99 GMC Sierra starting issue

Ryan - WI · Feb 4, 2011

My dad has a 99 Sierra 1500 with the 5.3L engine. When we went to move it on Thursday so we could snowblow the driveway it wouldn't start. The battery was good, everything came on and the starter solenoid even clicked but the starter itself wouldn't engage. I tried multiple times and the result was the same. I tapped on it with a hammer and still no change. Thursday was 16 degrees with 30 mph winds. The truck was in the driveway in town.
I bought a starter for it and planned to install it tomorrow when it gets all the way up to 30 degrees. Just on a whim tonight I told my mom to try to start the truck. She called me back and said it started right up with no hesitation. Today is 20 degrees with light winds.

I need some of your thoughts... am I dealing with some freak electrical issue (I had a relay which would freeze on my Mazda3 once) or is it indeed the starter. Do I leave it alone and see if it happens again or do I replace the stater knowing that Murphy's law will strike sometime when it is colder than snot and Dad is 70 miles from home.

I figure if the starter solenoid is clicking the issue must be the starter unit itself. If it was a safety bypass somewhere the solenoid wouldn't even click. Right?

Brad Gyde · Feb 4, 2011

Dad has a 98 3500 GMC. It don't get drove all too often, but we had a similar problem once..

Best we can figure is some snow/slush/ice got into it and stopped the bendix up, as you could hear the whirring of the starter, but no cranking of the engine. The starter was replaced later on.. but thats a long story (a while later "SOMEONE" put a new starter in it, because it costs more to swap the starter than change the junk battery.. "someone" is a good parts changer, but not too good of a technician)

In your situation, I'd check your connections good first.. The solenoid should be on the starter (haven't changed starters in the newer trucks though) and can click and still not be getting juice to the starter to roll it over.. Worked on a 1994 one time that would click all the time, but only roll over sometimes.. Found out the starter end of the cable was badly corroded inside the "lug" and more often than not would lose connection.

It could be a freak thing, such as ours was, or could be the starter is in fact going bad.. Hard to tell after only one "offense" sometimes

Brad

Lou from Wi. · Feb 5, 2011

Was wondering how many miles the vehicle has on it. The amount of starts with the starter and the cold weather with the oil on the shaft causing the bendix to not enguage the starter completely. Just hazarding a guess .Some times the bendix drive gets a lot of dust/dirt in the unit and on the shaft its self. Binding the bendix where it rests.Hope this helps in some way. Could have had some frozen water on the shaft to cause this problem.When you tried to stsrt the engine, the bendix could have been frozen, armature also, but thawed out enough when it warmed up and trying to start the vehicle again. Regards LOU.

ASEguy · Feb 5, 2011

Ryan, Before you replace the starter take off BOTH battery terminal ends and look for shiney metal. The hard corrosive coating is going to be a bear to remove if it's there. Remember it MUST be bare metal. I've repaired several like you described, one unfortunately out of the shop at our school. And use Vasoline, not grease to prevent recurrance. Don't get the cable ends too tight; they shouldn't spin with nominal hand pressure. Also make sure the plastic at both ends, near the ends is the same size. If they are not that would indicate corrosion inside the insulation which would require additional repair but much cheaper than a starter. Hope this helps. Gerard

Ryan - WI · Feb 5, 2011

Thanks for the help guys.
A couple other tidbits to mention. The truck only has 70,000 miles on it. When trying to start the starter made zero noise. It didn't slowly turn, or whir at all. Finally the temperature has never made it above freezing since that day. Being the starter is on the underside of the truck I don't see how if there was ice in the starter it would have melted at all.

I think step one is to take the newly purchased starter back. Step two is going to be to clean both ends of both battery cables. Step threee is going to be to wait.

hayray · Feb 5, 2011

I have the exact same problem with my GMC Sierra 2500, 1999. It has been the biggest P.O.S. as far as pick ups that I have ever owned. GMC are womens trucks in my opinoi, I have one of everything and when it comes to farm trucks Chevys and GMCs always cost me alot of money. I am getting voltage at the starter and the solenoid clicks also.

