Truck won't start

[JRasnake]

Hello All,



Okay, okay, I know this is simple, just some troubleshooting needed. Just hoping it is something simple.

Trucks block heater is plugged in over night. Get in truck, turn key to run, wait for wait to start light to go out, does not take long cause block is warm. Turn key to start and all I get is a click and nothing. Even when key is turned back to off and back to run, nothing is working, no power windows, no buzzer for open door, nothing, nada, zip!



I get back home today and check battery. It is fine. So I hop in truck and try it again. Initially, have electricity to everything, windows, open door buzzer, everything. wait to start goes out, then turn key to start, click and nothing, everything dead. While key is in run mode, get out and check voltage on battery, it is 12 volts or slightly more. Turn key off.



Unhook battery and check , again 12 volts. Sealed battery.



So I break out the auto battery charger. Within a minute or two, charger shows battery as full.



Something I noticed, after truck wouldn't start, I popped the hood. While I was standing there, I heard a relay click. After a about 5-10 seconds, I heard a relay click again, sounded like it was on the drivers side fenderwell area!



Any ideas?



Thanks,

Fiddlemaker

 

[fritzcartage]

start simple stuff first check batt terminals for corrosion or loose



i dont know about the relay that you heard though sorry

 

[PToombs]

Sounds like a classic bad connection. Check the battery terminals and the grounds. Do you have those clamp on replacement terminals? They suck! They always seem to break connection in the clamp part under the band.

 

[JHumphries]

Sounds like a classic bad connection. Check the battery terminals and the grounds.

I agree. I had the exact same problem. The cable had a little ledge at the top of the clamp. When I pushed the cable down, that ledge was the only thing that made contact.

Try to wiggle the cable after a failed start attempt and see if everything else turns on.

Or, if you have a volt meter, put one lead on either post and the other lead on the same clamp. If you do not see 0V, you have a bad connection on that clamp. Try it on both.

 

[JRasnake]

Left the charger on for a couple of hours. Went out and tried to start it. Would you believe it started right up!

Going to leave charger on overnight and see what happens in the morning!

Thanks everyone!



Fiddlemaker

 

[Greenleaf]

I have terrible luck with startingmy 1992. I have done everything to eliminate problems, and in some cases, replaced the same item more than once just to be sure!



This summer, the truck failed once again. After much research, I have concluded that my batteries will only last two years time. I drive the vehicle little and it sets all winter out of doors. If I do drive it to work, it only runs for 5 minutes tops as my commute is less than three miles.



This Fall, I pulled the battery for indoors storage and charge it once per month. In doing so, I hope to extend the battery life. I have also switched over to the group #31 stud posts. I had to convert the battery cables over to the 3/8th inch eye terminal as they are easier to remove and reinstall compared to the lead clamps which crack.



Of special note, I have had problems w/ BOTH trucks starting and so had a local electric garage rebuild both ORIGINAL starter motors. The starters, I was told, were in top condidtion even after well over 300,000 miles. The contacts were cleaned and the gear reduction was cleaned and greased. I understand many owners find that the starter is burned up and/or unservicable... ...

 

[ChrisWilliams]

These larger batteries take a while to charge and short trips will not completely replenish the battery. Keep in mind, a fully charged battery will read 13. 2 volts, 2. 2 volts per cell, no-load. If your battery is reading 12 volts without a load, it needs a lot of charging and the alternator will not do the job ina reasonable amount of time. I wouldn't hesitate to put a 10 amp charge to the battery for 8 hours or more. Depending on your charger, it may take a couple of days to fully charge your battery. You want your battery to hold at least 12. 6 volts no-load without the surface charge and not fall below 12 volts under load. If your battery cannot do this after charging, replace it. Immediately after charging, I would expect the battery to read 13. 2 volts or better. If your truck sets a lot, put a solar battery maintainer on it. Most come with a plug and ring connectors to connect to your battery. You can fuse the circuit and run the wires through the firewall, putting the solar panel on the dash, or hook it up outside. A solar maintainer will put a few hundred milli-amps into you battery during daylight hours, which is enough to keep it topped off. It will not charge a weak or dead battery. I do this on tractors with 1000+ CCA batteries, they always start and the batteries really last. This will extend the life of a new battery and help keep a marginal battery going.



If you have a situation like Greeleaf, where you mainly drive short distances and not very often, I would invest in an onboard battery charger/maintainer like you see on boats. Wire it to your battery and simply plug-it in when you park the truck at home. You can get a single bank onboard charger for about the price of a battery.

 

[JHumphries]

If you have a situation like Greeleaf, where you mainly drive short distances and not very often, I would invest in an onboard battery charger/maintainer like you see on boats. Wire it to your battery and simply plug-it in when you park the truck at home. You can get a single bank onboard charger for about the price of a battery.

One of the water proof battery tenders would be perfect. Mount it under the hodd and let the plug hang out like a block heater.

I go out to sea for three months at a time. I bought a 4 battery tender and put all my batteries on that. My rides start great everytime. The real battery tender will not overcharge the batteries.

 

[RedRamAndy]

I had a similar problem with my truck. Found out it was a corroded cheapo clamp-on replacement battery cable end that a prior owner had put on. I went to AZ and got a replacement. I really LOVE this one. It is gold plated brass and the wires clamp in the pockets in the back with allen-head setscrews. It wasn't big enough for the lead on my truck, but it had two big ports in it. I ended up stripping back about and inch and a half and splitting my truck cable to put it into both holes. I used Vaseline on the cable to prevent corrosion before putting it in. This type of end also has a few extra ports for accessory wires and a terminal screw on the end of the clamp bolt. I love it! Well worth the 14 bux.