Bad Starter...?

MeBe4running

MeBe4running

New member
This scenario has happened now three times within the past week. My truck is failing to start. When I go to start the truck everything lights up as normal, just the engine doesn't turn. Now I have the Kodiak Dual Battery set up and it's not the batteries (I think) as both are giving me a reading of 13.5-14 volts, another word's they are staying fully charged and charging, which rules out the alternator. I checked for any signs of loose wiring/wires etc... And none are to be seen. Eventually after a minute or so the truck fires right up like normal and I don't have an issue killing it and starting it again. It's really weird....

At this stage I'm thinking it could be the starter? What are your thoughts?

I really appreciate any suggestions or ideas,

Thanks
 
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MeBe4running said:
This scenario has happened now three times within the past week. My truck is failing to start. When I go to start the truck everything lights up as normal, just the engine doesn't turn. Now I have the Kodiak Dual Battery set up and it's not the batteries (I think) as both are giving me a reading of 13.5-14 volts, another word's they are staying fully charged and charging, which rules out the alternator. I checked for any signs of loose wiring/wires etc... And none are to be seen. Eventually after a minute or so the truck fires right up like normal and I don't have an issue killing it and starting it again. It's really weird....

At this stage I'm thinking it could be the starter? What are your thoughts?

I really appreciate any suggestions or ideas,

Thanks
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I had a similar issue with a 300ZX .. turned out the ECU motherboard was cracked and depending on how it had vibrated and thus made contact the car would start normal, or not start at all. Don't ask me what it costed me to find that out over a period of 2 years!

Hopefully this is not your issue, but something to keep in mind.

Okki
 
Okki said:
I had a similar issue with a 300ZX .. turned out the ECU motherboard was cracked and depending on how it had vibrated and thus made contact the car would start normal, or not start at all. Don't ask me what it costed me to find that out over a period of 2 years!

Hopefully this is not your issue, but something to keep in mind.

Okki
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I pray not.... Thanks for your input though. I hadn't thought about the ECU being a variable. I think thats my natural instinct working as they're REALLY not cheap to replace!
 
Okki said:
I had a similar issue with a 300ZX .. turned out the ECU motherboard was cracked and depending on how it had vibrated and thus made contact the car would start normal, or not start at all. Don't ask me what it costed me to find that out over a period of 2 years!

Hopefully this is not your issue, but something to keep in mind.

Okki
Click to expand...

I had the same issue in my dads old volvo s80. My parents drove the car like normal human beings, one weekend I decided to race my buddies turbo saab, took it over 6k a few times, car died, jumped it, still was dead. Found out I had melted the ECU, due to the computer not knowing what to do being that high in rpm's lol.

Hope you get it solved sir.
 
adio3x said:
I had the same issue in my dads old volvo s80. My parents drove the car like normal human beings, one weekend I decided to race my buddies turbo saab, took it over 6k a few times, car died, jumped it, still was dead. Found out I had melted the ECU, due to the computer not knowing what to do being that high in rpm's lol.

Hope you get it solved sir.
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Thanks for the laugh.... :lmao:

Haven't been racing nor have I been beating it badly. I guess its time to take a trip to the stealer. :violin:
 
Was this the issue when I saw you on the side of the road as we were leaving out for the trail ride? Did you ever come back cause I never saw you rig once we got back from the trail.
 
FactoryRide said:
Was this the issue when I saw you on the side of the road as we were leaving out for the trail ride? Did you ever come back cause I never saw you rig once we got back from the trail.
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Sure was. I actually stopped to take pictures of the rig's heading up to the trail and low and behold she wouldn't start again. I decided once I got her going to head home as Eddie was tired and I didn't want to hold a group up or more importantly get stuck somewhere. How was it? It was nice to meet you and your Dad and your little brother. Of course it was awesome to see your rig in person as well, it's looking great! Sorry I didn't get the chance to say good-bye.
 
How old are the batteries? They can still have good voltage but might not be supplying enough current to start your truck. The Odessy batteries have a low CCA and if only one is being used to crank the truck it might have reached it's old age. I'm not familiar with how to set the Kodiak so that both batteries are used to start the truck but if they normally only use one, then switch it so it uses both. If the truck starts normally with both batteries in use and gives you trouble with only one battery then one or both batteries are starting to go.
 
