Wanted to go see my GP at the body shop, but my wife's truck won't start. She said it's been having problems starting lately, but I drove it last night.

I put in a new battery last year...the autozone premium, top of the line one.

The dome light and headlights work fine, so I don't think it's a battery issue.

I think it's a starter or solenoid issue. I turn the key and NOTHING happens. No click ,no turn over.

Should I start with the solenoid, or just replace the starter?

Make sure your battery connections are clean and tight, then check the connections at the starter with a test light. Check for any burnt fusible links; if all seems ok, have someone hold the key in the crank position, and lightly tap the starter & solenoid with a hammer.

more times than not, IF it is a starter problem, then its the solenoid. Problem with the solenoid on a majority of newer cars and starters: the solenoid is integral with the starter. My vote is to replace the starter with either reman or new.

I don't have a test light. I've checked the battery connections and they are good.

I'm going to go buy a solenoid tonight and try replacing it. Have to get a rental car first.

That sucks man. My money's on starter (or if the truck has an equivalent of the ignition switch, that's also a possibility). Seems likely to be the starter though, if you don't hear anything and it makes no attempt to turn over at all.

Yeah my money is on starter too. But better to try the $10 solenoid before the $200 starter.

A way to know is have someone turn the key and tap the siliniod with a hammer, if it starts, or you hear it ingage, then yes, its the siliniod.

Ok tried it again and it did click. So I guess it's not the solenoid.

I heard to do that with the starter. I tried doing it, but it's a tight squeeze and couldn't get the ahmmer in there.

I just used a piece of wood and gave it a few wraps. Nothing.

UMfan, why don't you just rig up 12 volts straight to the starter and see what happens?
Also, maybe try throwing it in drive and give the truck a push; maybe the starter teeth and flywheel teeth are jammed up.

Don't have the tools to hook up 12V.

My house is on a hill. If I push it down my driveway, I'm not getting it back up.

can you bypass the solenoid with booster cables? If its a fender mounted solenoid it shouldnt be to difficult. If you can and the starter can start..it should...

Went out to go work on the truck and now the battery is dead.

Guess it wasn't the starter.

Battery?

either a dead cell or something is draining the battery down.

Alternator?

both? you do have a 3rd vehicle or a buddy to give you a ride into town to have Autozone test the batt and alt?

I cleaned the contacts on the battery...positive term had some corrosion but not too bad.

The battery is a Duralast Gold from AZ and is only a year old. Shouldn't be the battery.

My money is the alt.

I bought a battery charger today and when I hooked it up the battery was at 9%, but it'll be done charging soon.

Things are looking up!

I just have no idea how the battery drained THAT much. Even if it was a bad alt....

vampiric drain from peripherals and accessories? bad ground maybe? You might wanna check on the battery anyway. IF the alt did poop, check to make sure your batt is still stable. All that deep-cycling is never good for a batt.

BTW: how do you KNOW for ABSOLUTELY sure that the Duralast Gold battery came from Arizona?

jk

Yeah, I've swayed a lot back and forth on this I know...I hate electrical issues...I've never been good at them.

So I let it charge for a few hours and battery got to 67% and would not go higher. Likely bad battery or cell. Possibly bad alt too, but I won't know for sure until I get a new battery.

I suppose I could remove the alt and take it to autozone (not Arizona) tomorrow with the battery, but I don't want to go through that hassle if I don't have to. I'll do the battery first and then the alt if I have to.

I'll get her done.

The key was really that I needed a battery charger to diagnose this. I had inadequate tools.

Could you just switch batteries with another one of your cars?

how about cranking amps tho ???

Zuul, I pose the same question as 4drgt: how about those CCAs? diff cars got diff batts for diff reasons. I think it'd be better to replace the batt then check the alt, or something like that.

Sorry for no updates. I fixed it Sat morning. Bad battery.

I just yanked the battery AND alt and ran them both up to Autozone to be tested. Figured there was a chance that the alt was flakey and wore down the battery, but the alt was fine.

Good thing my AZ battery was still within warranty.

Really weird that it worked one night, then the next day it wouldn't start but I had full lights. Then the third day completely dead. It just died that quickly.

That stinks. Darn batteries must house those stinking Gremlins!!!!

well, it WAS from Autozone :p

(Just playing, Rook)

Yeah no kidding.

Good thing I went with the Duralast Gold, 3 yr warranty.

Then, the girl at the counter asked me "Do you want to trade this for the exact same battery?". I'm like "No, I want to swap it for the battery with the 1 yr warranty"