Starting Troubles

[tanusfarms]

I while back I discovered the power wire to my starter had began to melt the insulation off of it. So I replaced it. Tried starting the truck again and found out the fuel pump went out. Today I swapped out the fuel pump and hopped in to start it and only got a clicking noise. Figured it could be the battery so I hooked up the charger which has a boost setting for starting and still just clicking. clicking was being emitted from the solenoid. I figured maybe the solenoid was bad so I touched the wire going to the starter directly to the battery figureing it should make the starter turn over and tell me if the solenoid was bad. Doing this caused the starter to emit a noise sounding as if the motor in the starter was ceased. Nothing I could do would get the starter to turn over.

I think some how I messed the starter up when the wire overheated and now I am going to need to replace it. Am I missing something here? Is my logic making sense to anyone else?

[Thunderfoot]

Before you replace the starter, be sure you can turn the motor over by hand just to be sure the motor is not hydro-locked or froze... But if the starter wire was melting I would guess that the starter was seizing up drawing to much current.

[tanusfarms]

OK so i finally got some more cash and time

the motor does turn over, had the starter tested and it worked fine so i purchased a new solenoid and power wire for the starter. put it all back in and still just clicking sounds from the solenoid. Tested the amount of power my jump start unit is supplying and it reads 14.5 volts. What else could this be? I'm incline to replace the negative cable that gounds to the block would this make sense to anyone else. also would the condition of the fenderwell where the solenoid effect the starting ability at all. the thought on this would be if the solenoid wasn't grounded well enough.

[ScreaminZ]

Couldn't hurt to replace that cable, but it would be worth making sure the connections at both ends are clean and tight. When trying to start the engine, do the cables get very hot? If so, is it the whole cable or just one end? If one end or the other is getting hot, then it could be a bad connection at that end. If the whole cable is getting hot, then you're drawing a lot of current without turning over the engine. When I first installed my 460, the engine wouldn't crank and the wire going to the starter was getting very hot and even started smoking up near the solenoid. It turns out, I just had the timing way too advanced and had to back that off a bit. Once I backed off the timing, it cranked over and fired just fine.

Also, have you had your battery tested? It could have a short in it that is preventing it from charging. Would definitely be worth getting it tested. They will test it for free at lots of places that sell batteries.

[Hemmi06]

Just another idea. Switch your current battery with another and try to start. Your current battery may have gone bad during all this. When you try to jump a bad battery it does not always work.

[tanusfarms]

I haven't had the battery tested, but i can do that. The cables aren't getting hot. That may be because I'm not trying to crank it alot. I just turn the key and if I hear the clicking from the solenoid I Quit cranking.

[Thunderfoot]

Just another idea. Switch your current battery with another and try to start. Your current battery may have gone bad during all this. When you try to jump a bad battery it does not always work.

If the battery has an internal short it wont jump start... If it is making rapped clicks then it is usually low power from the battery or the solenoid is not grounded well to the fender, if you just get one click it is something else... The solenoid does need a good ground to the fender to work properly, check that it is mounted good to the fender and also check that the ground wire that runs from the cab to the motor is making good connection. Do check the main ground from the engine to the battery as well.

[ScreaminZ]

I haven't had the battery tested, but i can do that. The cables aren't getting hot. That may be because I'm not trying to crank it alot. I just turn the key and if I hear the clicking from the solenoid I Quit cranking.

If the cables aren't getting hot at all, my money is on a dead battery.