drcomanche Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 This seems to only happen when the truck is warm, but I'm not sure of it. I'll go to turn the key now, all the time, and it will crank once and then stop everything. I just replaced the starter, so that isn't the issue. It started doing this every now and then a while ago, but now it does it every time. The only way it starts now is if there is enough in the engine to get everything going off that one crank, but I find myself stranded in parking lots now waiting for a lucky turn of the key. The battery is less than 6 months old, but when I took it to autozone and tried it out with a tester, all of their testers for the battery were broken. The guy put a standard volt meter on there, and it had plenty of power, when the key was turned it wouldn't drop past 11, and when the truck was on, it read a steady 13.5 or so. Any ideas? Kind of need this fixed soon. I can't have an unreliable vehicle for work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 If you're battery and cables are good, and the engine ground is good, I'd take a look at the ignition switch. Not the key switch, the ignition switch is on the steering column at the base under the dash. There's a long rod that pushes the switch when the key is turned. Easy fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Did you figure it out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 8, 2012 Author Share Posted October 8, 2012 I replaced the terminals, checked my battery, but still, as soon as it gets hot, it will do this. I'm not even sure I would consider it one crank. It does a kind of half a$$ed attempt at one and stops, like it has some kind of load on the engine when I go to start it. I checked the push rod, but for my truck, there is no switch like that. The rod it cut/broken halfway. If there is supposed to be one, however, there was a worked in switch on the truck for a few wires that, when turned off, will make it so that the truck doesn't start at all, and when on, will turn over just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Sounds like someone tried to bypass it. Another thing to look at is the solenoid on the starter. Sometimes the small terminal wires or the terminals themselves get loose. Just happened to me today, they took a little jiggle and it was starting up just fine afterward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 8, 2012 Author Share Posted October 8, 2012 Well, I just replaced that entire assembly, so I think that is out, but for good measure, I'll recheck them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my96z Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Has it been using any coolant lately? Any smoke on startup or while running? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 It has always seemed to run kind of rich, but as far as coolant goes, the last time that was refilled was about 9 months ago when it was flushed, and it has only lost maybe a quarter inch in the reservoir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Honestly, I'd rip out that bypass switch and go get a factory ignition switch (from any parts store) and a complete rod out of a JY XJ. I think this is the root of the problem. Also confirm the battery lead going to the starter isn't frayed somewhere. Inspect the block to firewall ground, and the negative battery cable ground, ensure they're clean. I take it that when it starts it runs fine, is that true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Yep. Runs perfectly, it just can't seem to crank over enough to start it. On occasion, if I prime the fuel pump enough times, I can get it to start with that little bit of a crank it gets, so I'm getting something, at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I'm confused, someone smarter than me is going to have to chime in. Priming the fuel pump should have nothing to do with the starter not cranking over. But if there's a fuel pressure issue, just to be thorough, you need to do a fuel pressure test. Should be 31 psi IIRC. Check the rest of the Renix sensors too, here's a guide. http://www.lunghd.co...Diagnostics.htm Have you done the basics? Plugs and plug wires are all good? Did you check the grounds? Sometimes a battery checks out on voltage but will not have the amps to actually turn the engine over, amps and volts are two different things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Oh, the fuel prime doesn't have anything to do with it, it just guarantees that I have something to ignite in there for the half crank it does, and sometimes it will spring to life on that. Basically, it just makes it so I can start it with just that half a cranks time. Plugs, wires, coil, cap, rotor, all sensors. The whole nine yards was replaced under there. And I did check the grounds and gave them a good sanding for contact. The battery is only about 6 months old, so it would suck if that were the case. It had the voltage check out, but I never checked the amps. And how would the amps relate to the temperature of the vehicle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 11, 2012 Author Share Posted October 11, 2012 Looked again today to try to get more symptoms. I checked all the wires, connections, fuses, and relays, to make sure. When it does only the half crank kind of thing, it sounds like the starter winds up to go, but catches something that stops it dead in it's tracks and stops to avoid damage. So, to reiterate, it seems to get the flywheel, but the flywheel won't move, or is too tough to move, or something. Keep in mind, this is only speculation based on the sound it makes. Do these starters do that? If there is enough force that it can't proceed with operation, does it stop to prevent damage? And even then, how does this have any correlation to the temperature? I'm on my last rope with this problem. I can't stop anywhere anymore on my way around without it quitting on me. It used to only do this periodically, but now it does it all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dookie Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Not sure what it could be but I'd have someone hold the key in start while it does it and test for voltage at the starter (little wire) and if theres no power, work your way back. I assume it was doing it before you replaced the starter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 12, 2012 Author Share Posted October 12, 2012 Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 