Bad Starter Solenoid?

[hambo]

I was offroading in my 87 k20 with a tbi 454 in it and I stalled out and it wouldn't start again. I tried a battery charger but the battery tested good. And push starting it didnt work. So today, my mechanic friend told me he thought it was the ignition for some reason after he got it started after messing with the positive terminal on the starter, saying the actual stud might have felt a little loose. Now the truck starts off and on, I usually have to mess with the positive stud on the starter. Is this an ignition problem? Is my whole starter possibly bad? Just the solenoid? Thanks in advance!

 

[MrMarty51]

Disconnect the neg. battery cable.
Remove the nut, on the starters battery lug, remove wires, tighten down inner nut on lug, replace all of the cables and the nut, hook the neg. batt. cable and give it a try.
Inner nut might just be loose, Be careful and do not over tighten inner nut, might crack the solenoids cap, if it already is`nt.
If that does`nt work, replace the solidnoid.

 

[hambo]

Okay. Thanks for the info I'll try that.

 

[chengny]

Basic questions:

When you say it "wouldn't start" - do you mean the engine wouldn't crank over at all? Or that it cranked but wouldn't fire up?

If it cranks over, but does not fire up, have you checked for the presence of a good (bright blue) spark?

And push starting it didnt work.

When I read this, I assume that it doesn't even crank over. But as you know, you can usually get an engine running by push starting - even if it doesn't have any starter at all. But that's only if the plugs are firing properly.

So, what you are looking at is an internal short to ground within the starter/solenoid. That is about the only thing that can cause (an otherwise functional electrical system) to exhibit these two distinct issues:

1. The starter won't crank the engine over
2. The distributor coil is not generating sufficient voltage to produce a proper spark

The reason it won't crank over is probably just a simple mechanical wiring problem. But the reason you can't push start it is because the starter wiring issue (whatever it is) is also knocking the entire system voltage down. The coil needs at least 10 VDC on the primary side in order to generate the 40,000 volts required to produce a robust spark at the plugs.

Something killed the engine in the first place - while you were out in the woods. The starter didn't do it - unless it has a dead short to ground. A bad starter generally speaking can't kill an already running engine engine.

Buy, borrow or steal a known good starter and change it out with yours.

 

[hambo]

Basic questions:

When you say it "wouldn't start" - do you mean the engine wouldn't crank over at all? Or that it cranked but wouldn't fire up?

If it cranks over, but does not fire up, have you checked for the presence of a good (bright blue) spark?

And push starting it didnt work.

When I read this, I assume that it doesn't even crank over. But as you know, you can usually get an engine running by push starting - even if it doesn't have any starter at all. But that's only if the plugs are firing properly.

So, what you are looking at is an internal short to ground within the starter/solenoid. That is about the only thing that can cause (an otherwise functional electrical system) to exhibit these two distinct issues:

1. The starter won't crank the engine over
2. The distributor coil is not generating sufficient voltage to produce a proper spark

The reason it won't crank over is probably just a simple mechanical wiring problem. But the reason you can't push start it is because the starter wiring issue (whatever it is) is also knocking the entire system voltage down. The coil needs at least 10 VDC on the primary side in order to generate the 40,000 volts required to produce a robust spark at the plugs.

Something killed the engine in the first place - while you were out in the woods. The starter didn't do it - unless it has a dead short to ground. A bad starter generally speaking can't kill an already running engine engine.

Buy, borrow or steal a known good starter and change it out with yours.

Okay. Thanks. Yeah the engine wouldnt crank at all. Zero power. No dash lights nothing. Im going to check the solenoid and the starter. I stalled out in the woods, and when it wouldnt start it would still crank until the battery got low. Then I went and charged the battery at 40amps for 30 minutes and hooked a 450 amp jump starter to it, and I got dash lights and power for a second but no crank, and then it all went black again and wouldnt light up until I messed with the positive starter terminal yesterday.

 

[hambo]

The starter didnt kill the truck in the woods. I stalled it. And then I had problems

 

[89Suburban]

Sounds like a fusible link on its way out or bad connection at the starter.

 

[hambo]

Sounds like a fusible link on its way out or bad connection at the starter.

Im sorry if this is a dumb question but what is a fusible link? I dont have much electrical knowledge.

 

[MrMarty51]

Im sorry if this is a dumb question but what is a fusible link? I dont have much electrical knowledge.

When You are under there cinching up the nuts on the battery cable terminal of the starter solenoid, take a look at the smaller wire that hooks to that same post.
That wire is what supplies power to most everything in the pickumup.
There should be a sort of a plastic tab hanging onto the side of it, the tab should say "Fusible Link". That is a smaller diameter of a wire that is suppose to burn out if there is a short that is drawing more amps than the wire can handle.
That is a fusible link.
If that fusible link has been replaced in a previous burnout, then it probably will not have the tab, or tag, hanging on it but, it will probably be a different colored wire than what is beyond that link.

 

[hambo]

When You are under there cinching up the nuts on the battery cable terminal of the starter solenoid, take a look at the smaller wire that hooks to that same post.
That wire is what supplies power to most everything in the pickumup.
There should be a sort of a plastic tab hanging onto the side of it, the tab should say "Fusible Link". That is a smaller diameter of a wire that is suppose to burn out if there is a short that is drawing more amps than the wire can handle.
That is a fusible link.
If that fusible link has been replaced in a previous burnout, then it probably will not have the tab, or tag, hanging on it but, it will probably be a different colored wire than what is beyond that link.

Okay. Awesome. Thanks for the info

 

[hambo]

Just checked the fuseible link and it was all good and tightened the inner nut which was a little loose. Now I get power on a charger, but when I try to start I just get a bunch of loud clicks that I assume are coming from the starter. Time for a new starter?

 

[rich weyand]

Replace the battery cables first. If they are more than ten years old, they can suffer internal corrosion that does not show outwardly. The final failure can occur suddenly.

Replace both of them. They're cheap, and easy to replace. Then move on to other, more expensive and involved, things.

 

[MadOgre]

Take the starter off. Take apart the solenoid and reverse the contacts and stretch the spring. Then put it back together.

 

[MrMarty51]

One solid click each time the key is twisted means that the solenoid is working but, the contacts in the solenoid could need cleaning or, the motor itself is bad.
A series oc clicks each time the key is twisted is a sign of low voltage, either a bad connection through the main battery cable or, a bad battery.

 

[rich weyand]

One solid click each time the key is twisted means that the solenoid is working but, the contacts in the solenoid could need cleaning or, the motor itself is bad.
A series oc clicks each time the key is twisted is a sign of low voltage, either a bad connection through the main battery cable or, a bad battery.

Yup. So your "bunch of loud clicks" means battery, positive battery cable to the starter, negative battery cable to the alternator bracket, or one of the connections at either end of either battery cable.

So if you know the battery is good, install new battery cables.