Need Electrical help!

[ante_up13]

I tried to start my truck this morning, and with the first turn of the key, nothing. I tried again and it turned over but didn't start. On the fourth try it started right up. I noticed a few days ago when I had my hazards on and the engine off, the voltage meter on the dash bounced back and forth a lot. Any ideas on where to start?

[guyryan100]

Checked the battery? Or alternator not charging...

[shifty]

Battery terminals clean? Solenoid (on top of starter) going bad? Solenoid and starter wires firmly connected?

[ante_up13]

Thanks for the ideas...got any more?
I checked the battery and came up with 12.7. The alternater boosts it up to about 14.3 or so. The starter cables are firmly attached. The wiring in the engine is only about 6 months old. The battery is even newer and I put in a internally regulated alternator in when I redid the engine wiring. I am totally lost,

[shifty]

Is there even a click you hear when you turn the key?

How old is the starter? The solenoid? Got a spare laying around?

[ante_up13]

The first time I turned it over this morning there was no click at all. I figured the battery must have been completely dead. Then I tried it a few more times and it seemed to be lacking power. But the fourth time it started right up. I have started up a few more times in the past few hours and again a few minutes ago and it seems to be fine. I don't know the starter's age because that is one of the things I haven't replaced yet. I have had the truck for about five years now. Is there any way to test the starter to see if it is going bad? I have replaced starters in a few other cars and it very well sounds like that might be whats happening. In my brothers tacoma(disowned him for owning a toyota ) the truck would do nothing the first few tries and then suddenly decide to turn over. Again, is there anyway of testing to see if the starter is going bad?

[ante_up13]

By the way, that should have nothing to do with the Voltage meter on the dash. Any fixes for that?

Also, that tacoma did save my a$$. It was my daily while I worked on the rebuild of the suspension( among other things) on my C-10.

[acloco]

Battery, battery connection, cable, or starter....start at the battery connectionS...both neg & pos.

[A.P.]

By the way your discribing your problem, its the starter. I had a problem with my starter in my car not long a go, it would do exactly what you discribed. Took starter apart and found the brushes were bad.

[Daxcor]

When your ground straps get old they break. I had werid problems like this after I painted my frame. The paint acted like an isulator and had bad and intermitant grounds. You could check those.

Brad

[HOTRODDAD]

by your first question you said it turned over & did not crank than turned over 4 times & crank ,you may have a ignition switch failing not sending power to starter & or power to coil ck that out switches do go bad

[Longhorn Man]

I was thinking the same as hotrod.... a bad ignition switch.
Next time it does this, look at your amp guage (which is supposed to move when there is a load on the battery and no alt charging it)
If the needle doesn't move when you turn thye key, then you are not putting a load on the system...hence, no signal to the starter.
if the guage bottoms out when you turn the key, then it is under extreem load...as in, a starter workin on leaving you stranded.
You could go to auto zone and have them test the starter for free...but they just want to sell you a starter. (DON'T get a napa starter) so they may not be the best ones to tell you if you need one.