Truck wont start

['87 Static Slam]

My truck is possesed by DEMONS!!

it basically starts when it wants to. my lights work, my stereo works, my air blows, but nothing happens when i turn the ignition. i can close the door and come back an hour later and it fires right up. it does this when its cold and hasnt been driven in a week, when its hot and i just stopped at the store, it does it for no apparent reason.

i think it may be that my alarm is not re-engaging the starter. All i do is close the door, set the alarm, and let it sit for a while. then i come back, de-acticate the alarm, get in and it starts right up.

i have taken it to a shop to be checked but it never does it while im there, the shop guys look at me like im crazy saying "it starts right up".

Could this indeed be my alarm? is there a way to disconnect the the starter dis-engage on my alarm?

thanks ya'll!

[Moostifer]

sounds like you're on the right track with the alarm, But I don't know squat about them. when you say you went to a shop, are you talking about a repair shop or an audio/alarm shop? I would have the audio/alarm shop check ALL connections affiliated with alarm.

Now, for the "it sounds crazy, but..." it could be your connections at the battery. I have chased many a electrical gremlins back to bad connections at the battery. don't just look at them and wiggle the wires to see if they're tight. disconnect them, clean them, remove any rust with sand paper or file, and re-asemble them. If it fixes it, great. If not, well then you know without a doubt that, that is not what is causing it

[TheSunDanceKid]

ive been doing alarms for a couple years profesionally look under your driver side dash should be a black box about the size of a pack of cigarettes look on the top of it should say "viper 550" or something like that find out what it is and ill tell you either how to bypass it or fix it
most alarms its controlled with a single 12volt relay which may have a bad connection or the relays going out usally not to comment but all it does is take your starter wire and interrupt it if you need more info PM me heres a paint i made real quick might help you the wire colors should be the same starter wire should be purple or yellow right under your steering colum should be noticeable the wires cut and butt connected off the factory

moostifer most alarms are usally not going to the battery its alot more work its easier to run it off the ignition harness then go all the way to the battery its not usally something thats done if it was done at an actuall shop it would of been "t-tapted" to the ignition harness

[old Rusty C10]

dollars to doughnuts its the alarm... ive disassembled many that have done this same thing

[Orange77]

ive got a viper alarm too and a few months ago was having the same problem. i swore it was the alarm messing up because i was having the same problems. turned out to be the starter heat soakin. swapped it out for a mini high torque hitachi and added 2 gauge wires with a few more grounds and it works way better. guarenteed to start everytime.

[texasfunk]

mine has this exact same problem, i have no alarm, at first, it was a bad ground, and the next thing to check is starter, when the solenoid gets hot(header, manifoled, exhaust heat) it does this, i replaced my starter, put a heat shield, and havent had the problem anymore

[Orange77]

yeah i had a beast of a starter. the thing was HUGE and touchin the header no way a heat shield woulda fit but i plan on puttin one on my mini after i scrap up some more cash. i also heard that painting them with that VHT paint will lower the heat from them drastically since its ceramic paint.

['87 Static Slam]

Originally Posted by texasfunk

mine has this exact same problem, i have no alarm, at first, it was a bad ground, and the next thing to check is starter, when the solenoid gets hot(header, manifoled, exhaust heat) it does this, i replaced my starter, put a heat shield, and havent had the problem anymore

mine does it when its cold too, so i dont think it's a heat issue.

went to start it today and nothing! Does everybody's do like mine does? meaning....do you still have working lights and stereo and air when this happens?

Thanks for the tips Sundance, i will get up under it sometime this week and have a look at the alarm wires.