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Old 03-13-2020, 09:08 AM   #1
crossy
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98 starter clicks, but not turning over.

Alright fellas, when it comes to electrical troubleshooting I know how to use a DVOM, but on late model stuff I really don’t know protocol .
I have a 98 5.7L vortec. I have fuel issues that I WAS troubleshooting, but now it won’t crank. I verified 12.7 Volts at newer battery. The Bendix goes in,’clunk’, but doesn’t turn over. The engine is not seized. The starter gears goes in, but the starter doesn’t TURN OVER. I pulled the starter. hooked 12.5 volts to big terminal and grounded the case. Then I jumped from the big terminal to little terminal, and the starter works fine. I have to assume that there is something that stopped making it’s electrical ‘connection’ in the starting system. I even tried another known good starter. I replaced the starter relay with a new one also. I had it cranking fine, and at one point I did crank it for an extended period, but I THINK it worked again after that time. Is there simply a fuse ,I hope’?? in the system I popped by cranking for too long. I also tried playing with the gear shift lever to no avail. Thanx, Crossy
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Old 03-13-2020, 09:22 AM   #2
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Re: 98 starter clicks, but not turning over.

Did you try jumping it?
My wife's Equinox did the same thing and the battery checked out just fine.
Put a new battery in anyways and all was fine.
Kim
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Old 03-13-2020, 09:48 AM   #3
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Re: 98 starter clicks, but not turning over.

Did the different starter work in the truck, or same thing?

Troubleshooting the starter on this is the same as on just about any small block.

Your starter has 3 connections
Ground to the block
Big cable to the battery
Starter signal

If the Bendix is pushing the gear out, that means your starter signal is fine. This means the relay and fuse are fine.

Here is where I would be looking:
#1 - When you turn the key to start and it clicks, what is the voltage at the battery? Do the lights dim down? Sitting voltage on the battery means nothing if it drops like a rock with a load on it.

#2 - Measure the voltage at the big lug starter. This should be equal to battery voltage. Again watch it with the ignition turned to start to watch for a voltage drop due to a bad connection.

#3 - I believe there is a fusable link on the large starter cable. If the big cable does not have power at the starter, this may be it.

#4 - I've heard of starters having bad spots on them. Forget what the actual issue is. If you can rotate the starter a bit, it will work.
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Old 03-13-2020, 09:55 AM   #4
crossy
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Re: 98 starter clicks, but not turning over.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kim57 View Post
Did you try jumping it?
My wife's Equinox did the same thing and the battery checked out just fine.
Put a new battery in anyways and all was fine.
Kim
NO jump, but I had a good charger hooked to it at the time, but your correct, the battery Could be internally shorted out.
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81 SWB GMC POS finally gone
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Old 03-13-2020, 10:01 AM   #5
crossy
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Re: 98 starter clicks, but not turning over.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rpmerf View Post
Did the different starter work in the truck, or same thing?

Troubleshooting the starter on this is the same as on just about any small block.

Your starter has 3 connections
Ground to the block
Big cable to the battery
Starter signal

If the Bendix is pushing the gear out, that means your starter signal is fine. This means the relay and fuse are fine.

Here is where I would be looking:
#1 - When you turn the key to start and it clicks, what is the voltage at the battery? Do the lights dim down? Sitting voltage on the battery means nothing if it drops like a rock with a load on it.

#2 - Measure the voltage at the big lug starter. This should be equal to battery voltage. Again watch it with the ignition turned to start to watch for a voltage drop due to a bad connection.

#3 - I believe there is a fusable link on the large starter cable. If the big cable does not have power at the starter, this may be it.

#4 - I've heard of starters having bad spots on them. Forget what the actual issue is. If you can rotate the starter a bit, it will work.
Will do, and have another battery gonna try tonite. FUSIBLE LINK in the cable, hmmmmmmm, interesting??have to find that-- voltage gauge did drop at factory gauge, but not significantly. I usually work alone,so tough to be two places at once, but will get the wife to hit key while I measure voltage at STARTER. Replacement 'good' starter acted the exact same that's how I figured it's in the start system somewhere, but I never thought about the battery being shorted internally, and they do that quite a bit these days.
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2007 LBZ GMC Sierra, ECSB
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98 Vortec project.
94,3500,6.5L 4L80
81 SWB GMC POS finally gone
73 Pinto, stock, w/CragarSS's-eww
LOTS of Cummins trucks.
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Old 03-13-2020, 10:12 AM   #6
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Re: 98 starter clicks, but not turning over.

starter is so easy to get to that before I do anything else I will see if there is Voltage at that main cable lug on the solenoid. IF THERE IS 12+Volts, I will screwdriver from the big lug to the little one. When I did that on the floor with the 'spare' good battery, both starters worked fine. I am still going to try the spare battery. thanx, Crossy
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2007 LBZ GMC Sierra, ECSB
2006 LM7 RCSB Silverado
98 Vortec project.
94,3500,6.5L 4L80
81 SWB GMC POS finally gone
73 Pinto, stock, w/CragarSS's-eww
LOTS of Cummins trucks.
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Old 03-13-2020, 08:15 PM   #7
Tom
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Re: 98 starter clicks, but not turning over.

So the starter isn't spinning the engine? Either that battery has a good surface charge to engage the bendix but not enough to crank, or the starter is bad and not making enough torque to twist the engine.
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Old 03-14-2020, 01:20 PM   #8
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Re: 98 starter clicks, but not turning over.

Just letting you all know that a GOOD battery solved problem instantly, feel like a dah-ope because the other battery was a leftover from my D-max this winter, and it even tested good and started this vortec several times, but it was time I guess-Thats what happened to it's twin brother this winter- it shorted out. credit to Interstate tho- that Battery was 7 years old.This one was 7.5 years old. thanks
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2007 LBZ GMC Sierra, ECSB
2006 LM7 RCSB Silverado
98 Vortec project.
94,3500,6.5L 4L80
81 SWB GMC POS finally gone
73 Pinto, stock, w/CragarSS's-eww
LOTS of Cummins trucks.
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Old 03-16-2020, 12:17 PM   #9
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Re: 98 starter clicks, but not turning over.

Glad you got the issue solved.
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