Had problems starting with slow turnover a while ago after LRD2 had sat up on blocks for a month or more while replacing ball joints. Put in new battery and still had issues. Replaced starter and at first had an issue but then she fired up ok. Had intermittent click click... issue about one start out of 5. Rechecked connections to battery and starter - clean and good to go. Thought I had a current leak. Fuse FL3 is drawing close to 0.5 mA with doors closed hood open. Is this higher than expected?

Currently LRD3 not starting or turning over - just the click click click ****. Of course it's stuck in a spot where I can't even try jumping it. Will have to drag out and try that next but even if she fires up that doesn't solve the unknown core issue.

Not sure what to try next. Is it possible I got a bad starter? It was a cheap one from RockAuto - where I get most all parts as they will ship USPS mail here to the VI.

Any ideas?

 

PS... the key has been tricky to turn recently too. Need to wiggle it to get it in the right groove to turn.

 

Update - and then there was smoke.

First thing this morning I checked the current drain. I was seeing close to .5 mA and majority was thru the under hood fused link FL3. Research led me to under drivers dash fuse box fuses 1,2, 20, 21. Fuse 20 had the most draw at around .3 mA. I think that's the stereo fuse. So a separate question to the starting issue is is this .3 mA draw ok or not?

Now to the starting issue. I dragged her out so I could try jump starting. With the truck hooked up and revving, the starter tries to turn, with a slow strained whr, whr. Then after a few tries and re-checking the jumper cables I started smelling/seeing smoke from under the dash! I disconnected everything and opened up under the dash but I cant see anything obvious or burnt. I can smell some residual burning but can't locate source. I'm starting to think the problem might be inside the key cylinder switching.

Any hints or help?

 

I would say that .3 is high....maybe shoot for .03 on the draw....

 

smoke burning smell could be coming from below center console near shiftier. Trying to trace the smell.

 

You need to check the ground cable from the battery, that connects to the engine alternator bracket. You have lost your ground and the current is trying to ground through the parking brake cable. If you continue...you will melt your parking brake cable into one solid piece of crud...if it already hasn't done so. We just had this same problem earlier this week...or last. Anyhow, check the ground cable at the engine.

Brian.

 

It's grounding through the parking brake cable but I can't tell why. Yep - it's fused the handbrake cable.

I checked where the strap attaches to drivers side firewall and it looked ok.
I'll pull the other ground near the alternator and check that too. Thx.

 

The "why" is...you've lost the main ground cable connection at alternator bracket. There is a small ground mount integrated on the main ground cable that attaches to the inner fender just outside the battery box. This ground place grounds the body. So, the starter is trying to follow this ground path, since main cable has been lost. The current is traveling from the starter, through the engine/trans/transfercase to the parking brake cable on rear of transfercase, then up the cable to the connection inside the cab (where surface area is small, causing smoke/melting), from there it travels through the body to the small integrated ground connection.

Once you repair your battery ground cable, it should start. But, now...you need to replace the parking brake cable.

Hope this helps explain what happen.

Brian.

 

Just for information sake...

Most folks don't understand how a battery works. The positive is pulling and the negative is pushing, basically.

So, when you turn the ignition key (asking the starter to turn), the positive cable starts pulling 12V of current/amperage through the starter solenoid. If the starter is grounded properly (engine ground cable from battery) the circuit is complete and the starter turns over the engine. However, if there is no ground or insufficient, it keeps pulling current until it finds a ground path. Hence, the parking brake cable comes into play. Which, because of its upper pin connection...it offers poor current flow...which creates heat...which creates smoke and melting.

Brian.

 

Which creates a headache for the owner...