12, 2012 Author Share Posted October 12, 2012 It has started doing this when the engine is cold now. Every time I try to start it. Somebody has to have something here. I've checked and rechecked the wiring, fuses, relays, terminals, everything. I want to say the starter seems to jam for a split second and then disengage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 New symptom that may pinpoint the cause to someone. I talked to a friend of mine who used to rebuild cars and he said that he was stumped by the symptoms, but his last resort would be the timing. I took a look at the Idler pulley, and with the engine running, it seemed to wobble a bit (which I later found out was not true). So, the next day when it wouldn't start, I grabbed the idler pulley and tried to hand turn it to see if it had slack, and it fell back about a quarter of an inch with fair ease. When I went to start it, it started perfectly, no binding on the starter or anything. So, with this in mind, and it has worked a couple of times now, any more ideas as to whats wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mythreesons Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 First of all, I appreciate the fact that you are keeping your posts going as you move along the path to craziness. Secondly, I would begin to look into two different directions. one--- I know it's a pain to accomplish..... when this incident happens what voltages are at the starter solenoid? Is it being engaged then turned off before the engine has a chance to make even one revolution? Just asking the question here as I don't know..... If the NSS were to start in one state then change as soon as the flywheel rotates will it turn off the starter? When this non-turning over happens, will it work if you try to start in gear? two--- When you mention the idler pully having a little slack...... Perhaps you could disconnect the spark and take the belt off then try to turn the engine over with the starter? Could there be something binding up that keeps the engine from turning over until it gets loosened up? Loose bolt behind the ???? Loose bolt (or something) inside the starter??? That's all my feeble brain can pull up on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon. Perhaps it's enough to jog someone else's memory to give you better direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 I went to town today taking out the starter and looking around. No damaged teeth or anything of the sort and the gear spun freely by hand. It, once again, won't start, even with the slight movement of the idler pulley. I didn't get a chance to check the voltage at the starter, but still, sometimes it will work, other times it won't. Sometimes the starter tries but definitely gets caught up on something kind of like if it were in gear. And yes, it still does this when in gear. It will pull, get caught up, and then disengage. And then, some other times, it doesn't feel like it jams at all, but just quits after its half revolution. It feels like it is engaging, but not turning off so much as jamming like it's in gear. On a possibly related note, with the engine off, when I put it in gear, any gear really, and try to push it in the direction of the gear its in, it feels jammed and won't roll forwards if I were in first. It won't roll at all like this flywheel jam isn't just affecting my starter. I will continue my delve into insanity, and let you all know if any more symptoms pop up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinkrun Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 New parts can go bad I would try another starter I put a alternator on it worked for 5 mins and died the stuff we buy today is junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 14, 2012 Author Share Posted October 14, 2012 It did this exact same thing with the old starter as well, so I'm inclined to believe that it isn't the starter in this case, because the likelihood that both would fail in the exact same fashion at essentially the same time isn't very high. And even then, there are times where it turns over perfectly fine and the starter cranks just like it should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my96z Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 It has always seemed to run kind of rich, but as far as coolant goes, the last time that was refilled was about 9 months ago when it was flushed, and it has only lost maybe a quarter inch in the reservoir. How rich? Does it puff black smoke? Could the injectors maybe be leaking the residual pressure in to the engine after you shut it off and be hydro locking the motor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 The smell is very potent, but the smoke is black, but not a terrible amount of it. It isn't super rich or anything, just kind of, and I figured thats what made it chug at idle. The injectors shouldn't be leaking since they are new about 6 or 7 months ago and I don't think there is too much pressure in the system. How would I tell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 If there's a fuel problem it will reflect in the condition of the plugs, whether they're rich or lean. To check the fuel pressure you just need a gauge, they're available at any autoparts store. Post a pic of the engine, what does it look like? Is it clean or has it been ran hard and put up in an oily and unsatisfied state? What I'm getting at is, is the engine on its last leg? What's the compression per cylinder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drcomanche Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 The engine wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't taken care of like it should have before I received it. It had definitely had a period of old dirty oil staying in the engine, but when I got it, I changed the oil like clockwork. No problems then. Recently, I replaced the valve cover gasket, and when I pulled the valve cover, it had some significant buildup that can be seen in my build thread from the old oil. I scraped and shopvacced to the best of my ability and buttoned it all back down. Ran fine. Had plans to do the oil pan, and then this started becoming apparent that it was a problem. On a slightly unrelated topic, what should the oil pressure gauge be reading when running? I've always felt like mine ran kind of high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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