have enough power to turn over the motor cause Vortecs have a little higher compression, but that doesn't make sense when you consider my dad runs a starter off one of my K5s to turn over his 11:1 compression race motor. I learned that the bedsides on a newer truck give quite well and don't dent from repeated punches. Knuckles bleed though. Why is it everytime I spend a lot of money on a vehicle to get out from under things breaking every other day, things still break every other day?

 

[mudhog]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

have you tried jumping the solenoid?

 

[sled_dog]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

I tried it on the old starter, it clicked but the starter didn't engage, didn't try with the new starter. The new truck sucks, I'm getting steadily sicker of it. All the wiring and parts are crammed nice and tight in there to make it all a huge pain in the ass.

 

[mudhog]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

try it now and see what happens

 

[boggerless]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

so the old starter clicked and now the new one is doing it? the engine isn't locked up is it? /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gifto /forums/images/graemlins/truck.gif

 

[boggerless]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

mine is clicking but not turning over because my starter is oil soaked from that missing plug. /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gifto /forums/images/graemlins/truck.gif

 

[bigyellowjimmy]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

Check voltage at the starter, make sure you got battery voltage on the batt wire and voltage on the small wire when you turn key to 'crank'

If so, make sure the engine isnt seized, if not remove the starter and bench test it

Good luck /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[sled_dog]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

I'm so tired of this damn truck I can't deal with it. Would an improperly shimmed starter not engage the flywheel and there by just click? Wouldn't it freewheel? I can't remove the flexplate cover to check, whoever did the transmission work torqued the cover bolts to the point that I can't believe the aluminum housing didn't snap. And being a piece of flaming [darn] 2wd its about 10" off the ground so I can just barely crawl under it and just barely move my arms around to work on the damn thing. My neck and shoulders are so sore that much more of this I'm gonna pull a neck muscle. I know I'm just complaining but I'm taking a break and need to. Thinking I need to sell this thing pretty badly and just get a K30. Sure it sucks on a gas but as long as everything is quality parts I'd drive that into the ground. This thing I'm not sure I trust going to work everyday.

 

[bigyellowjimmy]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

Naw man, take a deep breath, cool off, jack it up so you have room and do it /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

I had to replace a starter on a Bonneville on the ground today too, 108 degrees and no room......wish I would have brought a jack with me /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif

 

[boggerless]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

yes it could,i actually had sparks come out of my starter once.took 5 times to get the prick right.(mostly it was because it was 18 degrees out).try and get a ride to work and take a break bro. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gifto /forums/images/graemlins/truck.gif

 

[sled_dog]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

I can't jack it up. I tried and the only place to jack from well it fell off the jack plain and simple. The truck is stuck in a rut that I can't push it forward or back and where its sitting its sitting on a big metal plate thats on an angle so I can't put a jack under it. I must say its for sale, I hate this new [darn], I knew that when I sold my 95, it may look and ride "nice" but it is more of a pain in the ass than its worth. If my K5 broke down every other day it was simple stuff, this gets so complex and consuming I can't deal with it. worst of all I have been forgetting my medication and this [darn] ALWAYS happens when I forget that.

 

[highrider_44s]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

Check the volts going to the starter then check the ground to the motor and the ground to the body if it still clicks and everything checks out then solinoid is probable the culprit you can try and give it a smack sometimes it might start once more if is still doesn't work and you can't replace the solinoid you cantake it off and turn the contact screw that is at the front of the solinoid under the cap 180* (once you take the cap off you should be able to see the wear on the contact point) just make sure you bench test it before you put it in /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
this is on a chev i assume?

 

[sled_dog]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

I can't check teh voltage or test it while its in the truck, its too cramped. I can't get a test light in there and there is no way I can jump the solenoid in the truck. Such a pain, I've never shimmed a starter so I have no idea if I need to do that. And I can't remove the flexplate cover to ever begin doing that. Now what I need to do is just stop, take a break, and go shopping for a [darn] K30 with a [darn] big block and an SM465. what do I care about gas mileage anyway? I haven't paid for gas in about a year. Smashed the little Vortec silencer thing on top of the motor. Very satisfying, cheap plastic crap shrapneled nicely.

 

[justhorsinaround]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

On the voltage thought, go ahead and remove both of the battery cables at the battery and make sure they are not corroded. That could cause a just click syndrome. Most probably not the problem as you say the voltage at the battery is good but just a thought.

Good luck to y'all in the future. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Allan

 

[sled_dog]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

I had the charger attached to the cables running on the engine start cycle and everything was the same. Thanks though.

 

[heavy4x4]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

I had the same problem with my truck. I turned the key one day and just got clicks. I replaced the starter thinking that was the problem...same thing. I charged the battery up with my Dad's truck and the engine turned over without a problem.

Jump-start your truck and see if that does it!

Good luck.

 

[bryguy00b]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

when u put the solonioied on the new starter did u put it all together right?

 

[diesel4me]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

I wonder if the starter nose is different on a 97 vortec vs.the older ones,and the starter drive gear wont align with the flexplate??. /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gifHas anyone done a similar swap?.

 

[sled_dog]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

side by side they look the same. I have energy again after a nights sleep and a days work so time to get back to it.

 

[sled_dog]

Re: Urgent, truck won\'t start, can\'t figure it out

hmmm, bench tested the damn thing and it worked fine, put it in, click. Got to retry the connections I guess. Battery is dead(left the key on all night) but the charger should be supplying enough juice to at least crank.