Intermittent Starting - Silence (1 Viewer)

[jonheld]

And I've replaced two perfectly good remanufactured starters by chasing ghosts. Go figure. There is absolutely nothing foolish about saving cash.

The starter circuit on these trucks is very simple.
Battery/fusible link AM1/main fuse AM1/ignition switch/NSS/starter solenoid.
All can be checked with a multimeter.
There is nothing foolish about saving money. There is also nothing foolish about proper diagnosis and fixing the actual problem as opposed to working around it. I've never believed in "band-aid" repairs, but that's the just way I am.

 

[sunrk]

I've had reasonble success fixing start problems just from checking cable connections - normally the battery terminal post ones are the culprit. That's the easiest and most obvious source of problems in the high-current circuit. The other thing which might sound silly is check that the bolts holding the starter assembly in place are tight as a small bit of mis-alignment could prevent the sprung gear engaging the flywheel or driveplate teeth properly.

Also make sure the battery is charging properly - with ignition off, all doors closed, headlights off, etc. terminal voltage over 12 v and probably ok but 12.5 volts is the optimal area.

If the starter is very old well then maybe it's time to renew or at least take apart and service.

 

[brakasha]

So it turns out my Viper system had fallen from where I mounted it with some strong double-sided tape, which had lost its tack. One of the connectors on the side was a smidgen loose, so I just shoved it back in firmly and zip-tied that sucker back in place. Seems to have been the culprit. If it comes back up again, I will try the other potential solutions mentioned here. Thanks again for the ideas, guys. I am sure at one point or another this information will be useful to me, as it seems like only a matter of time before something causes the ol' intermittent starting issue.

Cheers,

Colin

 

[roncruiser]

The starter circuit on these trucks is very simple.
Battery/fusible link AM1/main fuse AM1/ignition switch/NSS/starter solenoid.
All can be checked with a multimeter.
There is nothing foolish about saving money. There is also nothing foolish about proper diagnosis and fixing the actual problem as opposed to working around it. I've never believed in "band-aid" repairs, but that's the just way I am.

Yeah, I know... I know the starter and schematic by heart now as evidence by the too many threads I've created tackling or chasing the intermittent start problem. Not by myself mind you, but with the help of the 80s forum support.

We are on the same wavelength but not on the same page. Maybe. I hear ya. I've done all you've mentioned, and more. All the "proper diagnosis". ...Battery/fusible link AM1/main fuse AM1/ignition switch/NSS/starter solenoid. Checked them all twice... thrice... replacing the starter was a temp fix... same EXACT intermittent start symptoms came up again a year or two later. Just trying to save some person frustration and mainly time by providing another avenue to look at. Sometimes cutting right to the problem is the best part. That's one of the many strengths of ih8mud.