Click but not starting

[cancow]

2 weeks ago the truck started, but now when I turn the key I just hear on click. I cleaned the solenoid mount to and fender thinking that maybe it was a bad ground there but nothing changed. Also tried using jumper cables from another running vehicle but that did not do anything either. Any ideas?

[forrestbump]

Sounds like a dead or dieing battery.

I once tried to start my truck with a dieing battery and in my desperation to get the damned thing fired up I flooded it...BADLY and killed the battery. I bring this up because IMMEDIATELY I jumped my truck to another running vehicle and in my lack of patients I over heated the solenoid and starter motor and flooded it MORE...never could get it do anything other than click...

Long story short, try jumping your truck when all components are cool to the touch. If it starts under these conditions, it's your battery.

[cancow]

I did try jumping it with it cold. I do think by battery is bad, but shouldn't jumping it still work, or can a battery be so shot that jumping will not even work?

[forrestbump]

If it still won't start when jumped, I would then turn my attention to all cables and their connections (grounds and leads must be snug and corrosion free).

Use Dielectric grease at all contact points to promote continuity. It's sold in tubes at most auto parts stores.

EDIT. I once drove 600 miles, at night, with a dead battery. The alternator kept the truck running and still gave off enough swat to run my head lights too, so YES you can jump start a vehicle with a completely dead battery and it'll run off the alternator only. Don't do it for long...you'll kill your alternator just as I did on my 600 mile drive from CA to OR.

[Aussie_1970]

I'd suspect the solenoid could be on the way out. When mine started to click, I replaced the old clapper starter with a more modern design that has its own solenoid (and bypassed the old solenoid). Fired over first go

Other thing to investigate could be voltage drop on the trigger wire..If you do have a drop, make sure the ign wire is in good shape (ie not frayed or missing insulation) and then wire in a 4pin relay between the ign switch and the starter

[fordman]

its probably a battery problem. or its not sending the power into the solenoid properly. clicking is usally a power loss problem.

[390bump]

[quote="forrestbump"]If it still won't start when jumped, I would then turn my attention to all cables and their connections (grounds and leads must be snug and corrosion free).

Use Dielectric grease at all contact points to promote continuity. It's sold in tubes at most auto parts stores.

Actually, Dielectric grease DOES NOT conduct electricity. Make sure the contacts are clean and use a small wire brush or sandpaper to make the metal contacts bare. Afterwards you can put some non conductive grease (like petroleum jelly) over the battery contacts to prevent that crud from forming there...

[390bump]

its probably a battery problem. or its not sending the power into the solenoid properly. clicking is usally a power loss problem.

Also, make sure you are using good jumper cables that have thick copper wires in them. They make and sell jumper cables with 18 gauge or 20 gauge copper wires in them that can't flow much current... these are basically useless but you can still sell them as jumper cables... Best bet is to swap in a known good battery. Batteries go bad all the time.

[fordman]

thats true. i have a set of jumper cables that are rusted where they hook to the jumper cable end. and they wont make contact . so the cable is no good until i fix it.

[cancow]

Could it be the solenoid? I charged the batter for 2 days and the same issue. A couple weeks ago the same batter turned the truck over just fine.

[Thunderfoot]

Could it be the solenoid? I charged the batter for 2 days and the same issue. A couple weeks ago the same batter turned the truck over just fine.

Yes, they do go bad... I have also gotten brand new ones that were bad as well (doesn't make trouble shooting easy with crappy new parts these days. )