[Travis Wilson]

ok I hope I can explain this well enough. I’m have 146K miles on this truck. Had it almost 2 years. Last 3 months I’ve had some starting problems. Had fuel pump replaced, starter replaced, ignition switch replaced, now my ignition cylinder doesn’t want to turn.

Ok so heard what it’s doing. I turn the key and I get a clicking sound, starter is spinning and my radio resets. I can do that one or two times and then it starts fine, or like yesterday stuck at a gas station for 40 mins before I could get it started again.

Yesterday mechanic replaced negative battery connector and tested the starter again. All of that seemed to be fine. To me it seems like an electrical connection somewhere but no sure where it’s at or where to go from here. Any ideas?

 

[RayVoy]

OK, your story is confusing.

Does the starter always spin and turn the engine?

Or, is it just clicking and not trying to turn the engine.

For now, forget about the key not wanting to turn (I'm guessing you've change a lot of unnecessary parts without proper testing).

 

[Travis Wilson]

Ok, So I haven’t replaced any of these parts. They have been replaced by a mechanic.

Fuel pump was tested and wouldn’t hold pressure. So it got replaced. Then starter due to truck not starting, then a month ago the ignition switch for some starting pronlblem.

This “clicking noise” started 2 weeks ago. Yes the is spinning every time according to the mechanic.

 

[xPosTech]

You need to find another mechanic. He's making money at your expense.

You're losing voltage due to a bad cable or connector, possibly from all the parts swapping. The key is having to reset the radio stations. That means the high current draw from the starter dropped the vehicle voltage to zero. It starting with the next key turn says your battery is probably fine.

Ted

 

[Travis Wilson]

Ya battery is fine. My stations aren’t getting reset. Just the clock time. Everything else stays fine.

I was thinking of taking it to a pep boys and see if they can run an electrical diagnostic on it.

I’m seriously about ready to just get rid of it and get something else.

 

[xPosTech]

OK so the stations might be in nonvolatile memory or on a keep-alive capacitor. Do you tell the mechanic to replace X component or do you give him all the symptoms? I suspect he was making money on the part and the labor to replace it.

Any competent mechanic should be able to determine the problem instead of throwing parts at it.

Ted

 

[Travis Wilson]

Ya I just give the symptoms. With that being said...I took it to 3 mechanics since Sunday. And none of them could figure it out.

 

[RayVoy]

If
This “clicking noise” started 2 weeks ago. Yes the is spinning every time according to the mechanic.

i don't care who replaced the parts, the point is, it was all done without proper testing.

The click.......... If it's coming from the starter, you can't have both. The click is always there; but, if the starter is spiking the engine you won't hear it
If you can hear the click, the starter is not spinning the engine.

 

[Travis Wilson]

Wow wow dude no need to be so direct. I’m not a mechanic, I’m just trying to figure things out to ask them so I don’t get ripped off.

All I know is that starter ended up at Pep Boys and they pep boys said it tested good.

Other people are saying it’s an electrical issue somewhere. I have no idea. This was my last resort. But when people start being so direct, act like we should know, and when I’m doing is asking for some direction to go. It makes me hate asking for help online. We’re supposed to be helpful to each other.

Thanks but no thanks. I’ll go elsewhere.

 

[RayVoy]

Friend, I am trying to help; sometimes online help is like tough love.

Now, if you want help, you need to stop bouncing around, focus, and, in as few words as possible, just answer the questions that we ask.

 

[silverado002]

Travis, don't take it personally. These guys have lots of experience and can help.
I see you have had multiple mechs look at the issue but no joy from any of them. There is a voltage drop occasionally somewhere in your system from the battery to the distribution points. The reason is like Ted said above... the clock has to be reset, which tells me the voltage is dropping below the threshold for the accessories to function. Since this is intermittent it is quite difficult to find but voltage checks among the battery positive connections to the fuse boxes etc when the truck fails to start should help narrow it down. Are you able to use a voltmeter? If so then you being the first responder have the advantage over the mechs.

 

[Travis Wilson]

I called 6 mechanics today. All of them after hearing the problem are saying it’s an electrical issue. I was recommend to see an automotive electrician which I’m doing on Friday.

 

[Jamsy]

I called 6 mechanics today. All of them after hearing the problem are saying it’s an electrical issue. I was recommend to see an automotive electrician which I’m doing on Friday.

Travis I sure hope you got your starting problem fixed (four years later). I'm sure the only thing you learned here is that some of the folks on this (and other forums) are not really here to help others. Instead, they just want to puff up their good ol' boy egos and tell the rest of us what blithering idiots we are. "Tough love" is just code for mental abuse. I'm glad you bailed from their "advice". It is pretty obvious to any casual observer that they are, in fact, as clueless as the rest of us. Can you imagine what it must be like living under the same roof with these self proclaimed "experts"?