Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Battery died - now won't stay running

[SConklin]

I accidentally left the lights on inside the cab last night, and the batteries were nearly dead this morning. I hooked up a portable jumpstarter and tried to fire it back up. The truck will start now, but will shut off as soon as the clutch is let out, or the key is turned back from the start position. Everything else seems to be working otherwise.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Skyler


Truck's an '02 with a built 12v in it and a 6-spd, if that matters any.

 

[hsmith]

Maybe the batteries are too low to keep the shut down solenoid pulled up. Don't know of anything else on the 12 valve that has to have power to run. You can manually tie it up and try it.

 

[RStankevitz]

if the batteries where dead and you boosted it most likely the grid heaters cycling are more then the alternator can handle and causing the fuel solenoid to close.

 

[JoeBioDiesel]

Put a good charge on the batteries. If you don't have a charger, take them out and bring them to a shop that can do it for you. As a last resort, hook it to a running vehicle with jumper cables for a good 30 minutes to put a charge in them. What RS says makes sense. Start there.

Joe

 

[wcjp]

Lead acid batteries are done when taken to zero. When taken to zero it's time for replacement. Sounds like the grid heaters power requirements are too much for internally damaged batteries.

 

[SConklin]

Got a little further - got the batteries charged up - managed to start it again, but still no dice pulling the key or clutch back. As soon as either comes back, the solenoid loses its signal (guess), and physically drops (verified). My guess now is it's a relay or fuse somewhere fried. I can check the fuses, and haven't noticed any killed, but some of them are kinda dirty and/or hard to tell. As for relays, I can't tell on that one - I'm not one to try messing with a micrometer on the circuitry if I don't specifically know what I'm looking for in the first place. Anyone have any guidance for which fuse or relay may be the cause of this? Or am I still looking in the wrong direction? (shutdown solenoid itself? I don't know, but it does stay up with the starter and clutch in, so I'm guessing it's fine... ) Any ideas?
Thanks,
Skyler

 

[RStankevitz]

the fuel solenoid has to coils one that pulls it in when cranking and one that holds it in while running maybe the run coil is gone?

 

[JoeBioDiesel]

Because you put a 12V in a 24V truck... who knows how it's wired, so here's what to check for.

The fuel solenoid has 3 wires

Ground

Power when cranking (to lift the solenoid)

Power with key on (to hold it up)



Either the solenoid has smoked the "hold" coil, or the power to the "hold" side of the solenoid is not there.

This is easy to check. With a 12 Volt test light, check to see if any of the 3wires to the solenoid has power with the key on. If it does, the solenoid is probably bad. If it doesn't, then figure out where that power comes from and fix it.

The reason it runs with the key in the crank position is the "lift" portion of the solenoid is holding the plunger up.

Have fun. You're close now!

Joe

 

[SConklin]

I swapped around the relays, it started and stayed on once. After shutting it down - same problem again. So, I swapped around relays again (I don't know which one is affecting things, so I moved them all), and the same thing - starts and stays on once, then the problem is back the 2nd time around. Now, I'm either out of relays, or I was coincidentally dealing with an intermittent problem. I'm going to check power to the solenoid tomorrow.

 

[SConklin]

Well, now I hot-wired up the solenoid wires with a switch direct to the battery, and nothing. Now today, all of a sudden it won't even start while cranking and power direct to the solenoid. So... I guess that makes the solenoid the problem. Is there a better-quality replacement out there? Or is the only other option a cable? That still doesn't answer why swapping the relays made any difference. The clutch thing can easily be explained, since the starter circuitry isn't activated until BOTH the clutch and the key are turned, but the relay thing still has me confused if it really is only the solenoid.

 

[SConklin]

Any chance there's something going on with the starter solenoid that's frying components (i. e. relays and/or the solenoid coils) each time I switch it around?

 

[JoeBioDiesel]

I think you're doing something wrong. Are you attaching a ground wire?

If you're putting 12V to the Hold coil, then you have to lift the plunger up... because the Lift coil is not being activated.

Did you check to see if there is power to the Lift coil with the key on? I recommend you stop unplugging, swapping and guessing. As a mechanic I've seen an awful lot of money being tossed at a problem that can be easily diagnosed.

Joe

 

[Joe G.]

I replied to this in your 911 thead. Is the starter still running while the engine is running? If it is then when you let the clutch pedal out that will disconnect the starter. You may have burned up the fuel solenoid hold coil with all this swapping and fooling around. Try tieing the fuel solenoid up and see what happens. If the engine still runs when you let the key go back to run then you have probably burned up the hold coil. The hold coil should be wired so that it is connected directly to the start/run circuit. The pull up coil should be wired so that it is connected to a load pin on a 70 amp relay that is energized by the start circuit. In a '94 through '97 the load supply wire comes directly from the positive post of the driver's side battery on a fuseable link. The '98 uses a fuse.