No power / will not start

[csturner92]

Just finished changing valve cover gaskets. Removed a lot of parts / hoses and finally put it all back together.

I took off...

Negative Battery Terminal

Alternator

Coil Pack

Upper Intake Manifold

Compressor



After I put everything back together I went to start the engine to check to see if the oil was going to leak. When I put the key in and turned it, no lights came on, No ding, nothing. No power whatsoever.

Went back and double checked the terminals on the battery and they're fine. Posts are spotless and there isn't a hint of corrosion.


How can I find out where the issue is, so I can get this fixed?

Need help ASAP

Additional details:

This is a NO CRANK, NO START issue. Nothing happens when the key is turned. I have checked headlights, power doors, ect and nothing works. I took off both terminals, scrubbed them even though they were clean, and still won't start. Negative is grounded to the frame.

I don't think the battery can die if the negative terminal is off, though I could be wrong.

 

[csturner92]

I guess nobody has any ideas as to what could cause this, so I'll do the forum a service and post my own troubleshooting steps as I go along and maybe it'll help someone down the road.

This friday I'll be going to buy a decent multimeter with continuity so I can check the battery, fuses, relays, and so on.

I'll keep everyone posted, maybe we'll all learn something?


If anyone has knowledge of any in-line fuses or what not, please let me know so I can find them and check them too.

 

[Marv]

If nothing at all works,
Got to be a Dead Battery or a Loose power cable.

 

[Maniak]

Unless the battery is completely dead, you should have gotten "something" when you turned the key..

Assuming there is power at the battery, follow the wire to the distribution box and make sure power is there.. Then check all of those big fuses in the distribution box... If nothing turns on at all, as in no dome light or running lights or brake lights or anything then look closer to the battery, including the voltage and the ground/power wires right at it..

If you have power, as in you have a dome light then I'd be looking for at the fuses since they all get power from the distribution box under the hood.

~Mark

 

[csturner92]

Thanks for the replies gents. I was disregarding the battery as I had the negative terminal off of it for a few weeks while I worked on it slowly. I don't know if a battery can die with just the positive, and the battery is brand spankin new (less than 3 months) however I will check it as well.

Yeah, I have no dome lights, dash lights, horn, door locks, windows, nada.

 

[docksider]

try checking the voltage across the battery posts -- could be a wiring issue

 

[MrShorty]

When I had trouble with my Suburban, I found this diagnostic tree: http://easyautodiagnostics.com/misc-index/starter-motor-on-car-tests-1 This series of tests should lead you through testing for a bad battery, bad starter, and so on.

 

[csturner92]

Does anyone know the path the circuit takes to complete? This way I can test step by step to see where power is failing and getting through. MrShorty I'm definitely going to use that to troubleshoot the starter and anything else it can tell me.

I think I may have shorted out something on the starter when I put the negative terminal back on somehow.

I'll know more this friday when I go buy a multimeter.

 

[Maniak]

Yeah, I have no dome lights, dash lights, horn, door locks, windows, nada.

I think I may have shorted out something on the starter when I put the negative terminal back on somehow.

Forget the starter..

You have ZERO POWER going anywhere so don't worry about the starter for now... You need to find where you are lost power (or possibly ground) much closer to the battery..

Using a Volt meter, check if you have 12v at the battery to test the battery

Now, still using the volt meter check for 12v between the + terminal on the battery and a piece of metal (body for example).. to test the ground

Next is to check for 12v at the other side of the red cables... I know one goes right to the starter solenoid and IIRC (been a while). From that connection at the starter solenoid the wires (multiple) get sent to the distribution box AND to power side of the starter and the alternator...

Since there is no power anywhere. I'm leaning towards your battery ground isn't connected to the truck (bad ground wire, but there are multiple) OR the red wire between the battery and the solenoid is bad..

Of course, over the years, someone could have change the exact routing of the wires (they are different on mine which is why I can't remember the exact location of the stock red wires)..

~Mark

 

[csturner92]

Forget the starter..

You have ZERO POWER going anywhere so don't worry about the starter for now... You need to find where you are lost power (or possibly ground) much closer to the battery..

