ok I know theres been lots of threads on this and I'm sorry for not searching but I need answers fast. Drove the truck around all day today, ran perfectly normal. Got home, let it cool and shut it off. I came back out about 15 minutes later to leave again and turned the key, message lights on, radio working, waiting for the grid heater. I turned to start it and nothing happened, just a faint clicking sound. No starter attempting to work, nothing. The lights all work, so I know its not a dead battery. I checked the solenoids going to the fuel pump and there on tight. What could be the problem, and exactly how do I fix it?

 

you can have enough power to work the acessories, but sometimes it not enough to engauge the starter. if you hear clicking to me, i would assume the batteries. these motors take alot of CCA to turn over

brett

 

Sounds like you need starter contacts. Could be brushes or maybe you need a whole new starter. Those are where I would start.

Good Luck,
JP.

 

I would try to jump it off. If that works it is probably just the battery, hope I am not insulting anyones inteligence, but in my experience this is one of those things where it is easy to overlook the simple stuff. Don't ask me how I know this.

 

Exactly what mine did when the battery died.

 

Thats also what mine did when the starter quit. New brushes solved it. Get the battery tested first. If thats not it, think about the starter. Also be sure to check all your gauges. A loose one can throw lots of stuff out of wack.

 

If it's a plate type battery you probably vibration induced plate short. If it's a spiral cell, it's probably not the battery.

 

mine did the same thing hooked the jumper caables to my 18 wheeler nothing. it turned out the wire going to the starter got burnt so replaced it and all is good. morral of the story check all your connections.

 

Start with testing the starter. Jump it across or take it off and go to an autozone for free testing. Then work your way up from there. Check battery cables too

 

if battery checks good, try climbing under truck with a large hammer and whack the starter a couple times (use good judgement, dont break things). if it a contact problem, that'll usually get you another couple of starts. and please dont tell me i'm the only one on here to take my aggressions out on my starter .

daryl

 

well good news. i went back last night and it fired up the first crank, and its been doing good ever since. I'm going to have the battery checked and the starter soon so this doesn't happen again. My dad also suggested banging on the starter, so I'm prepared to do that if need be. Thanks for all you guys' input.

 

I can reach under the hood of mine with my breaker bar and hit the starter from there. Did that for about 2 weeks before rebuilding my starter.

DP

 

Sounds like its definately the starter then. it's got a dead spot.

 

Throw a set of starter contacts at it. BC847 did a nice write-up, look for it in the sticky.

 

Glad you got it going. Any chance that it was the neutral safety switch and moving the shift lever fixed it? Like they said, probably something simple.