Hey all. I am having a strange starting issue. It will either start perfectly or will not turn over at all. There is no hesitation whatsoever if the starter engages. When it doesn't start, the lights will dim but nothing else. The truck has a new battery (2 months old) so that isn't the problem. While it is running I hear a clicking noise every 20 or so seconds coming from the cabin fuse box. I'm thinking it may be a relay but that may be a separate issue. Where should I start ..... pun intended. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Obvious question:

Are you sure the clicking is coming from the fuse box?

Minus the fuse box comments, this sounds like a bad starter.

 

I was thinking the same when i read the dimming

 

As a big first start I would look at the big obvious earths. The battery connections. Etc.

Just check out all the big fat wires are doing their jobs.

Even if they 'look' good. Take them off, clean, retighten.

As a start. It's free and quick. And stands a good chance of being the culprit.

After that suspect the starter. When it is playing up have you tried the hammer test on the starter?

 

Ditto the earths!!!

 

So, I looked over all of the earths and they seem to be clean/tight. Since the no start incident last week, the truck has been starting as usual. I am worried that it will leave me stranded at some point though, so I am trying to figure out the problem before it happens again. Considering that it predominantly starts as it always has, can I rule out a bad starter? I don't understand how a starter could work perfectly sometimes and then be completely dead the next try. To me is seems to be an electrical demon somewhere. I did somewhat decipher what the clicking noise is in the dash. It is the same exact click that happens when you shift gear (park to R to N to D). It randomly happens while I am driving and is quite annoying. The truck stays in gear while the noise happens, and when the truck doesn't start, it says park on the dash so I dont think its the something like XYZ switch. Any ideas? It may be a completely separate issue, but its the only think that I can go off of because it started right when the truck had starting issues. Let me know what you think. Thanks for the help.

 

'I don't understand how a starter could perfectly sometimes and then be completely dead the next try."


happens all the time all you need is one bad section of armature and it will not spin.
started drives engage and then down disengage.

 

Looks mean nothing. To properly check the cables, you should do a voltage drop test on the cables, end to end, while moving them.

Happens every day.

Is you foot on the brake when this happens?