ASEguy · Feb 5, 2011

Hayray, Voltage can be had by one strand of wire. Amperage flow may be restricted due to poor connections. The green corrosion I'm referring to is very hard to remove. I use a pocket screwdriver. The connection must be bare metal all the way around not just at the lugs on the cable end. Gerard

Bobcatz · Feb 5, 2011

I just went through the same thing with my 98 chev 4x4 truck! It turned out to be a wore out solonid, it was energising but not completing the circuit to the starter, it was burned out at the contacts inside! A replacement solonid was $20 @ Autozone! Nappa wanted $46!!!

hayray · Feb 5, 2011

Thanks for the help. Sounds like I really need to take the starter off to get to the connections good on the solenoid. If a solenoid is only $20 at Autozone then maybe I can do that. How can you test the starter vs. solenoid?

don t-9n180179 · Feb 6, 2011

"And use Vasoline, not grease"...
I assume the grease you refered to does not include dielectric grease? I've used d-grease for years on all my auto/tractor electrics w/no issues. Even years later, connections are corrosion free. Not saying the wires under the insulation didn't go bad, the connections were good.

Just trying to learn, thanks much,
.....don t. .....

ASEguy · Feb 6, 2011

The connections I was refering to are at the battery. No need to pull the starter yet. A clicking solenoid doesn't necessarily mean the problem is there. Excessive resistance can occur anywhere in the circuit. Clean the connections at the battery first.

hayray · Feb 6, 2011

Brand new cables and connections, all clean and treated.

ASEguy · Feb 6, 2011

If the solenoid clicks then the control side of the circuit is working. The next step would be to remove the starter and bench test with battery cables. An electrical shop can do this or what I do is put jumper cables on the starter. Negative on the starter and positive on the solenoid lug. With a firm grasp on the starter and using a decent size screwdriver momentarily touch the S terminal to the battery cable lug on the solenoid. It should engage and spin at a high rpm. Don't do this unless you are comfortable doing it. Gerard

hayray · Feb 6, 2011

I put a screw driver across the battery and S terminal while on the truck and I just get a click. I am just getting ready to outside and remove the sarter because I can't see anything else I can do.

JDemaris · Feb 6, 2011

Very often, such a problem is from the big post on the starter solenoid. Hard to get to and often not tightened properly. The big battery lead mates with the main vehicle power lead there. Two ring terminals on the same stud. If not tight, the solenoid will "click" just fine but not crank.

Do the "clicking" with your headlights on. If the headlight dim when it clicks - you probably got a power feed/connection problem.

If they do not dim, you might must have a problem with the contacts in the solenoid assembly.

ASEguy · Feb 6, 2011

Post back what happened on your test.

Brian Jasper co. Ia · Feb 6, 2011

O'Reilly and Auto Zone are two of the last places you ever want to buy a starter or alternator. In the past my experience with either place was you will go through several before finding a good one. Go to Napa or Car Quest if you aren't going to get an AC Delco reman. Do like Gerard says, make sure you have clean and tight connections. Ideally do a voltage drop test on each cable and connection.

hayray · Feb 7, 2011

I did the bench test two ways - first I did the same thing as I did with the starter on the truck by connecting the battery and s-terminal, still just the click. Second I connected the battery jumper cable to the other post on the soenoid with the lead that disapears into the starter body to see if the motor would turn and nothing. So I figured the starter was bad. I went to Autozone and got a new starter, supposedly a brand new, gear reduction model with lifetime warrently for $149. Was a little leary about buying a starter there, usually I go to a better store but they are closed on Sundays and I have had no problems with Autozone on their gurantees and warranties, absolutely no hassels and they have the records on the computer. The Autozone tester was not workign correctly so I am glad I bench tested at home first. Anyways, truck started right up. Thanks for the help ASE. Ray

ASEguy · Feb 8, 2011

Great! Glad it worked out.

ASEguy · Feb 8, 2011

Sorry just saw your post. Yes dielectric grease is best, but I've seen a lot of people use wheel bearing grease which tends to degrade the connection when it seeps into the gaps. Gerard

99 GMC Sierra starting issue

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