91 EX no start

[Pyromaniac91]

91 exploder. I go to start it, and theres real fast clicking from the solenoid, like its gone bad. Replaced it. Truck started, so i shut it down and went inside. Come back out, real fast clicking like the solenoid is bad, and no starting. checked all connections, had the starter tested (was new in november), tried taking jumper cables between negative terminal and the frame (to bypass a poor ground) and got nowhere. Took jumper cable between positive terminal and the starter, got nowhere. Got another new solenoid and installed. The same real fast clicking from it. any ideas, anyone?

 

[savagefan]

Remove and clean all battery and relay and ground connections. Make sure connection at starter is tight, mebbe tech left it loose, good luck.

 

[Pyromaniac91]

I've cleaned the battery connections, cleaned it at the starter, made sure connection was tight at both starter and solenoid. I pulled the starter and took it in, made sure it was back on proper, and all im getting is a really fast clicking from my brand new solenoid. Guess I'll chase down my grounds, but I've already taken a jumper cable from negative terminal to the frame (as mentioned above) so that should've bypassed a bad ground. Grrr any ideas are much appreciated, ive tried a bunch of stuff and im stumped. Thanks all.

 

[Bashman]

Normally if your solenoid is clicking fast, it is indicating that your battery is low on charge.

 

[Pyromaniac91]

Id hooked it up to a charger, and all it did was click even faster when i tried jumping it. Ive had a spare battery charging for a while yesterday, suppose I'll swap it in tommorrow when i have a few minutes. Thanks.

 

[savagefan]

You have booster cables, have you tried boosting from a vehicle?

 

[Pyromaniac91]

It was the battery. Yes I had tried boosting it, worked a couple of times. After a certain point though, it just didnt do any good. I tried cranking it over yesterday morning, it clicked, clicked, clicked slower, died. Swapped the other battery in, fired right up. Ran reliably for the last day. I'm hoping that the battery was just old, and thats why it quit on me. It'd suck for there to be a different problem that just got masked, and leaves me stranded somewhere. Ah well, Ive got tools and buddies. Thanks for your help guys.

 

[Bashman]

When the truck is running you should put a multimeter across the battery to make sure you have at least 13V so you know your charging system is good. If you do this, put a load on like headlights and stereo.

 

[Pyromaniac91]

Well now im having another issue. Fixxed the rapid clicking, swapped the new battery in. Took a meter across the battery while it was running with the headlights and stereo on, pulled i think 14.1. It'll start up and run fine, usually. Sometimes I go to my ex and theres just no power. Open the door, no dome light. Stick the key in, no dinging with the door open. so ill pop the hood and go start screwin with the wires, and it normally starts dinging (i leave key in, door open) and it starts up. Tonight i went to it, and there was no power. popped the hood and was on my way to open it, and i hear a loud click from under the hood and my dome light comes on. jumped in, started up, drove home.

I have taken off the steering column panel and checked the ignition harness, as ive heard its a fairly common problem. it looks fine, hasnt pulled apart at all. ive traced my cables and i guess ill replace them. What confuses me tho, is that click. sometimes i turn the key, get a loud click, and then zero power. and then tonight i got zero power, heard a loud click, got power. What the hell is clicking? Ive done tons of searches on 3 boards, and never seen this problem.
Sorry for this being so wordy, im simply at my wits end about this and need my rig to be reliable... thanks for any help.

 

[savagefan]

Have someone else turn the key while you're under hood to locate click. If all connections are clean, and tight you should be running. Wiggling the wires lights things up for you so it must be a loose / broken one somewhere.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check your connections going to the relays under the hood, near the battery. There should be 4 relays in a row. I've had this problem in the past. One time it was a fusible link, another time it was the fuel pump relay, and another time it was the small ground wire coming off the negative terminal providing power for the computer, and fuel pump.