Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Bad Starter?

[tmacc]

Truck wouldn't start this morning. I tested the batteries and they're fully charged. The starter just clicks one time, then nada. It's been a little funky the past few days. Sometimes on the first turn of the key it clicks and then on the second try it turns over and starts like normal. We've been working 6-7 days a week for the pass few months and just haven't taken the time to check it out.

So, does it sound like the starter is bad? The batteries are clean. Replaced them last year. How difficult is it to change the starter from underneath the truck? Of course this stuff always happens at the worst time.

Thanks in advance.

Tom

 

[CSnyder]

Tom, sounds like you have bad starter contacts and they are very simple to replace. Temporarily you can disconnect the grey plug next to the fuse box under the hood and use a jumper wire to the battery to get it to start. The ignition switch wiring isnt heavy enough to carry enough juice to engage a solenoid with bad contacts. The grey plug will be engine side of the drivers battery and either clips to the fuse block or battery tray. Make sure you have the key in the run position to start and if a manual trans take the trans out of gear and park brake set. You will need about a 6 inch piece of wire.



Hope this helps til you get contacts ordered and installed. I recommend Larry B's starter contacts.

 

[tmacc]

C,

Thanks for the tip. For some reason , I thought 2 Gen owners didn't need to worry about the contacts. Oh well, Apparently I was wrong. I found the grey connector, but which end do I jump? Male or female end?

 

[tmacc]

Well, good news bad news. It's the male side of the grey connector. However, when I jumped it, the starter just clicked. Argh!!

How difficult is it to pull the starter? Any major contorsions? Impossible to get at bolts?

 

[CSnyder]

Tom, there are 3 bolts holding the starter to the motor and the 2 wires going to the starter. Be sure to unhook your batteries before taking them off the starter. You will need a 10 mm socket and a 8 inch extension to reach the top bolt but other than that it is very simple work.

 

[JLittle]

no its fairly easy to get to it, 12point ten mm bolts hold it on and the battery cable nut, at end of starter where cable goes is a plate you take off to get to contacts, then go to your local starter shop and get longer reach contacts for about 1 dollar each (here anyway) and replace them, should last longer than original

 

[tmacc]

Thanks C & J,

Sounds pretty simple. SLC should have a decent starter shop.

Tom

 

[Bob Cochran]

I had a problem with intermittent starter working until finally it would not start at ALL. I put in Larry B's contacts as I was sure this was the problem which are awesome compared to what is OEM. However, it turned out it was not the contacts at all in the solenoid though I am glad I changed them. I had zero voltage to the starter solenoid when key turned to start. In my case after tracing wiring back I found it was the disable switch you know the one that disables start tell you hit unlock on the key fob. It worked ever since bypass although the disable portion of the security system no longer works. The no start was intermittent as you describe for awhile until it stopped starting completely. Hope this helps and not cause you confusion. At first I thought it was the clutch disable switch until jumpering it out and it did not help. Good luck.

 

[Thomas]

Larry Buck's starter solenoid contact install instructions: http://www.fostertruck.com/contacts_install.htm

 

[obert]

Tom, sounds like you have bad starter contacts and they are very simple to replace. Temporarily you can disconnect the grey plug next to the fuse box under the hood and use a jumper wire to the battery to get it to start. The ignition switch wiring isnt heavy enough to carry enough juice to engage a solenoid with bad contacts. The grey plug will be engine side of the drivers battery and either clips to the fuse block or battery tray. Make sure you have the key in the run position to start and if a manual trans take the trans out of gear and park brake set. You will need about a 6 inch piece of wire.



Hope this helps til you get contacts ordered and installed. I recommend Larry B's starter contacts.

I completely agree. BUT, if the contacts a really bad (it sounds like they are), the only jump left to do is from the "B" terminal on solenoid to "M" terminal, bypassing the solenoid alltogether. It would be a horrible idea to lay under the truck and do this, but you wouldn't be the first to start an engine with channel locks... . Whatever the conductor used, it would have to handle several hundred amps, and it makes some ugly weld marks on the solenoid posts.



Bench test the starter after installing the contacts so you know the starter is good before you install it. Even if some thing else is wrong, you wouldn't have wasted time on the contacts. Consider it preventive maintinence.

 

[Loren]

Tom,



Here's another vote for LarryB's starter contacts. I have had to replace the contacts in both my 1995 and my 2000 truck.



BE SURE to disconnect the negative wires to BOTH batteries before working on the starter. If you don't, you'll probably get a big surprise when you take the large wire off the starter.



The 10 mm socket needs to be a 12-point socket. I have found that an extension of about 10 inches is necessary for one of the bolts. You will be working by feel on one or two of the bolts, but it is a fairly easy job. Not as easy as changing the oil, but not too difficult either.



If you can't drive the truck and can't wait for LarryB's contacts to arrive, you may be able to clean up your current contacts (pun intended). You'll have to remove the starter and take the solenoid apart to clean them and then do the whole job over again when the new contacts arrive, but at least your truck will be a bit more reliable while you wait for the contacts.



Good luck,

Loren

 

[tmacc]

Pulled the starter today and it was pretty easy. Much easier than an injector pump R&R. The battery side contactor was worn/burned away to tinfoil thickness while the other contactor was practicaly new. The plunger wasn't too worn either. Anyway, I pick up a set local and will have them in tonight. I'm sure Larry B's are the way to go, but this truck is a work truck and it needs be be at the job site not in the drive way. Thanks everyone for the help. All you guys have been a huge help over the past 7 years.

 

[tmacc]

Got it back in this morning and it fired right up. Started at 5am and by 5:45 it was clattering like normal. Now if I can just figure out why the gasket behind the oil filter housing is leaking coolant, life would be good.

Thanks again for all of the tips and advice.

 

[CSnyder]

Im glad to hear you got it fixed up! Yours must have been clicking for quite some time for the wire jumper to not work but regardless the cheap set of contacts fixed your ride. For that leaking gasket I would double and triple check to make sure it isnt leaking the coolant directly from the head gasket. I have only seen a very few number of the oil cooler gaskets spring a leak.

 

[tmacc]

Roger that!