2001 S10 - Good Starter - No Start

**F E Knucklebuster** · 06-28-2009, 11:00 AM

Long story short.

2001 S10 4 cyl 5 spd. Wrecked but was running - w/bad starter. It has since sat without battery for months.

Time to get it back on the road.

Replaced battery and put in known good new starter. Now it will not crank.

All lights, gauges, etc come on but NO engagement of starter. The starter is good and power is getting to the starter but it's like the ignition switch is not allowing the transfer. Again, it was running but had an intermittent bad starter- it has been sitting without the battery for months.

What do I need to be looking for?

**2COR517** · 06-28-2009, 12:43 PM

Do you know how to "hotwire" the starter? put an alligator clip on the small terminal of your starter, touch the other end to your battery wire on the starter. If it still doesn't go, it's either the starter or solenoid.

**F E Knucklebuster** · 07-02-2009, 08:44 AM

Finally got a chance to go back over everything. Pulled the starter again just to be doubly sure and cover my tracks.

The battery is good.

The starter works fine off of the vehicle. On vehicle not even a click.

Voltage is present at the starter on the vehicle.

Lights/gauges work and do NOT dim when attempting a start.

I'm guessing I have a bad ignition switch or a bad ignition relay.

**Knucklehead** · 07-02-2009, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by F E Knucklebuster

Finally got a chance to go back over everything. Pulled the starter again just to be doubly sure and cover my tracks.

The battery is good.

The starter works fine off of the vehicle. On vehicle not even a click.

Voltage is present at the starter on the vehicle.

Lights/gauges work and do NOT dim when attempting a start.

I'm guessing I have a bad ignition switch or a bad ignition relay.

Sounds like your on the right track , its also possible that the ign fuse is bad.

**F E Knucklebuster** · 07-02-2009, 12:27 PM

Should have mentioned that I visually checked the fuses and they appeared to be ok.

**F E Knucklebuster** · 07-02-2009, 09:24 PM

A little further along.

The relay is good so it looks like it's probably the ignition switch (or a broken wire somewhere).

Do these have the switch within the column or attached to the steering shaft?

**2COR517** · 07-02-2009, 10:35 PM

You might want to try to find a wiring diagram for your truck. Then you could check the column harness before you pull the column apart.

**Falcone** · 07-14-2009, 10:31 AM

I was having the same issue. My truck would be dead in the water apon keyturn, cluster lights up, radio turns on, but not a sound from the starter. Turned out my solinoid was loose and I had to giggle the wire, ran it like that for a week till I got unlazy enough to change the solinoid.

**F E Knucklebuster** · 07-14-2009, 10:51 AM

I wish this one was that simple. It's somewhere between the switch (or it's THE switch) and the relay. Starter's good all the way 'round, relay is tested and good, still no luck - turn the key and nothing is being transferred to the relay to transfer it to the starter. I really don't want to get into the column - especially since I was just getting this truck ready to put up for sale.

**Jimmiee** · 07-15-2009, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by F E Knucklebuster

I wish this one was that simple. It's somewhere between the switch (or it's THE switch) and the relay. Starter's good all the way 'round, relay is tested and good, still no luck - turn the key and nothing is being transferred to the relay to transfer it to the starter. I really don't want to get into the column - especially since I was just getting this truck ready to put up for sale.

If you are not getting any voltage to the starter pink wire when you turn the key to start you either have a bad switch, blown fuse, or an open in the wiring from the switch to the starter. Do you have a wiring diagram?