Using a Volt meter, check if you have 12v at the battery to test the battery

Now, still using the volt meter check for 12v between the + terminal on the battery and a piece of metal (body for example).. to test the ground

Next is to check for 12v at the other side of the red cables... I know one goes right to the starter solenoid and IIRC (been a while). From that connection at the starter solenoid the wires (multiple) get sent to the distribution box AND to power side of the starter and the alternator...

Since there is no power anywhere. I'm leaning towards your battery ground isn't connected to the truck (bad ground wire, but there are multiple) OR the red wire between the battery and the solenoid is bad..

Of course, over the years, someone could have change the exact routing of the wires (they are different on mine which is why I can't remember the exact location of the stock red wires)..

~Mark

I know for a fact 3 things have poured all over the starter and it's wires/terminals.

1. Oil, from the valve cover, ran down the block and all over the starter.
2. Radiator fluid, freeze plug near it was off and when I was filling rad (before I started) I know it got on the starter.
3. PB Blaster, as I sprayed it on the exhaust man bolts in case I had to take off heads, I think I may have gotten some on the starter.

I didn't know about the first two until after I found the starter was underneath the problem area, and I had already attempted to start the truck by then.

Or it probably shorted out the moment I hooked the neg terminal back up.


Will know more Friday.

 

[natenkiki2004]

If it shorted, you would have seen/heard big sparks or smelled plastic/rubber melting or at least rapid clicking from the relays (spikes of large current being dumped in a short would cause voltage to drop and the relay to disconnect, then when voltage goes up, the relay kicks back in and repeats this over and over).

I had a very similar issue a while back on a 1992 Suburban. Got in 1 day, lights were on, turned the ignition, dash came on, went to start and heard a click. Then everything went dead, completely dead. No dash, no interior lights, nothing.

I didn't know much back then so I just called NAPA to confirm they had a new battery. Then, I think I went to disconnect the battery and I saw it spark very lightly at the negative terminal. Up until this point, I had forgotten I owned a multimeter but remembered and checked voltage at the battery. It looked ok, mid to high 12v. Hooked the negative back up and it started and worked normally. Went and got a new battery anyway since at the time, it was 6 years old and having reliability was important.

To this day, I couldn't tell you what happened.



What I can tell you though is that the starter has absolutely nothing to do with getting power at the computer/dash. You can have it unplugged. There's 2 relays that have to click on in order to power it and that only happens when you rotate the key all the way forward. The computer has it's own negative ground below the battery. The positive goes from the battery to the relay on the fender where it touches the power distribution box.

The way I see it, if you didn't touch the positive cable then your issue lies in 1 of these areas:
- Bad grounding near the battery (single wire going to fender or 2-pin white round connector below battery).
- Main fuse in the Power Distribution box (my Chilton shows a 40 amp fuse powering everything).

Check your grounds then remove the negative battery cable and pull the fuses out of the power distribution box, check to see if they're broken, wire brush the terminals and apply dielectric grease, re-insert and connect the negative cable again.

 

[vq5speed]

Your battery is your power source. Just because you think the battery is good I would have it checked or jump it with another battery. I think your battery is dead.

 

[SuperKirby]

I'm going to agree with everyone else. If you don't have dome lights, dash lights, radio etc, it's something in your battery or grounding. I would go so far as to check the neg. cable. A couple weeks ago I had mine disconnected while I was working on it. Put it back, tightened it some, and tried to start it. Nothing. No lights, nothing. My first thought was "ahhh poop." Got out, pulled the negative terminal off, brushed it off even though it looked clean, put it back on and tightened it good. Started up great.
The only way I would say it could be your starter is if all your other electrical accessories are working. Even then it could still be grounding.

 

[csturner92]

It was the battery. My multimeter wouldn't even read it. Took it back to O'Reily's and they hooked it up to their tester, and the tester wouldn't register it.

Got a replacement, hooked it up, and it works.

Love that it was something so simple.... I was worried for a while.

 

[larrydd999]

Thanks for getting back to us with the results.