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Still not starting

Nick Gustafson

Nick Gustafson

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Messages
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Location
North Windham, Connecticut
So, about a week and a half ago, my starter decided to die. I ordered a brand new AC Declo one, and put it in yesterday. After charging the batteries AND boosting them with another vehicle, we still couldn't get her to turn over. All of my connections are tight, and all of my fuses are good, and I'm currently at a loss, so input is greatly appreciated.

Key things to note though:
1. When i removed the starter, there were no shims on it, so I had none when I put the new one in

2. Yes, I reinstalled the bracket that was with it, and I have the soaked clothes from the rain yesterday to back that up. (I did the install in the driveway since that's where the flatbed dropped it, and i don't have a way to get it into my garage)

3. I cleaned all of the connections before I put them on, and they seemed to be good, however, I've been known to be wrong before.
 
Did it even click/bang?

Can you rotate the engine by hand : use a socket and a ratchet on the alternator pulley. Depending on the location of the tensioner, yours being a 1995, rotate the engine backwards. Otherwise the tensioner lets loose and the belt slips rather then rotates the engine. A locked up vacuum pump etc. could be giving you trouble.

Big battery terminal at starter needs I recall 11v and the small ring terminal needs 9v. So check these with a friend tapping the key switch to start position. Or you could just look for blown fuses first. You can hit the small terminal with 12v and see if things rotate. Suspect the 12v battery wire to the starter is high resistance or burnt open. This also extends to the small wire and burnt up ign switch, fuse, fusible link.

:confused: Starters are #1 on my 6.2/6.5 $hitlist to change followed by power steering pumps. Only the original Lead Brick direct drive hand crusher starters beat the above out. What do you mean new parts don't mean good parts?! That would be a bad starter or PS pump out of the box.
 
Did you even reconnect the pos + cable from battery to starter, it often falls down to the rail or gets pulled back so when you go back to reconnect all the cables the power cable to the starter gets left out of the mix....this is the most common issue I've seen when starters are changed in a vehicle that has 2 batteries..
 
WarWagon said:
Did it even click/bang?

Can you rotate the engine by hand : use a socket and a ratchet on the alternator pulley. Depending on the location of the tensioner, yours being a 1995, rotate the engine backwards. Otherwise the tensioner lets loose and the belt slips rather then rotates the engine. A locked up vacuum pump etc. could be giving you trouble.

Big battery terminal at starter needs I recall 11v and the small ring terminal needs 9v. So check these with a friend tapping the key switch to start position. Or you could just look for blown fuses first. You can hit the small terminal with 12v and see if things rotate. Suspect the 12v battery wire to the starter is high resistance or burnt open. This also extends to the small wire and burnt up ign switch, fuse, fusible link.
Click to expand...

It clicks, which is good because before I changed the starter out, it wasn't even doing that. On the matter of fuses, all of them are good. I'll check the voltage at the terminals as well. And no, I haven't tried rotating the engine by hand yet.
 
FellowTraveler said:
Did you even reconnect the pos + cable from battery to starter, it often falls down to the rail or gets pulled back so when you go back to reconnect all the cables the power cable to the starter gets left out of the mix....this is the most common issue I've seen when starters are changed in a vehicle that has 2 batteries..
Click to expand...
Everything that got disconnected got reconnected to it's happy home, so I'm not sure about that.
 
Have you verified voltage to the "S" terminal while in the start position? Could be a bad solenoid on the new starter.
 
1988, last time I installed a starter without a bench testing it first. Jumper cables from the battery and a little piece of wire if nothing else. 3 or 4 times it saved me some headache.

Have them bench test in store when possible.
 
I didn't think to bench test the new starter first, cons of being soaked and wanting to get the job done with I guess. I'm really not trying to take it out again, since it was a bear to do the first time. As for load testing the batteries, that's on my to-do list for this weekend
 
I had two local rebuilt starters in a row that would spin the engine 3 out of 4 times due to a bad solenoid. Bench test would be OK of course. Yeah, "Click!" Then sound of "Nothing!" Click, Click, Click, Vroom! (The solenoid makes the bang, then it's up to the motor to work provided it gets any voltage from said solenoid.) So if it has 11v at the big battery terminal after the click and you have turned the engine 720 degrees by hand the starter is coming back out. Hint measure the ground for the 11v at the starter as well just in case the negative cable/path is giving you trouble.

You have to rotate the engine by hand because if it is locked up you may have cooked off 2 starters.

For S's and G's here is one of the bad starters moved from the 1995 to Patch 5 years ago just to make sure it was the starter(s) before it was returned for refund. Lets just say I cheerfully paid the money for a Powermaster after this mess...
 
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Yup. I understand not wanting to bench test in the rain.

One of these days we need to get a hummer/ hmmwv starter in your hands so you never again complain about the truck starters. Installation tools include mouthgaurd like in football. Really- i just reminded a guy on the hummer forum of that this last week. After being finished he agrees it is a needed tool. 88lbs iirc and a piece of junk to boot.

Good luck.
 
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