Starter wouldn't even try to turn over?

Tiny
JCOLE0916
  • MEMBER
  • 1985 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • MANUAL
  • 285,000 MILES
I have a 1985 chevy pickup which had been sitting out in the cold for about a month. I went to start it and it turned over pretty slow. I tried a couple more times then I got cables and tried to jumpstart it but when I turned the key with the cables hooked up it wouldn't even try to turn over. Could something have burned up or a fuse blown?
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Sunday, November 28th, 2010 AT 5:02 PM

28 Replies

Tiny
JDL
  • MECHANIC
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If the battery is down, you need to take it off and get it charged. You can't do any testing without a charged battery. Some of the national brand autostores will test it and charge. This guide can help us fix it

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/starter-not-working-repair

Please run down this guide and report back.
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Tuesday, July 21st, 2020 AT 2:42 PM
Tiny
JCOLE0916
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Ok but I forgot to mention that all the lights and warning buzzers work fine which makes me think that the battery has a charge.
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Tuesday, July 21st, 2020 AT 2:42 PM
Tiny
JDL
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Use a digital multimeter across your battery posts, key off. 12.6 volts is generic spec for full charge. Take same reading key in the crank position, shouldn't drop below nine volts.

Another thing you can try, turn on your headlamps, watch the lamps when you turn the key to the crank position. If the lites go out or almost, usually the battery or connections. If the lites stay bright, no reaction, key in the crank position, there may be an open circuit to the starter. Some of the national brand autostores will test the starter for you, if you take it to them.
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Tuesday, July 21st, 2020 AT 2:42 PM
Tiny
DKENNEY37
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  • 1985 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
  • 5.7L
  • V8
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 100,000 MILES
Started car a few days ago and it died while idling. Pulled distributor cap and all the tabs were burnt up. Replaced distributor cap and rotor. Car still wont turn over. Dummy spark plug has no spark when cranking engine. BAT hei cable has no power when key is on / when I crank engine. Big red cable behind alternator has no power. Pretty lost at what to do about this. Electrical issues are not my forte.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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I don't know what led you to the generator, but that is a dandy clue. The large bolted-on output wire goes directly to the positive battery cable, but there is going to be a fuse link wire in that circuit. Usually on GM vehicles you'll find those attached to the larger battery cable on the starter solenoid. Most fuse link wires can be tested by tugging on them. If they act like a wire, they're good. If they're bad, they'll act like a rubber band. Usually you can't tell the condition by looking at them. The insulation is designed to not burn or melt.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DKENNEY37
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http://imgur.com/a/51luF

Took some pictures earlier to send to a buddy. Those black cylinders are the fusible links? they all tug fine, no rubber band.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Actually, those black cylinders are encapsulating the splice between the regular wire and the fuse link wire.

There has to be a break in the circuit going to the generator's output terminal if you don't have full battery voltage there. Don't forget to check the negative battery cable too including its smaller wire that bolts to the body.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
TANNERJARON
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  • 1985 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
  • V8
  • 2WD
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I have an 85 chevy silverado 6.2 litre diesel and everytime I try to turn the motor over, it just makes one loud clicking noise. I had a bad connection in the starter cable so I retightened the bolt running into the starter and still nothing. I thought maybe I drained the batteries trying to get her started so I hooked up the batteries to a charger and charged both of them for a day each. Still nothing. What could be the problem here?
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DR LOOT
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There could still be several problems, you may have tightened the starter in a bind, did you use any shims? You can not properly install that starter without shims. That starter has a bracket on the back of it, that bolts to the block, did you check that bracket to make sure it is tight? The bracket stops the starter from twisting and is the up-and-down adjustment on the starter cone.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DJRUSSELP
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  • 1985 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
  • V8
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Hi there.

I just bought a Chevy Silverado. It's got a new (less than 2000 miles) 350 in it.

I've had it for a couple of weeks and only recently noticed a problem with the starter. Outside of a small issue with cold-starting, it's had no cranking problems until the other day- not like this anyway. When I turned the key, it made the sound that a car makes when you start it with the engine already on. I waited a few seconds and tried it again and it started fine.

