Starting Problems...

[nephite1978]

I went out to lunch today, then afterwards ran to Circuit City to look at a new camera. Well, when I left Circuit City, the 'Hoe wouldn't start! The radio came on, the AC kicked on, but that was it. My first thought was that I had a dead battery, but there wasn't the usual clicking of the starter. Even so, I got a jump from the guy pulling into the spot in front of me. No go. Same deal. So, I waited for like 1/2 an hour and tried again. Still no go. I finally gave up & called Geico to get a tow truck out to take me to the Stealership. The girl put me on hold while she called a tow service, and while I was waiting, I tried to start it up one more time. Vroom! Started right up! WTS?!?! So, when she came back on I told her that it started & I wouldn't need the tow, after all.

Now, I'm just worried that it's gonna happen again one day. I'm driving into DC one day this week & don't want to get stuck there. Does anyone have any ideas? Is my starter going? Is it just a fluke?

Also (and this may be totally un-related, but...) I've been hearing these clicks coming from somewhere in the dash. Kinda like a relay repeatedly firing? It's not constant, but at random intervals. With AC on. With AC off. Radio on. Radio off. I dunno. What's that all about? I doubt it's related, but you never know!

Sorry for the long post, but I'm a long winded kinda guy. Thanks in advance!

 

[Polecat]

clean battery connections...???

 

[nephite1978]

clean battery connections...???

Yeah, they're nice & clean. I just got a new battery a couple months ago.

 

[Polecat]

starter or may even be cables themselves.

 

[boostaholic]

Loose connections, check all cables and look at doing the Big3 upgrade since these trucks have fairly inadequate charging systems from the factory.

 

[bunkleman21]

Sometimes the starter can get a dead spot. Everything electrical will work but the truck will not start. The "easiest" way to check for this is when the truck wont start crawl under and hit the starter with a hammer. This will normally spin the shaft enough to move from the dead spot and let you start the vehicle. You dont really have to worry about hurting the starter since there will be very little room to move and it will be very hard to swing hard enough to hurt the starter. If this doesnt work I would definately say wiring/corrosion issues.

This wouldn't be the solution to anything with the clicking in the dash. That has me stumped.

Hope this helps

 

[nephite1978]

Sometimes the starter can get a dead spot. Everything electrical will work but the truck will not start.

That's what I was thinking, about the dead spot in the starter. It's only happened the once. No problems since. Starts like a champ!

This wouldn't be the solution to anything with the clicking in the dash. That has me stumped.

I didn't think they were related. But, I threw it in there, cuz you never know! I wish I knew what that freakin' clicking is! It's so random. I took a friend to Baltimore (about 2 hrs away) the other day & never heard the clicking once either way. Then yesterday it clicked like crazy!

 

[bunkleman21]

That's what I was thinking, about the dead spot in the starter. It's only happened the once. No problems since. Starts like a champ!

Yeah, I have a tough time paying $150-$225 at Autozone for a "new" refurbished starter when the old one will work 95% of the time. I would just throw a hammer in for the other 5% of the time. Guaranteed the 5% will happen when you are nowhere near home or help.:smilielol:

If you do get it replaced most places will check to see if it is bad before you buy a new one. Keep us posted on the situation.

 

[nephite1978]

Guaranteed the 5% will happen when you are nowhere near home or help.:smilielol:

Or when it's pouring down rain.

 

[Rollin Thunder]

next time call onstar and have them see if any codes were thrown. They can also do a tow, i think its free for 15 miles or somthing also. :cool2: Use it now while you still can as next feb were all digital and that sucks. analog has a range of 30 miles, digital has a range of 5 miles. so Onstar will have to built more antennas around the US for their system's to work right.

 

[road1will]

next time call onstar and have them see if any codes were thrown. They can also do a tow, i think its free for 15 miles or somthing also. :cool2: Use it now while you still can as next feb were all digital and that sucks. analog has a range of 30 miles, digital has a range of 5 miles. so Onstar will have to built more antennas around the US for their system's to work right.

I HIGHLY doubt OnStar has their own cell towers. I'm sure they use existing cell phone provider towers.

 

[nephite1978]

Use it now while you still can as next feb were all digital and that sucks.

