I have a pretty fresh ZZ430 block in a Camaro. Took it out for a spin a few times this year already no problem. Moved the car 10 feet last night, shut it off,went to move it back 10 minutes later and nothing. Battery.lights everything fine, but nothing when I turn the key. I did the obvious...checked cables, tapped the starter etc...but nothing.
Everything is brand new including the starter. Maybe 3K on the motor. Where would you guys start? Yank the starter? It's a PITA cuz of the headers...and the car is so low...but if thats where I should start then ok.

By the way...I should see 14V at the starter with the key in the start (cranking) position only right?


Thanks guys...
Ignore the bubba fuel line...that was to just get it running...

 

crap...I meant to put this in tech...move if you need to. Sorry...

 

Was it hot? Could have been solonoid heat soak. Do you run a heat shild with the headers close by?

 

no...I started it, let it idle for a few seconds because it tends to load up with the choke on..so I cleared it out and moved it. So it was cold. No shield but never had a problem before. Drove the ar on the power tour from Milwaukee to Florida and all the starts it never did this to me.

Strange...it's a brand new starter.

 

You should have 12v (or a little more) on the top terminal of the solonoid all the time. If you drop down to the starter lug it should be cold with the key off, or just in the run position. Have someone turn the key into the start position and you should show the 12 (or more)volts. If you've done this, and you're showing voltage in the start position on the starter lug, its gotta be starter or ground. You've just proved the solonoid, key switch, shifter park/neutral safety switch and wiring are all ok.
John

 

Do a load test on your battery or have it done first. If it passes the load test start checking the cables to make sure they are making a good contact and are tight. Sometimes the cable going to the solenoid will loosen up some and just needs to be retightened. If this is the case don't tightened it to tight or you will crack the solenoid. If you do all this and none of this helps I would pull the starter and hook a battery up direct to the starter using a screwdriver to cross the lugs to see if the starter spins. If it doesn't I would replace the solenoid with a new one or bring the starter back if it is still under warranty.

 

Thanks guys. I'm going to peek at it tomorrow. Just never had a new starter do this to me. I can't remember the last starter I had go bad. It's been a while.
Someone mentioned to me a fuseable link might be bad at the starter? That's news to me. I did not think a starter had one? I did not want to doubt the persons statement because I really don't know the guy.

Thanks for the tips. I'm hoping it's just a loose connection.

 

Nothing surprises me anymore being in the auto parts business the last 29 years. Most of the electronic parts anymore come from China and I have seen my share of some brand new electronic parts go bad right from the get go over the years. In your case being the starter was working before it just might be a loose connection or battery problem. I am pretty sure the fellow who mentioned about the fusible link at the starter was talking about the little wire that goes to the solenoids small terminal. I am pretty sure that wire is fuseible link type of wire. I use to sell the stuff by the roll when I had my Carquest auto parts store many years ago. I don't get many calls for it anymore being I am in a different situation in the selling of auto parts today being I sold out my share of the parts store back in the early 80's.

 

 

Would that fuseable link wire just have no connunity and be melted it there were a problem? And would you think that's still a starter or solenoid problem?
I had already load tested the battery when it would not crank over. I have a pretty decent desulfate charger that first tests the battery and also does a load test. It was fine. Battery is only a year old and car is stored indoors.
I'm drinking some ambition...I mean Coffee to get my motor started. Have to go hang a storm door for Mom first...(early mothers day gift) then I am gonna go check it out. I'll let ya guys know.

Thanks again...

 

The fusible link would be shorted out and would have no electric going to the small terminal on the starter. Get a test light and check that wire for electric with someone in the car turning the ignition on to try to start the car. Disconnect that small terminal wire first and then use the test light if you have enough room under there. You want to do this so the car doesn't jump if the starter happens to catch just in case for safety. If the test light lights up when someone turns the ignition on you know the fuseable link is good. At this point if I were you and you see that all connections seem to look alright and are tight I would disconnect the battery and wires to the starter and pull the starter down. I would then get a set of jumper cables hooking one end up from negative battery to the starter case for a good ground and the positive cable from the battery plus side to the big terminal (lug) on the starter solenoid. You then just need to grab a heavy screwdriver and touch the big lug on the solenoid to the small terminal on the solenoid. If the starter spins ok chances are very good that there is no problem with the starter itself and you may need to start looking elsewhere such as the battery. Most of the time when a solenoid starts to act up you will here a clicking sound coming from it every time you turn the ignition on.

You mentioned that you have a load tester built in your battery charger. Does it have a cold cranking amps scale? If it does as the Milton tester I have does see if the cold cranking amps on the scale match what the battery is suppose to be putting out. A under charged battery or an old battery won't match the cranking amps the battery is suppose to have.

 

Thanks for all the help guys. had a minute to look at it tonight as I finally remembered to bring my meter home.
Had the 12V at the top terminal, had the wife turn the key and I could hear the solenoid try to engage and had the 12V on the other lug but no cranking. Tapped the solenoid with a ratchet and it started to crank. Saw a small spark from the 2 small ground loops that go directly from the starter to the solenoid. The nut that threads threw the loops into the stud was not tight. The nut was backed out and the loops wrecked the threads on the bolt so I was not able to tighten it. Don't have the right size nut so a trip to the hardware store tomorrow and I should be all good!
Thanks again...
Now for my next small problem...if anyone can help... (I have too many damn cars)
I have a 99 Tahoe my wife was driving as I was doing the brakes on her car. She came home the other night and she said the service engine soon light came on. I took it for a spin and it ran fine until it hit 4500 RPM's and then it would misfire and act strange just before a redline shift going from both 1-2 and 2-3. 85K on the truck so I was thinking fuel filter maybe?
I have a hyperteck power programmer for the truck so I set it back to stock and the SES light was gone until I ran it again...so I assume the code is a misfire code of some sort.