What are the chances that it's just the starter and not the flywheel? Also, I've read a lot of stuff on the net that makes it sound like getting a starter to line up and/or work properly in older vehicles like this can be very problematic. Is that so? What does it generally cost to replace a flywheel and how easy is it for a mechanic to tell if he's installed a new flywheel and starter correctly the first time? Am I looking at the possibility of a regularly recurring problem?

Your help is much appreciated.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
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Hi there djrusselp and TY for the donation this is what keeps the site going

Starter grinding noise during cranking means the starter drive pinion is too far away from the flexplate have the mechanic inspect for a worned/broken flexplate teeth and also the starter dirve pinion. If both okay-have him shim the starter closer to the flexplate-be advised this is a trial and error till he hits the sweet spot not to grind.

In the event he replaces the flexplate and starter and it continues to grind he didn't do his homework correctly-don't accept the vehicle till he get it right-

Parts and labor varies with location
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BUCKSISK
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  • 1985 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
  • 5.0L
  • V8
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Okay, I installed a new battery and alternator now 3 days later the truck fired up drove 20 minutes down the road and now it won’t start back up.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JONNYB1963
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That does not sounds like very much fun over the holiday weekend!

Okay, first I need to get some more information from you to help us get to the bottom of this sooner.

From what I read here, you replaced the battery and the alternator. From there you drove for 20 minutes and the car would no longer crank. Is that correct?

Will it start with a jump? Or does it just crank and wont start?

Sorry for the questions but it is important to decide which direction to head.

Regards,
Jon
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BUCKSISK
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Yes drove 20 minutes and wouldn’t crank up! Let the truck sit 8 hours and truck fired up drove back home 20 minutes and wouldn’t crank back until I hooked jumper cables to it and fired right off.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KEN L
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It sounds like an ignition problem when the engine wont run. lets check for spark. here is a guide:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-test-an-ignition-system

Please run down these guides and report back.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JONNYB1963
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Thanks for the response, and so sorry I didn't get back to you very fast.

To me it sounds like something is heating up and when warm has a lot of resistance.

Could be:
High resistance in the battery cable or starter cable
Starter motor is weak and has high resistance when hot from the engine running
Poor connection that gets aggravated when warm (because things expand when hot)
etc.

To really find out whats going on. We'd need to do some testing.

Do you have access to a multi-meter (to measure the battery voltage) and a Clamp-on Meter that will measure current?

What we need to do is measure the battery voltage and current while you are cranking the engine over when its cold, and then repeat the same test once you've driven the car for 20 minutes. You may need a friend to help you with that one so you can watch the meters while your friend turns the key.

Would you be able to do that?
Jon
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:31 PM (Merged)
Tiny
AKING92
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  • 1 POST
  • 1984 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
  • V8
  • 4WD
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I have an 84 chevy silverado it died one day and wouldnt start back up till about one hour later. Replaced the starter battery spark plugs and wires now the starter wont even spin when I try to start it I have power to the radio and lights and everything on the cab just nothing to the starter.
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:32 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
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Disable the ignition system, then check for power at the purple wire on the starter motor while trying to crank it over -Do you have it-If not could be the park and neutral switch and ignition switch. Double check battery and connections
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:32 PM (Merged)
Tiny
PFARNHAM
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  • 1983 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
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I think it may be the starter, but I am not sure. The battery was on a charger over night and the indicator said it was charged the volt meter in the cab also indicated this, what I am hearing or lack there of is the engine trying to turn over. The only sound that is apparent is the ignition when I turn the key. The truck runs fine I have been fixing things here and there, but all the sudden the battery died and now it wont turn over. A friend of mine had put a kill switch on it and I think he messed up either one or both things; the starter or the wiring to the started, he is kind of dumb and ran the switch to the starter instead of the distributer. Any thoughts or suggestions would be very helpful.
Thank You,
Patrick
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:32 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
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Is it cranking over and refuses to start or just won't crank over at all/nothing?
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Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 AT 5:32 PM (Merged)

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