No start but have juice. need advice

[farfromhome]

TRuck wont start.I tried hooking up a tach but I think that caused the problem. I have about 12 volts in the battery,lights and wipers work.Tried to jump it, battery was getting 14+ volts when the jumper cables were hooked up but still wouldn't start. Checked all connections at battery and the conection at the ignition switch are tight.So I believe my starting circuit is faulty,isn't there a inline fuse in the harness? How do I go about tracking down the problem? Anybody have a problem like this before any help would be greatly appreciated.

Heres a little story about always disconnecting the ground cable before you unhook the starter.I didn't do it and I'm undoing the wiring on the starter to check the connection while under the truck and the ratchet handle hits the trans cooler line sparks start flying,I say "Oh @#$%" ratchet handle welds itself to the cooler line,sparks continue to fly,I smack the handle off the line,ratchet decides to take a chunk of the line with it and cooler line starts to drain tranny fluid.Awesome,I laugh and call myself a dumba$$ and go order a new line.One step forward two steps back.

[Longhorn Man]

LOL @ the learning to arc weld! Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and scars to prove it.
As for your starting problem...what exactly is it doing....is it cranking slowly...clicking... doing absolutly nothing...do the lights dim when you try to crank it...is the starter motor spinning but not turning the engine over?

[farfromhome]

Starter wont spin solenoid wont even click,when I turn the key just the sound of silence,the lights don't dim and the the brake warning light comes on for an instant like its supposed to.I'm stumped and I suck with electricity as we've already established.

[Longhorn Man]

First thing...wiggle the shifter handle (automatic trans) while trying to crank it over.
second thing, bypass the neutral safety switch....a 3 inch section of wire is all you need...unplug the wire that goes into the bottom of the column...the one with the purple wire....jump the purple wire to the other wire on that same plug. And try to crank it over. Make sure it is in park or neutral now...it WILL start in gear
Still nothing?
third thing, crawl under truck, look at starter, is the purple wire hooked up? Is it sevored from your arc welding? Is it on the S terminal on the starter? Repair anything you see wrong.
Fourth thing, tap the starter with hammer...don't beat the hell out of it, but more than a love tap.
Fith thing, VERY CAREFULLY arc the large post of the starter to the S terminal with some needle nose pliers. Be ready for the engine to crank...hands off the torque converter, make sure it is in park, and be ready to get startled...the starter is loud as hell under there.
That should keep you buisy...tell us what happens, and we can give you more detailed testing, or you might figure it out as you go along.



Your tach shouldn't keep it from cranking over.

[72 CustomCamper]

I had that problem this afternoon. I just installed a new motor and thought I had all the wires hooked up right. I had lights, horn everything but starter. Turns out I had the small purple wire on the starter on the wrong side of the starter. Switched it to the other side and she fired up. Don't know if that's your problem but couldn't hurt to check...


Chuck

[farfromhome]

Thanks for the tips Longhorn Man and 72 Custom Camper,you're right I will be busy this afternoon, I'll let you know how it turns out appreciate the help you guys give on the board. Whats the reading the coil should have when I put the Multimeter on it?

[skillet]

A good way to cure the welding problem and also the hot start problem is to install a remote solenoid. I studied the design like Painless sells and then made my own bracket for the starter and bought a solenoid from the parts store. It starts so much easier now, even seems to start better in cold weather and hooking up a remote starter is easier and safer.

[farfromhome]

LOnghorman, I did all the steps you said to do and nothing happened until I did the direct connection from the big post on the starter to the S terminal on the starter. It turned over. This means my ignition switch is bad or the starter harness is bad right? Thanks for the help,whats next?

[GMC AMI]

Solenoid on the starter most likely the cause, by jumping the terminals you are bypassing the soleniod.

[Brainchild]

Actually jumping across the terminals with a screwdriver just activates the solenoid.THe problem is between the switch,and the starter.

I welded a wrist watch to the alternator bracket much the same way once.Burned a nice circle around my wrist,and hurt like a mutha

[djracer]

I shorted my wedding ring between the positive post of a battery through a rachet to ground. It glowed red and hurt just like that.

[dwaite72lnghrn]

I'm thinkin burnt wire or burnt ignition switch . Light gauge wire just don't hold up to welding.

[cableguy0]

guys that arc welding is exactly why you will be hardpressed to find a mechanic wearing any rings or jewelry of any kind. the dont mix well with dc electric or bench grinders

[farfromhome]

Thank God I'm not the only one making sparks uneccessarily.

My new neighbor Who turns out to be a mechanic helped me out and held a test light on the starter while I had the key in the start position, there is current present when the key is turned. He said the culprit is the solenoid,so I took the starter to Autozone for the free test,they said it was fine but I don't trust them. The guy seemed stoned and unsure the tester was working. I think I'll try a real starter shop tommorow. How could I tell if its the ign switch, and isn;t there a fusible link in that harness to the starter from the ign switch? AAppreciate everyones help, thanks guys.

[Longhorn Man]

Hmmm, if there is 12 volts at the S terminal...it should crank over.
By Jumping the large post and the S terminal, you are bypassing everything in the truck...and proving that BOTh the starter and solonoid are working properly.

[Brainchild]

Better run some more tests on the purple wire.I'm sure it's the culprit,whether it's the switch or wire itself.

[GMC AMI]

I just had same problem on a 72. Changed only solenoid and it starts fine now. I did not change the switch and all wires were good prior to changing. One soleniod I had before used to ground out internally and kill all fire to ign. It was a devil to figure that one out. The only way to keep it running was to disconnect the s wire. If you bypass
the soleniod circuit by jumping the post you provide a new pathway for the electricity
and activates the soleniod to work. He has power to the s post, solenoid most likely
has a break in the internal circuits. Jumping posts only proves starter is working not the solenoid since you are bypassing the internal circuits of the solenoid.

[farfromhome]

WEnt to starter shop todayand the guy said to check the S post with a voltmeter, While the key is in the start position,less than 9 volts indicates a problem with wiring harness or ignition switch. MOre than 9 volts the solenoid is most likely the problem. So I 'll check that, I hope its the solenoid.

[Jeremy_5]

farfromhome,
Did you ever figure the problem out? Just curious? It has to be on the ignition switch side if you jump the "S" and "B" terminal all you are doing is bypassing the control circuit side. If it cranked over that means that the selenoid is ok. Have you tried turning on your headlights and trying to crank the engine over? If they don't dim it should mean you have a problem on the ingition switch side.