I thought it was this past February when OnStar went all digital?

 

[Rollin Thunder]

I thought it was this past February when OnStar went all digital?

i guess onstar and digital tv are different i guess. Hear (even though i have directv) every day on the news it scrolls down at the bottom that feburary XX 2009 we will be going all digital. let me do some research on that.

Depending on what part of Va your in you might see it to. on channel 10 I see it on the 11 o'clock news.

 

[road1will]

i guess onstar and digital tv are different i guess. Hear (even though i have directv) every day on the news it scrolls down at the bottom that feburary XX 2009 we will be going all digital. let me do some research on that.

Depending on what part of Va your in you might see it to. on channel 10 I see it on the 11 o'clock news.

Ummm...Onstar and TV going digital has NOTHING to do with each other, LOL. :smilielol:

 

[Rollin Thunder]

Ummm...Onstar and TV going digital has NOTHING to do with each other, LOL. :smilielol:

but the FCC (or what ever) said ALL SIGNALS, must be digital by then. Thats all. :smilielol:

 

[jey_]

but the FCC (or what ever) said ALL SIGNALS, must be digital by then. Thats all. :smilielol:

Surely that doesn't apply to HD Radio too? When are they going to stop broadcasting (if ever) in traditional AM/FM?

 

[Gordo]

No I work for Dish Network tv is pretty much changing to digital by feb 2009 to free up air space for emergency bandwith. Onstar has to do the same since all cell phone providers were using analog signal they will have to convert to digital aswell, onstar is just doing the change early to prepare for it in 09. so even now you cant use it unless you upgrade your "analog/digital ready" system or if you already have a digital system then you will be all set if you have analog only then you are SOL

 

[2001Yuke]

How hot was it outside when this all happened? Since it started without anything changing I am just going to guess the startergot overheated. I had actually sold a guy a 98 Suburban 2500 with the 454, he was here for about 2.5 hours and when we were done with all of the paperwork he went to leave and the damn thing wouldn't start. Hit it a couple times with a hammer and nothing. Waited about 15 mintues and it started.

Another story I've got. My dad and I were picking up his 87 Corvette that was getting various work done to it awhile back. It had sat for about 2 months while getting the paint and other things done. It idled for about 30 minutes after a jump. I shut it off to check the battery and it started right back up. Drove it for about 10 mintues, turned it off to put gas in it and it wouldn't start again. I drove my car back to the shop to borrow their jump box, nothing. I went next door to the Bi-Mart and bought a new set of jumper cables, nothing. After about 1.5 hours of this crap, a guy saw us and stopped. Asked if we had a bottle of watter, he poored it between the firewall and the intake manifold. Obviously that was enough to cool it off and it started right up. Weird!

 

[nephite1978]

How hot was it outside when this all happened? Since it started without anything changing I am just going to guess the startergot overheated. I had actually sold a guy a 98 Suburban 2500 with the 454, he was here for about 2.5 hours and when we were done with all of the paperwork he went to leave and the damn thing wouldn't start. Hit it a couple times with a hammer and nothing. Waited about 15 mintues and it started.

Another story I've got. My dad and I were picking up his 87 Corvette that was getting various work done to it awhile back. It had sat for about 2 months while getting the paint and other things done. It idled for about 30 minutes after a jump. I shut it off to check the battery and it started right back up. Drove it for about 10 mintues, turned it off to put gas in it and it wouldn't start again. I drove my car back to the shop to borrow their jump box, nothing. I went next door to the Bi-Mart and bought a new set of jumper cables, nothing. After about 1.5 hours of this crap, a guy saw us and stopped. Asked if we had a bottle of watter, he poored it between the firewall and the intake manifold. Obviously that was enough to cool it off and it started right up. Weird!

Yeah, it was pretty hot outside. I've never heard of that, but it could be! If it happens again, I'll have to try the water trick & see if that works. Thanks!

 

[2001Yuke]

They sell heat shields for the starter because it is a problem especially with the bigger engines. Thats what my customer ended up doing. He bought a heat shield and the problem hasn't come back. I haven't looked at them for these trucks cause it only gets over 90 degrees like 10 days a year here in Portland.