Picked up a fuel filter but here is my problem. The filter is in the frame rail and the bolt on the filter itself is in good shape but the flange nuts on both ends of the fuel line going into the filter are nasty. I was able to crack one set loose but when I did...the fuel line is frozen to the flange nut thus turning/twisting the fuel line. Can't really grab the line without damage..so what do I do? Did not even bother trying the other side since it's in even worse shape. Can't even get a line wrench on that flange nut. I can't really use heat on a fuel line can I? So how do I get the damn thing off?
Also...IF the fuel filter does not solve the problem...where should look next? I know Fuel pumps on these are not meant for more than 100K or so...and I am not liking the cost of the pump and dropping the tank.
Help????

Thanks guys!

 

Soak the nuts into the filter with PB-Blaster, Kroil, or my personal favorite, Hoppe's #9 Gun Solvent. Let 'em soak, keep 'em wet for a day or two, and try again. Run it long enough to be almost out of gas, then drop the tank and replace the pump. And find out exactly what code is in the ECM- that will help figure out what's wrong.

 

So your saying do the pump as well? I was hoping you would not say that. This truck sits more than I drive it. I just use it for pulling snowmobiles and a small trailer here and there...but it's paid for and in decent shape. I think sitting kills it more than driving it. I am trying to drive it a little more but I use my work van most of the time.

Any trick on "soaking" the nuts? and where do I get the stuff you mentioned? I did shoot the snot out of them with WD-40, but I like the idea of soaking...but how do you do it with the lines attached? Can't realy "dip" the filter and lines in a bowl...
Or is this stuff some sort of paste?

Thanks

 

Although this forum pertains to the up keep of old Corvettes I must say it sounds like you are doing a lot of guessing here with your newer vehicle instead of diagnosing the real problem first. Sometimes we can't do it all and must bring our vehicles to a qualified person who knows what they are doing. You can try some PB Blaster to loosen up the threads. Hope you are trying to do this job on a car lift instead of on your back. You don't want to fool around with fuel. Don't even think about using heat on fuel lines. These are high pressure fuel injection fuel lines. Take it somewhere if you can't handle it.

As far as the in the tank fuel pump is concerned by what I read I see no indication that the fuel pump is the problem here. If the vehicle won't start and had spark that would be an indication but you haven't mentioned anything like that. Usually if a in the tank pump is bad and the vehicle won't start because of it most of the time you can take a rubber mallet and hit the bottom of the fuel tank and the pump will usually run again to start the car although it is on its way out and needs to be replaced and that may be a bigger job then you can handle on your Tahoe.

I did the job on my daughters older Blazer once and it is a lot of work. First of all you need to pump out all the gas out of the tank before you even think about starting this job. I also have a car lift that really helped me here plus one of those tall frame jacks to set under the tank with a 2x4 to lower the tank. I would hate to think about doing this job on my back to be honest with you.

 

Thanks ffas23.
I did search some Tahoe boards on Edmonds but they really are not that great of boards. Sorry I am bringing my Tahoe problem here, but I know many guys have had and shared problems on their daily drivers here before...
I Do have a lift and I had just done a filter on my 2001 Chevy van but that has nice quick disconnect fittings that were plastic. My guess is GM went to this because of this problem.
I know I can't use heat on them and I do know there is pressure as well. I plan to retrieve the code either way to be sure...it's just that I had the truck spotless and it was raining so I did not feel like taking it to the parts store in the rain. Plus I know I should have just done a fuel filter every year because of this problem. There cheap so that's why I started there. My mechanic buddy said it could be a rev limiter. I plan on getting the code out.

 

I usually change my own filter on my 90' Full Size Blazer but not every year since I don't drive the truck much. It only has 62k on the odometer. Since you have a lift get your hands on some PB Blaster and spray the fittings. You should be able to put a wrench right onto your filter to hold it in position and a another wrench on the filter fitting to loosen each end without twisting your fuel line. Your filter should be clamped next to the frame I would think anyway. If worse comes to worse use a vise grip on the other side of the filter when loosening one side. You may need to open your gas tank cap to release some pressure. I am not sure on your vehicle. Just be careful when messing with fuel.

For codes I picked up one of those Actron CP9135 OBD11 Scanners and I am glad that I did. It diagnosed plenty already for me. Using it I proved that there was nothing wrong with my wife's 2000 Intrepid to the inspection station that failed it this year in N.J.. I was accused of messing with the system on her car that they couldn't do an emissions test on the car but they were very much wrong and the Actron Scanner proved it. The scanner showed that everything was a go in the system and according to the scanner the vehicle emissions system was up to snuff. They the inspection station rechecked the car and gave it a passing sticker. I lost my faith in the inspection system in my state now. I really feel that they are failing perfectly good running cars now. I have heard the same from private garages I deal with being in the Auto Parts business.

 

Scanned it...bad MAP sensor. Truck runs fine now. I did order the kit to patch into the fule lines where the filter is. i still want to get a filter on it. There is no way this one is coming off without twisting lines. Both ends are frozen bad!

Thanks again..