Archived No start, no pump noise, starter clicks

[scuby22]

Hi all,

I've only posted a few times, but now my truck is broke and I could really use some help. My 99 ext cab 4x4 auto has some strange issues lately. While driving home my headlights, dashlights, etc will pulse from dim to bright. It's not constant, but it has happened sporatically 4 or 5 times. My starter wouldn't engage a couple times over the last three days. I know I should have made the connection, but I didn't. I thought the starter was bad, so after I dropped, and installed the new starter, still no start. So I decide to check my batteries. I guess they're a little low at 12. 4V. I have two red top Optima's less than 8 mo. old. When I hit the starter, they drop to 12. 0V. So then as I'm putting the neg. cable back on, I see a good spark. Doors are shut and the key is off. So now I measure bat voltage with cable off, and they're about 12. 7, then attach the cable and they drop to about 12. 4. So I'm pretty sure I have a short somewhere, but I've been looking for two hours and still have no idea. I disc onnected the alternator, but the short is still there. If anyone knows of any shorts that are common on these trucks, I'm all ears. I'm charging the batteries right now, and I hope that the fuel pump starts working, cause it stopped runnning the 25 seconds when key is switched on. I hope the pump stopped because of low voltage. We'll see. I also have a 12v connection at the front and back of the truck for winching, that I rarely use, but cables are run through the frame which would be a pain to check. I put the multimeter on the positive connection and ground to check for connectivity, but it was open. So I think the cables are ok.

 

[JFaughn]

A couple of things to try , if you can get an amp gauge , the easyest would be an inductive that you just put in contect with the wires in question, but for this Q. to the batt. cable [ you can do this without gauge ] pull fuses one at a time , each time touch the batt. cable to batt. and watch for spark to go away , with newer stuff there will always be some draw , memorey for both radio & computor ,but that may be a small enough that you may not detect, when the larger spark goes away then that fuse pulled will get you narowed done where to look. also at night see if your glove compartment lite stays on ,or during the day open and push the switch very slowly [ some times the door and switch will not move enough to turn it off] . fill in your signature in control pannel to make it easyer to help.

 

[B.G. Smith]

You may have a short somewhere but I don't think that is the reason for the truck not starting. Sounds like a loose/bad connection somewhere in the electrical system, possibly at one end of one of the battery cables, also could be the main wire going to the PDC. Check the cable wher it grounds to the engine and to the body/frame. There is a timer that is activated when you open the door I believe that has something to do with the seat belts etc. that will draw pretty good voltage till it times out. It takes 30 minutes to time out. Good luck. bg

 

[scuby22]

I just checked and there is a 10 amp draw. The draw stops when I disconnect the positive terminal from the fuse box under the hood. One by one I removed each fuse and relay, unscrewed the alt fuse which I had already disconnected, and there was still the same draw the entire time. Is there a power lead from the main box under hood that goes somewhere else? I did the same thing with the fuse box on the driver's dash, but same results. I'm so confused. I charged the batteries to 14 volts and still no start, but the pump did pump for 20 seconds. atleast the pump is working. I really need my truck tomorrow.

 

[bavrit]

The lights flickering is probably a bad relay going to your grid heaters, they could be switching on and off. Disconnect the heaters and see if your flickering goes away. When you say the starter will not engage, does this mean it spins, clicks or does nothing? If your starter does nothing it could be your park sensor, try neutral. Good luck

 

[B.G. Smith]

The intake air heaters solenoids (under the drivers side battery) are not fused and the main lead to the starter is not fused. Could be one of the solenoids to the intake heaters. Try disconnecting the main lead to the heater solenoids (should be a #6 wire directly to the battery positive terminal). If that's not it try disconnecting the main lead to the starter. You should be able to start the truck by jumping between the big terminal and the small terminal on the truck. The no start could be the neutral switch in the transmission but not the battery drain? bg .

 

[scuby22]

I'm getting a clicking noise at the starter. Sounds like the solenoid is kicking, but the starter won't turn. It's a brand new starter. I know it could be a bad new starter, but it's the exact same thing it was doing with the old starter. I checked the resistance on the bat cables, . 3 ohms. 12. 6 volts at the starter, batteries drop to about 12. 1 volts when i turn the key to start. I checked the relays at the PDC, and the starter relay is engaging. The strange part is that yesterday when I first started working on this problem, it was about 1pm. I was still working at 8pm. I went inside for a couple hours, came out at 10pm, and it started right up. Now this morning, just clicking again. I was reading the Haynes, and It said to jump the small black wire to the big red positive right on the starter. Just clicks, like when I turn the key. Could someone tell me what the two solenoids on the fender well are for. Just curious. It sure seems that the starter isn't getting enough juice, but I even hooked a jumper cable from positive on the bat. to the pos terminal on the starter to make sure it had enough power, still just a click. I checked the ground cables and they show . 2 ohms resistance. This is a simple system, I just don't know what I'm missing. Thanks for any help... .

 

[JFaughn]

the 2 relays on the fender are for the heaters in the intake manifold , that could be an area to look at also , I did'nt notice if you had tried this , run a jumper cable from the batt. + to the large cable on the starter relay then with a small wire jump from the batt. + to the ing wire on the starter relay , also run the other jumper cable to starter body to ground this should bypass every thing and be a good test for the starter & solinoid , if you still get a clicking and the batteries are fully charge then move the batt. + jumper cable to the short heavy cable form the starter to the solinoid and the starter motor should spin but not ingauge the fly wheel becouse your bypassing the bendix inthe solinoid , so now with the results -starter motor spins its ok -jumping solinoid & starter starts eng. then back up stream to find problum , -------but you want to comfirm every idea so you only put in the the parts you realy need------, the jumper cables batt. to starter confirm the main ,witch could also be in ? remember to keep cool or an inantiment object will win the battle that it does not have the ability to do , that means we can only beat ourselfs, this were the mellowing agent of your choise , bear, meditation ??? is a good tool to work with. hopefully someone will show up with a wiring diagram.

 

[K5IP]

If you are really getting 12. 1 Vdc at the starter while trying to start, that should be enough voltage to turn the starter. Were you reading directly across the starter, (starter frame as ground) or were you using the neative battery terminal for your ground reference?

If you were using the battery terminal, go back and check directly across the starter. If this test indicates a low voltage, You might have a ground return problem.

Rog

 

[p-Bar]

CHECK YOUR BATTERY CABLES MAY LOOK FINE AND CAN DRAW AT LOWER AMPS BUT WHEN YOU PUT THE BIG LOAD OF THE STARTER ON ... ... . IT WOULD OF BEEN CHEAPER THAN THE STARTER TO REPLACE

Don