Messed with radio and now truck won't start?? (1 Viewer)

[SteveNJ]

earlier today I pulled my head unit to run the splitter for my new FM/CB splitter. Put everything back and everything seemed to work.
Started up truck, turned it around to begin cleaning the back.
Noticed the radio was in but no sound, no biggie I've had a short in the new speakers before and figured maybe when I put the HU back in something got pinched. Took out radio, out it back, figured it may have been a door speaker since I just replaced panels. All is good, have sound, now worries.

Go to start truck and nothing?? WTF? All power works, but no starter. Reminds me of when my relay went bad and the starter cut off was not letting the truck start, but that's a new relay, no issues with it and wasn't doing anything anywhere near it.
Looked at fuses they seem ok, took out radio entirely so it's not even connected any more and still nothing.
I'm lousy with EWDs and tracing things and I'm totally at a loss on how moving the HU can cause the truck to no start.

 

[jonheld]

I'm lousy with EWDs and tracing things and I'm totally at a loss on how moving the HU can cause the truck to no start.

The starter circuit is very simple on these trucks. Battery/fusible link/ignition switch/NSS/starter is the logic side. The starter motor is connected directly to the battery.
There is nothing else in play here unless there's an alarm with a starter inhibit.

 

[Squash]

Try a boost!
Sometimes we work with live power and unknowingly kill the battery.
Check the fuse box in engine bay, thinking 7.5 amp fuse blue in color runs clock/cig .
My 97 did the same thing while I messed with power ant. to new H.U.

 

[quasi]

make sure your shifter is in park or neutral

 

[jonheld]

Ooops, sorry Steve. There is a 50amp AM1 fuse in the starter logic circuit. Missed that.
Nothing else exists in that circuit. You can pull every other fuse and relay out of this truck and the starter motor should still crank.

 

[LandCruisinMy93]

Steve, try and start the truck in neutral, if it doesn't work have someone turn the key while you listen closely by the driver front tire for any noises. Chances are your starters contacts need cleaned, and a thorough cleaning of the battery cable ends where they attach to the starter and block and the terminals should be done annually given you live in the salt belt.

 

[SteveNJ]

I'll give the ideas a whirl when i get home, of course I had to fly out today @ 5am for work.

It does have the VIP alarm, I've had the starter cutoff relay die and this is same symptoms. I thought it was the battery that time around. It may be this time, I did notice when the truck was off, towards the end of this I hit the brakes and the HU turned off and then came back on, almost like everything was fighting for power.
The truck was running 30 mins before this and started as always without issue. Is it possible for the starter to just stop with no issues/trouble before?

 

[Bleu62]

Definitely following this thread. The po of my truck changed out the radio and now I have to open and close the door to restart the truck. Hopefully you get it sorted and will help w my troubleshooting. Good luck

 

[jonheld]

I'll give the ideas a whirl when i get home, of course I had to fly out today @ 5am for work.

It does have the VIP alarm, I've had the starter cutoff relay die and this is same symptoms. I thought it was the battery that time around. It may be this time, I did notice when the truck was off, towards the end of this I hit the brakes and the HU turned off and then came back on, almost like everything was fighting for power.
The truck was running 30 mins before this and started as always without issue. Is it possible for the starter to just stop with no issues/trouble before?

Where is the starter cutoff relay in the circuit and what triggers it?

As the previous poster said, if your starter is clicking when you turn the key to start, the logic side of the circuit is all good. The clicking is the starter motor solenoid pulling in. However if the solenoid contacts and plunger contacts are worn, the starter motor won't run.

This is all moot if your battery/battery cables are suspect so verify the power source first.

 

[SteveNJ]

So I did get the truck started. Pulled the radio, cleaned up a lot of wires, put everything back together, threw some cables on it and she fired right up.
Now what I don't know is if some part of the alarm had kicked in and just got reset by the battery not being hooked up for a week or if it was just a low batt, or a combination. I'm leaning towards combo, she was running fine 30mins before and I didn't have the power on the whole time yet still died out.