Some times the connection into the solenoid will loosen up or even burn. I would still suggest you clean and tighten all the connections topside. If you pull the starter and take it to a repair center they can replace the solenoid and it should be considerably cheaper than replacing the whole thing.

 

I'm wondering, since the battery cable was loose, is it possible that it wasn't maintaining the battery charge completely? I had voltage, but maybe not the amperage I needed to turn the starter. But then, why would it crank going directly from the battery? Maybe I'm way out in left field...

 

Yeah, it sounds like the amperage is there or it wouldn't have busted off so fast when you installed the jumper.

 

Just some miscellaneous here....

5 or 6 times in the past I've found vehicle that had battery cables that looked just dandy. However when taking a sharp knife and cutting a little slice in battery cable insulation right next to lugs the truth was seen, nasty green corrosion on every wire strand! Temporary fix is to wash it down with WD-40, but the cable must be replaced ASAP!

Have also seen more than a few battery cables that looked good but when you cut back insulation next to lug there's several or most of the individual strands broken in half!

Grounds are every bit as important as Positive connections, at least 50% of electrical problems are a ground fault. Requires CLEAN bare metal to bare metal with clean screws and connectors etc. As mentioned above, engine ground strap is the basic, clean bare metal at block and at firewall or wherever else it connects. I also run Auxiliary Grounds from radiator support to inner fender panels, and from inner fender panels to firewall, and from cab to bed. Quite often components and devices are grounded to a panel and the panel's ground continuity may have failed, so a jumper is extra insurance and also increases current flow if needed.

Most external voltage regulators and light socket/housings ground through their casing to chassis, so I run a jumper wire from VR casing or light housings to chassis clean bare metal. These jumpers should be good heavy wire, at least 14ga and prefer 12ga or 10ga. Note that automotive wire is different from residential or commercial/industrial wire, has many more individual and much finer strands for the same gauge wire. Always use automotive for automotive.

A battery maintainer can save lots of grief.

 

The negative battery connection was/still is bad. I'd bet when you probed battery voltage, you probed on the battery posts, not the connectors. Voltage to the starter was essentially zero. The battery was effectively disconnected by the loose and oxidized battery connector.

Clean and/or repair your battery connections and yer good to go.

I keep mine from corroding up by touching the tip of my dipstick to the connectors when I check the oil. Makes the top of the battery a bit dirty as the oil collects dust, but the oil also gets into any place acid would get and effectively blocks it.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head. I DO think it was the connection. I drove the truck today, shutting it off and starting it multiple times with no issues. And I did probe it on the posts, not the connectors. They are clean and tight now! It's funny how the simplest things can cause such a headache! Thanks for the input.

 

I hope your problem is fixed but I am not convinced. If it was a battery connection problem it would not have started when you used the jumper wire. My 92 had the same problem and it was one of the fuseable links, which is a short piece of wire designed to burn out if there is a problem, sometimes with age they fail. I will try to watch this in case your problem returns.

 

Maybe I should replace the word "bad" with "intermittent".

I've seen the oxide coating in a loose and corroded battery connection do all sorts of goofy things. One that I've seen more than once is that the car would start, but not charge the battery due to that oxide acting as a semi-conductor.

That's why where you place your probe when troubleshooting is critical to the process.

 

I agree with you 100%. With electrical problems anything is possible. Everyone needs to know how important your point is about where to place the meter probe... on the cable end not the battery post. The number one thing I hear when people are checking batteries is, " The battery is good because it reads over 12 volts". I tell them they can also put 8 "AA" batteries in series and get 12 volts but they won't get to first base starting the truck.

 

Well, among other things I'm old enough and experienced enough in electricity and electronics that I can repair most vacuum tube radios without a diagram.

I've seen a thing or two.

 

More important is what it reads when you put a load on it.