Low Amps On Start, Won't Crank

[shelbyluvv]

Have you tried to crank it without the belt on it? I helped a kid a few weeks ago with a Honda that would not start. It turned out to be a bad idler pulley. I thought it was seized. Then I noticed the crank was turning but the alt wasn't. Took the belt off and it lit right off.

 

Might be worth a shot.

[drcomanche]

I'll try that out. In other news, I have a sound file, but this forum won't accept it, so if someone is willing to listen, I can send it to you.

[drcomanche]

Went out and exchanged the battery to get that out of the way and found out something interesting. It can start first try every try if it has the jumper cables hooked up. I can get a jump, and it works fine, but if I try to run off the battery's power, it does the one crank thing, like it isn't getting enough torque to spin the flywheel or overcome the pressure.

[mvusse]

Take the wires off the terminal, clean the battery terminals AND the cable clamps. reinstall them and make sure they are tight.

[drcomanche]

Battery is brand new, so it's all raw metal. Clamps are also brand new.

[mvusse]

Then I would say a battery problem despite being brand new.

[drcomanche]

Battery checked out at the store. My old one read just fine but they gave me a new one anyway, same readings. Still didn't work. I'm positive it isn't the battery.

[mvusse]

And yet everything is fine when you jumpstart it.

[drcomanche]

Yeah. Jumpstart works perfectly, but no jump and it doesn't get the torque to turn the flywheel, but not an issue of the battery. It always checks out with voltage and amperage, under load or not.

[sinkrun]

I had battery cables that were corroded with green and white inside the plastic covering looked good at a glance. This caused a no start issue every few weeks maybe when you jump it theres more juice going thru ??

[drcomanche]

I've read that it can mean that the grounds are bad, and by jumpstarting it, you are giving it a more reliable ground? Don't know if there is any truth to that or not.

[gogmorgo]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but I think I might have a similar issue... today, I helped someone pick up their tools from the shop they just quit at, and when I went to start it after we got the toolbox in, I got nothing at all from the starter, not even a click (a little embarrassing, and awkward since I was parked right in front of the Crappy Tire's garage door...). We pushed it out of the way, and just for the hell of it I tried it again and it fired right up. I've started the truck three times since today and not had an issue. I'm thinking it might also be a ground issue (maybe? all I can think of really) but don't know what to check beyond the main ground at the battery. (91, 4.0 HO, auto, 4x4 lwb)

[drcomanche]

from what I've heard, the three main grounds are the fender to the battery, the engine block to that battery, and the engine block to the firewall, all of which are fairly easily accessible.

[nick57]

I'm a newbe to MJs and club check the ground on gas tank I read on the net somewhere that bad ground there it won't start.

[vaquaro]

My $ 0.02 , Battery to starter cable corroded under the insulation ( Jumper from starter terminal to battery will confirm ), and separately (Jumper from good ground to battery to confirm ) . If both cables test O.K. , then it's likely the battery at fault . :wrench:

[drcomanche]

Ok, I'm going to list all the symptoms again here to summarize them, including some new information, and hopefully somebody can help me out.

 

New Parts:

-Battery

-Terminals

-Starter

 

Symptoms:

-Not enough torque to turn starter and flywheel

-Starter only receives 36 amps when I try to start the truck (800cca Battery)

-WILL start if it's jumpstarted

-WILL also start if I arc the posts at the starter

-Battery checks out fine. Amperage and Voltage under load are good.

- All primary grounds cleaned and greased

-This problem used to only happen when the vehicle was warm after driving a bit

 

Since I can start it with a screwdriver at the starter, I'm not in such a hurry to figure it out anymore, but I would still like to know. I have a set of new battery cables being shipped in that I'll install once they arrive. Till then, any input is helpful.

[gogmorgo]

Looks like I've found where my problem is. On the starter solenoid there are the two black wires going to it. The smaller one's "terminal" is loose, but I see no way of tightening it. The wires themselves look like they're fine. I jiggled it a bunch, but still couldn't replicate the no start though...

 

So looks like my problem is unrelated. Sorry for the thread jacking :oops:

[Comanche County]

That loose terminal will cause the solenoid to fail soon, might as well rebuild it or get a new starter.

[gogmorgo]

That loose terminal will cause the solenoid to fail soon, might as well rebuild it or get a new starter.

 

So no way to tighten it without pulling the whole thing apart? :( Ah well, guess I'd better get myself a rebuild kit...

[drcomanche]

Ok, well, traded the starter again, and it didn't help. I have new higher gauge wires all hooked up, but still nothing. The only hint I have to go on right now is that I went to get a starter relay to try that out. The terminal numbers matched with the 87, 87, 86, and 30 on it. It was kind of a random guess at what year and model I should have gotten it for since my engine is an undocumented transplant and I don't know what they kept or what they modded. With the old relay, I got the same deal. Not enough amps reaching the starter. With the new relay, I got nothing. The starter didn't even try. Was there a difference between the relays from a 93 vs. an 88?