fatt

So I just got some new ends put on my battery cables, and since NAPA doesn't have a factory replacement end I used ring terminals for the other thick black wire and the small pink one. Anyways now I have power to everything I tried (lights, blinkers, radio, grids, etc), but when I turn the key to start, the relay on the driver side fender clicks but the starter does nothing at all. I accidentally found out (with a wrench) that the big cable has power at the starter so I know the cable isn't the problem. So why won't my starter turn on?

Bencie

Trigger wire to starter solenoid

TheMrAMack

This guy may be on to something.
Also, You might also want to wiggle your connections and wires around. You might not be getting good contact.

fatt

What do you mean? I figured it has something to do with that but I don't know where I've got it wrong.

j_martin

Where else did you draw a spark with your test wrench?

fatt

Both ends of the really big positive cable have spark.

simplysmn

take the wire going to starter and jump it see if it start's if it does replace your start relay I bet it's Bad ????

fatt

So I replaced the starter relay and that made no difference. I got a test light and it shows power at that small starter wire when I turn the key. Only thing I noticed odd is that the post that the wire hooks onto moves around quite a bit.

TheMrAMack

I think you should be able to tighten down the nut on the post that the wire attaches too.

Another thing you might try, is tap on the starter with a hammer, and get someone else to try and start it while you are tapping it. If it starts then, you either need to rebuild your starter or replace it.

nolafishr

Check and retighten the battery cables, I had that same issue when I changed mine out a few months back. I learned to keep some tools in the truck with me because I was not home at the time when it happened.

Jim Lane

I use an old headlamp with a burned out low filament (I seem to have a lot of these) for a test lamp with about 6' of 12-gauge zip cord and test clips on the free end, it lives in the box it came in and is taped togather with duct tape.

I use this to check relay and problem circuits because using a small hand held test lamp cannot draw enough current only milliamperes off the circuit to really determine if there is enough current to pull in the relay, you could have a high resistance or corroded connection somewhere and the small indicator lamp would still light and give you false information where as the headlamp would load the circuit at about 5-amps.

Also it is easy to prop up the lamp under the hood and be able to see the lamp illuminate from inside the cab while are upside down jiggling the wires under the dash.

If the stud is loose on the solenoid the connection could be intermittent or broken to the coil.

The small stud jumpered to the battery (+) should crank the starter.

Jim