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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Electrical => Topic started by: 75_chevy on November 12, 2014, 01:31:07 pm
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1975 c10 350/350 won't start. with 12 volts from the bat when you crank it nothing happens and some times when you turn the key you just hear that ticking like quick ticking. I hit the starter with a hammer and tried to start nothing changed I put a test lead on that 3/8" nut on the solenoid and it has power.
do you guys know about that piece of metal that goes around the cables to keep the heat away from the wires from the exhaust manifold? well when that rubbed against the header it started sparking, could my problem be a shorted cable that melted from the header heat? any tip on how to find it? thanks everyone I appreciate the help. I found some threads on starter problems but I didn't see any that mentioned the sparking wire cover
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Battery cables are good for about ten years. Then they rub through the insulation, or corrode internally, etc.
Sounds like first step is to change both the + and - battery cables.
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Rich I had seen you post that in one of the other dead starter threads, I will do that when I get the money but right now I am very limited on cash.
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and since the cable is shorting at the starter I believe this may be something I can fix with cable laying in the garage vs buy new 2 gauge wire. speaking of.. what wire do you use? I was going to get 2 gauge by the foot from Home Depot but moroso sells some 2 gauge on summit in blue.. wondering if the quality would be the same
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also thank you for the quick response I need to get back running by the end of the day so I can make it to work tomorrow
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Well, you need to replace the + cable, or you could start the dang thing on fire, and that wouldn't be cheap.
Don't worry about the ultimate solution, and #2AWG wire and all that. Just get a pos starter cable cheap and replace it. Advance has a battery cable that fits for $15. NAPA has one that fits for $12. (MPB 781143) Either will work fine.
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ok thanks rich. will do. check this out also.. I pulled the header so I can get to/see everything and there is a frayed wire right behind the metal shield (http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/12/7306026ca9145d719025511ab1bdc472.jpg)(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/12/2db40ab024c368e84e829f9af9abca41.jpg)
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dug a lil deeper (http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/12/1889503bbacd41b155ea501d4030581d.jpg)
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40 years of vibration on the edge of the heat shield will do that.
That looks like the fusible link wire. Is that coming off the hot connection on the starter?
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If that's the cause of your arcing, you may not need the battery cable. The way to check the battery cable (either one) is to connect a voltmeter to the two ends of the cable, and try to start the engine. If the voltmeter shows more than a volt drop in the cable, the cable is definitely shot. Check both battery cables.
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I blew a fuse re hooking up the battery. where is the fuse I just blew up???
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ok I hooked a test light up directly to the battery and got nothing could I have just discharged the battery??
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sorry had a bad ground.. back to original question
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You have fusible links located at the junction box and starter solenoid. http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=11972.0
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thank you for the reply Vila but I have a much larger problem now. I tightened the ground on the terminal and now I have power but I soon as i got power the starter starting ticking like I was trying to start it.. if I connect the battery the truck tries to start up
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I jiggled the wires by the solenoid and it stopped trying to fire up.. but I can't trust that so I'll have to figure out what is making contact
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You had grounded hot wires behind the starter earlier today. When you repaired this did you accidentally cross-connect the purple wire from the "S" terminal of the starter solenoid to the 3/8" battery cable stud on the starter? Or, is there unobserved damage still lurking inside the tubular heat shield, etc?
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I believe I did connect a purple wire in with the nut but where is the purple wire supposed to go? also what does the "s" terminal look like? (please don't say like an s, I don't see it)
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ok I had accidentally smashed the purple wire in not one spot, but two spots..
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I fixed the wire going to the fusible link but the problem persists. I'm going to test the battery cable but I can't quite understand what I'm supposed to do.. how can I connect the multimeter to both ends? or do you mean one end at a time?
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(http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/11/12/1889503bbacd41b155ea501d4030581d.jpg)
The "S" terminal is the small #10 stud protruding from the brown plastic end cap of the solenoid that is closest to the engine side of the solenoid pictured above. That is the terminal that energizes the starter when you turn the ignition switch to "crank." If you look at the solenoid carefully with a light, the end cap is marked with the letter "S" next to the stud.
Still referring to your image, it appears there is a blue terminal without a wire attached to the "R" terminal of the solenoid. That terminal should be removed and no wire should be connected to "R."
I suggest that you replace that burned 12-gauge wire entirely, end-to-end, and protect it with a new 16-gauge fusible link following the instructions in the Tech thread linked by Vile, above.
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I fixed the wire going to the fusible link but the problem persists. I'm going to test the battery cable but I can't quite understand what I'm supposed to do.. how can I connect the multimeter to both ends? or do you mean one end at a time?
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With the battery cable connected to the battery and starter, attach the positive lead of the voltmeter to the battery positive post and the negative lead of the voltmeter to the 3/8" cable stud at the starter. The meter will indicate zero volt. Next, have an assistant crank the engine while you watch the meter. Any voltage reading will be the voltage consumed by the cable. If, while cranking, the meter registers over 0.5 volt and the starter is in good condition, replace the cable. Repeat the process on the battery ground cable - but reverse the voltmeter leads, so that the negative lead is on the battery negative post and the positive lead is on the cable end that attaches to the engine. Over 0.5 volt reading, replace the ground cable.