I just finished my fixing my plenum, rear main,oil pump, oil pan gasket, cap, rotor, sp wires, valve cover gaskets, and went to start my truck and it will not turn over.

I turn the key forward and get a dining and all the lights come on and the radio, fan, windows and all that work.

When I go to turn it all the way to start the engine I get one click and there is no more power. The gauges, dome light, and everything shut off and I have to pull the battery cable and put it back on to make the gauges and everything work again.

During the reinstall I did crack my starter housing so I went to the battery shop and they gave me a used starter that was working good on the bench.

Is there any chance if the starters electrical connector was not working it would cause the truck to do this?

My truck also has a remote starter and one wire is broke coming out of the fire wall to the engine and I cannot figure out where it goes to but, this wire has been broke for a long time before this work was preformed.

Just wondering if anyone had any idea where to start?

Thanks

 

All I can say is, go back over everything 10 times if you have to. Are the grounds that connect to the bolt near the power steering pump connected and not broke? How about the ground wires on the firewall that go to the back of the passenger side head? Was the negative battery cable disconnected while you performed the work? Maybe swap relays around in the PDC. Is the battery charged? Too many things can be wrong here. Don't mean to sound like a dick, but if no prob before the work, then it's obviously something you did wrong or knocked loose.


On a side note, I wouldn't bank on a bench tested starter, unless they can test it with a load on it.

 

Ive changed the battery and checked everything over 100 times (the last 3 hrs).

I just disconnected the wire connector that hooks to the starter and now when i turn the key forward (like starting it) the electronics stay on. It obviously will not start because the wire is not hooked up but would this point to the starter as the problem?

 

Trace that wire. If it checks out then I'd still be suspect of a bad ground to the motor or firewall.

 

Coming off the starter there is a brown wire the clips to the starter and a red power wire that bolts to the starter.

They come up together to the red one hooks to the positive battery terminal and the brown one goes to another connector and then to what I assume is the computer.

Everything looks fine with the starter wires its just as soon as you turn the key to start the truck go get kind of a clack sound and the power is dead to everything.

When the brown wire is disconnected from the starter you can turn the key to start and the lights and everything stay on.

This just keeps telling me that it must be the starter, the starter is also the most questionable because its a crucial part that is "new" to this truck.

The starters are $130 so I don't want to just go get one to try it.

On another starter note, the brown wire that gets pushed into a connector on the started doesnt seem to go all the way together.

Does anyone know what the brown wire is?

 

IIRC, the brown wire is power from the relay to engage the solenoid. Swap some relays around in the PDC and see if anything changes. Other than that, if you go to the FAQ/DIY section, you can download a free manual and trace the wires that way.


Of course, if the starter is bad, it's drawing too much voltage and just killing everything.

 

Ive changed all the relays and fuses and still no go.

I know the starter bench tested but when I think about it -
Power is getting to the starter and killing the power to the truck when you try to start it.
If the power was getting thru the starter the starter would engage and turn the fly wheel.

The power hits the starter and kills the truck, it must be the starter.

???

 

Get the original starter you cracked and put it on and she if she cranks, (if it wasn't cracked beyond a use or two) if so, go get a new starter.

Unless there is some sorta failsafe that would prevent the starter from during in the event of a bad ground or something....

 

The battery shop kept the starter and there about a 1/2 hr drive away.

I suppose I will just get a new starter and hope that works.

Ive checked everything many times and cannot find anything thats out of place.

The only questionable ground was one going from the fire wall to the valve cover so I unhooked it and put it on a few other metal things connected to the frame and still got nothing.

If for example there was something in the engine jammed and the flywheel could not turn you would atleast hear the starter trying to turn it.

 

Like I said, if the starter is bad it will draw too much voltage as in shorting out internally.(windings,contacts) Not to spend your money, but you need to try a new starter.