Starter problems

[620fever]

Hey guys, having problems getting my truck started. Tested the starter and the battery, both are fine. I'm assuming there's an issue with the wiring somewhere unfortunately I don't know the first thing about wiring. The feed wire is where I'm gonna start, I'm thinking that's likely the issue, I tested it and it read that it was getting juice but I'm not confident that there's a good connection to the starter (the connector pops off the starter all the time). I guess my main question is whether there could be any other wiring issues or issues elsewhere I haven't thought of? I'm turning the ignition and don't get anything, lights and everything else seems to work fine, and like I said I already tested the battery and the starter. Thanks in advance for the help.

[datzenmike]

Crimp a new connector on the wire first.

 

The starter draws hundreds of amps so the connections to and from the battery must be good and robust. Check the battery terminals, clean and make sure they are tight. Poor battery clamps will give poor connections. Check the other ends. The ground strap where it bolts to the head and the positive cable where it bolts to the starter lug. Clean and tight.

 

Now if there is still a problem what is it??? Does the starter click several times before catching and cranking normally? This could be the start signal from the ignition key. Only way to be sure is to measure the voltage on the wide with it off the starter. It should be 11 or 12 volts but the wire goes all the way back to the ignition, at least 10 feet through the harness and then another 8-10 feet back to the battery on 30-40 year old wires. My 710 did this and the start signal was only 5-6 volts. The starter solenoid would click faintly or not at all. The fix was to use this weak signal to energize a relay that supplies a full 12 volts from the battery.

[620fever]

Done...it was the old ass connector for the feed. Thanks for the help.

[banzai510(hainz)]

this just happen with me on my 521. I thought it was a Orileys starter bad already.

Ck cked with volt meter its reads 12volts.

but grabbed a jumper wire and went from +batt to the selinoid tab on starter and cranks right over.

 

I sqeezed the connecter so it would grab better.

DONE

[620fever]

I'm actually thinking something else might be wrong now, it's hard to say. I'm still having trouble with it starting. Sometimes it acts like nothings wrong, starts right up. Then other times ill crank it over repeatedly and replace the connector and still wont start. Not sure what it is, I'm thinking I'll try to replace the entire wire.

[izzo]

Either that, or something simple is a hot start relay.

 

You basically get a 5 dollar bosch relay. And hook it up, it will for sure send 12 volts to the connector. Next time its having a hard time starting check the starter wire with a multi-meter and see if you're at 7-12v.

 

If you do the bosch relay, its 12v every time as its basically shooting power straight off the battery to the starter.

[datzenmike]

I'm actually thinking something else might be wrong now, it's hard to say. I'm still having trouble with it starting. Sometimes it acts like nothings wrong, starts right up. Then other times ill crank it over repeatedly and replace the connector and still wont start. Not sure what it is, I'm thinking I'll try to replace the entire wire.

 

So does it turn the motor over every time you turn the key to start? and some times it starts and some times it doesn't??? Because that doesn't sound like a starter problem to me.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Then other times ill crank it over repeatedly????????

 

if it cranks then the wire is good but still not starting is soemthing else

 

if you got points I always ck for spark. then ck the vsalve lash. You can alwasy look under the the cap rotor to see anything obvious.

 

smell like gas? flooding

[620fever]

Sorry for the late response, no I'll turn the ignition repeatedly but starter doesn't crank. I couldn't see it being anything other than a wiring issue, just got to find the time to screw with it. Thanks for the help.

[Suspect]

the next time it wont start, make sure its out of gear and not going to roll away (unless its automatic, leave in park). pull the small wire off the starter, usually is a flat female spade connector. jump with a screw drive the male spade (starter side) to the main power on the starter. if it cranks then the starter is good.

 

after you do this and the starter is good, then either grab a test light or just a 12 volt light (example turn signal bulb and holder with wires on it), put one wire on the battery ground, and the + or positive (on the test light) in the female side of the little starter wire. either make the wires long enough so you can put the light on the cowl by the wipers so you can see it from the inside of the truck or have someone hit the key for you. on crank position the light should light up, if it don't check the connections again, and try again. if the bulb or test light still dont light up then you have a wiring problem, possibly ignition switch problem, or bad connection somewhere.

 

if the starter don't crank with a screw driver then either you have a bad connection on the big wire from the battery to the starter. you can use a test light to see if you have power on the big wire but it still wont tell you if there is enough power to crank. you can have power and still not have a good enough connection.

[Suspect]

If you get confused, I'm sorry. Sometimes I have trouble explaining things that come easy to me. If you want I can make you a video tomorrow on what I just told you.

[datzenmike]

Either that, or something simple is a hot start relay.

 

You basically get a 5 dollar bosch relay. And hook it up, it will for sure send 12 volts to the connector. Next time its having a hard time starting check the starter wire with a multi-meter and see if you're at 7-12v.

 

If you do the bosch relay, its 12v every time as its basically shooting power straight off the battery to the starter.

 

 

Measure the distance from the battery to the ignition key... got to be at least 7-8 feet taking into account all the bends in the harness and then back out and to the starter... at least the same distance. That's about 15 feet and I think 7 (or more) connections through 40 year old wiring.

 

Basically this what I did on my 710 sedan. The starter was hit or miss. Some time it would crank sometimes click or nothing. I measured the start signal on the small wire to the starter and instead of 12 volts it was 5 -7volt and not strong enough to pull the solenoid in. You can use this weak start signal to energize a relay that will supply a solid +12 to the starter. I have never had the starter fail to turn since this simple mod.

[banzai510(hainz)]

my earlier post

but grabbed a jumper wire and go from +batt to the selinoid tab on starter and cranks right over.\

 

then its a weak signal form the key switch

 

 

get a relay or crimp the connector on better. better yet measure the voltage

[Rays74]

My truck does this constantly.....click click click boom start! I thought it was the key switch or the solenoid since I could cross the big terminals on the starter and it would spin. Swapped new key switch, nope.....then grabbed a cheapy volt meter and checked the little signal wire to the solenoid and......yup, just like others have mentioned there was a significant voltage drop like 7-8v. I just picked up the necessary bits to do the hot start relay fix :)

Hoping for no more clicky clicky...lol.

[izzo]

It should solve the problem. Have you done this yet, if so what's the results yo?

[Rays74]

Naw, been a bit lazy :) Will do soon though,