duramax starter issues

T in NE · Sep 12, 2014

05 Duramax, starter doesn't engage and just grinds occasionally. Try again, cranks. Or grinds, then shut off, turn on quickly, cranks.

Think we found the problem. Key cylinder locked up the other day. Needs to turn to 'crank' to be removed. Boss started after it with a drill, bit grabbed and started truck, so it went to the dealer to get fixed.

Hopefully the switch was the cause of the starter issue.

Anyone else ever ran into that? About 1120,000 on it now, but been doing it since high in the 80,000's. 2 new starters didn't help any.

Another thing, the 03 had a steering box leak. Pump burned itself up before priming. With the bad pump, there's limited brakes due to the hydroboost, and no brakes to speak of at idle. Dealer says a new pump is pretty well standard with a new steering box on them.

bison · Sep 13, 2014

(quoted from post at 21:52:59 09/12/14) 05 Duramax,[b:7f9a92d535] starter doesn't engage and just grinds occasionally. Try again, cranks. Or grinds, then shut off, turn on quickly, cranks.[/b:7f9a92d535]

Think we found the problem. Key cylinder locked up the other day. Needs to turn to 'crank' to be removed. Boss started after it with a drill, bit grabbed and started truck, so it went to the dealer to get fixed.

Hopefully the switch was the cause of the starter issue.

Anyone else ever ran into that? About 1120,000 on it now, but been doing it since high in the 80,000's. 2 new starters didn't help any.

Another thing, the 03 had a steering box leak. Pump burned itself up before priming. With the bad pump, there's limited brakes due to the hydroboost, and no brakes to speak of at idle. Dealer says a new pump is pretty well standard with a new steering box on them.

suspect you have a damaged ring gear, couple teeth broke out or worn off.
Engines tend to come to a stop in largely the same position every time
So the starter gear hits the bad spot 1/2 the time.

John M · Sep 13, 2014

Trade it on a new Powerwagon! Youll never have problems again, but wait until next year, they will be over 700hp.

Seems I read something somewhere about the switch messing up acting like it was the starter, but I don't recall where it was now, maybe on the Duramax forum. The dealership I go to uses the trans flush machine somehow to flush and prime steering boxes too. I saw them do it on my 08 when the pump took a dump, just days before the warranty ran out.

buickanddeere · Sep 13, 2014

(quoted from post at 00:52:59 09/13/14) 05 Duramax, starter doesn't engage and just grinds occasionally. Try again, cranks. Or grinds, then shut off, turn on quickly, cranks.

Think we found the problem. Key cylinder locked up the other day. Needs to turn to 'crank' to be removed. Boss started after it with a drill, bit grabbed and started truck, so it went to the dealer to get fixed.

Hopefully the switch was the cause of the starter issue.

Anyone else ever ran into that? About 1120,000 on it now, but been doing it since high in the 80,000's. 2 new starters didn't help any.

Another thing, the 03 had a steering box leak. Pump burned itself up before priming. With the bad pump, there's limited brakes due to the hydroboost, and no brakes to speak of at idle. Dealer says a new pump is pretty well standard with a new steering box on them.

All too often trouble shooting and repairs are focused on the symptom rather than the cause .

rustred · Sep 13, 2014

dont think its the switch that is causing the grinding. mine has been missing an engagement since it was about 2 yrs. old.( 2006 model) just every so often it will not engage and just grind.
replaced a starter with rebuilt on a 2005 yesterday and then when ready to drive out of garage the solenoid stuck and had to remove batt. cables as the starter kept running. tapped the solenoid and then hooked up cables and all was good. kinda waiting for it to happen again as i dont think it was only a one time thing.

Cas · Sep 13, 2014

If ring gear is ok, I would double check the gear lash between the starter gear and ring gear.
Power the solenoid only to engage starter gear.

Eldon (WA) · Sep 13, 2014

(quoted from post at 21:52:59 09/12/14) 05 Duramax, starter doesn't engage and just grinds occasionally. Try again, cranks. Or grinds, then shut off, turn on quickly, cranks.

Think we found the problem. Key cylinder locked up the other day. Needs to turn to 'crank' to be removed. Boss started after it with a drill, bit grabbed and started truck, so it went to the dealer to get fixed.

Hopefully the switch was the cause of the starter issue.

Anyone else ever ran into that? About 1120,000 on it now, but been doing it since high in the 80,000's. 2 new starters didn't help any.

Another thing, the 03 had a steering box leak. Pump burned itself up before priming. With the bad pump, there's limited brakes due to the hydroboost, and no brakes to speak of at idle. Dealer says a new pump is pretty well standard with a new steering box on them.

With over a million miles on it I'd just trade it off.....

T in NE · Sep 14, 2014

Engine was replaced not quite 2 years ago. That"s when the second new starter went in. Ring gear is good.

T in NE · Sep 14, 2014

Hit an extra 0. The trucks will never hold together that long. All kinds of front end and engine problems. This one is on its second engine, the other is on its second set of ball joints, and 3rd set of injectors, and both have had both half-shafts and front wheel bearings replaced. The 03 has had the one side replaced twice.

T in NE · Sep 14, 2014

We changed the box and you couldn't hardly steer it, they did their thing and told us the pump is shot, and they usually go out about the same time.

T in NE · Sep 14, 2014

Told the dealer what it was doing and they changed it.
With the reputation GM key switches are having, after 100 thousand with the remote unlock hanging on it, not surprised it went bad.

T in NE · Sep 14, 2014

I think a new powerwagon would almost be a better truck.

duramax starter issues

T in NE

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bison

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John M

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buickanddeere

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rustred

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Cas

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Eldon (WA)

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T in NE

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T in NE

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T in NE

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T in NE

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T in NE

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