Truck won`t always start
Here are some things to try... First, make suire all battery and
starter connections are secure; then if it won't crank, at the starter
solenoid (on top of starter) there are two wires, the fat one providing
the actual voltage that operates the motor, and the smaller wire that
carries the starter actuation control voltage, when the key is turned
to "Start". being very careful not to touch grounded metal, use an
insulated pair of pliers or screwdriver to connect these two posts
together, delivering the always present 12 volts direct from battery to
the solenoid. If the starter is good, this should make it crank,
indicating a problem further upstream in the crank circuit. If it
doesn't crank, you have a bad starter... You can also check this with
an inexpensive 12 V test light... ground the clip lead and hold the
probe tip to the smaller terminal while having a helper turn the key...
If the crank impulse is reaching the starter, the light will come on,
and if the light is on but no cranking it is the starter.
If the crank impulse is not reaching the starter, it could be caused by
any of the things in the start circuit. The voltage that is supposed to
trigger the starter originates from the under dash fuse panel and goes
through a kind of self resetting circuit breaker that can be tripped by
excessive current heating a short length of resistance wire
sufficiently to cause a bi-metal contact strip to curl away from its
mating contact and breaking the start circuit... If your problem was
heat related, I would suspect the breaker. From there the voltage goes
through the ignition switch, and from the ignition switch it goes
through a safety interlock circuit which is different for automatic and
manual transmissions.
Automatics have "neutral safety" switches that break the circuit if the
car is not in park or neutral, and this switch can either be under the
shifter cover or built into the transmission. You can try jiggling the
shifter while trying to crank; an intermittently faulty switch will
usually show some effort to crank (possibly briefly) while doing this.
Manual Trannys have a switch that breaks the start circuit if the
clutch pedal is not fully depressed, mounted under the dash in contact
with the clutch pedal arm. Working the clutch pedal while holding the
key in crank position might produce intermittent start efforts if this
is the problem.
If you can locate whichever of these switches you have, you can also
use the test light to (1) see if the start signal is coming out of the
ignition switch and (2) going through the interlock switch.
You can also temporarily bypass these switches by shorting together or jumpering the two connectors on the switch.
I had a similar problem with my 1991 Prelude that ended up being the
starter, and it was HUMIDITY related, of all things! I had driven
through some high water by necessity, high enough that the starter was
submerged, and then experienced your exact same symptoms... Showed up
especially in humid, cold, or rainy weather, The water had washed
dirt/sand into the solenoid engagement mechanism and had eroded
lubricant, causing the solenoid to bind and not fully engage. Starter
replacement solved the problem!
Hope this helps you get it fixed, but don't hesitate to post a comment or question if you need more help, and best of luck!
is in neutral of course). If it starts reliably every time you found
the problem. I adjusted the switch out by disconnecting the wire to the
switch and loosening the 14mm nut behind the switch and turning the
switch out a couple of turns. When moved out a bit and keeping the
floormat from behind the clutch pedal, voila, starts every time. This
fix came after a new battery, new starter, new battery cables and still
the intermittent no crank was present. Start with the cheap/free stuff
first and move on from there if needed :-)