GrantK said:
How old are the batteries? They can still have good voltage but might not be supplying enough current to start your truck. The Odessy batteries have a low CCA and if only one is being used to crank the truck it might have reached it's old age. I'm not familiar with how to set the Kodiak so that both batteries are used to start the truck but if they normally only use one, then switch it so it uses both. If the truck starts normally with both batteries in use and gives you trouble with only one battery then one or both batteries are starting to go.
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The Odessy batteries are about a year old. I use both batteries to start unless one is dead. I think I should get them looked first. Thanks for your input
 
MeBe4running said:
Sure was. I actually stopped to take pictures of the rig's heading up to the trail and low and behold she wouldn't start again. I decided once I got her going to head home as Eddie was tired and I didn't want to hold a group up or more importantly get stuck somewhere. How was it? It was nice to meet you and your Dad and your little brother. Of course it was awesome to see your rig in person as well, it's looking great! Sorry I didn't get the chance to say good-bye.
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That sucks to hear man. Hope your drive wasn't nothing to too long. The trail ride was nice. Nothing too spectacular but fun. It was mostly forest service roads that ran up the first trail at tellico. It had some fun water crossings, and I got my first pin stripe haha. There was a nice sized branch hanging out into the trail and it was either drag across it or fall off a nice 75+ ft drop on the other side. I think I can polish it out though.

It was great to meet ya'll as well, and to see such an awesome and purpose built rig in person! We'll definitely have to get together sometime to go wheeling, maybe somewhere like the uwharrie or something.

Edit: I'm going to try and get a few of the pictures I got from the ride posted up in a few minutes
 
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My experience with starter problems goes as follows:

If there is a clicking sound but no start, then the starter contacts are going bad. If there is silence when you try to start, then the starter is going bad. Both scenarios tend to be an intermittent problem at first.

But check your batteries and battery terminals first.
 
It nothing happens when you turn the key, as in no cranking or spinning sound, the starter isn't getting power.

Battery: test voltage at rest, AND voltage under load (when cranking)

If the engine cranks and the voltage falls below 9 volts, time to really test those batteries more formally.

If no crank: neutral switch, ignition switch, anti theft lockout, ECU, in order of likelihood, or cabling in between there.

If the engine cranks, voltage is good, but does not "catch," I'd pull the ECU error codes.

The problem description isn't really all that clear to me based on what the OP said, but if it's a no-crank issue, it's likely the neutral switch. For some reason, they fail more than anything else.
 
My experience with starter problems goes as follows:

If there is a clicking sound but no start, then the starter contacts are going bad. If there is silence when you try to start, then the starter is going bad. Both scenarios tend to be an intermittent problem at first.

But check your batteries and battery terminals first.
Click to expand...

Great advice thank you!


But check your batteries and battery terminals first.
^^^This. First thing is to check ALL battery connections to make sure they are Gudentight!

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Again, great advice thank you!



It nothing happens when you turn the key, as in no cranking or spinning sound, the starter isn't getting power.

This happens after the engine has been off for awhile (overnight)

Battery: test voltage at rest, AND voltage under load (when cranking)

The main battery according to my scan gauge is cranking at a low of 7 volts then jumping up to 13.5 once started.

If the engine cranks and the voltage falls below 9 volts, time to really test those batteries more formally.

I'm thinking it is the main battery as well now ....

If no crank: neutral switch, ignition switch, anti theft lockout, ECU, in order of likelihood, or cabling in between there.

If the engine cranks, voltage is good, but does not "catch," I'd pull the ECU error codes.

The problem description isn't really all that clear to me based on what the OP said, but if it's a no-crank issue, it's likely the neutral switch. For some reason, they fail more than anything else.
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Thanks again for all of your input. Going to take the battery for a proper test tomorrow. I will post the outcome here.
 
You may want to check your cables. I had a situation years ago on a Euro spec BMW. I drove home from work and stopped at a neighbor's house up the street for a moment and when I tried to re-start, nothing. Everything in the car still worked fine. Fortunately I was no a hill and just let it roll and bump started to get home. Put a meter on the battery terminals and tried to start again. Saw a slight voltage drop and immediately assumed a bad starter. After replacing the starter, which required "modifying" a US spec starter since it was a unique close ratio transmission/bell housing, it still refused to turn over. I then found that the main + cable to the starter had corroded about 3 inches above the starter inside the insulation and had limited connection/voltage to the starter. Since I had "modified" the starter housing to fit, it was an expensive lesson. I replaced the cable and all was fine.
 
Not the starter......

Most likely a problem with the Kodiak Dual battery set up's isolator or one of the dual batteries. There are at least 2 others on here that had problems with them too.
 
Antman said:
^^^This. First thing is to check ALL battery connections to make sure they are Gudentight.......
Click to expand...

.... and clean. I've had these symptoms twice in my life, and in both cases, removing and cleaning the battery terminals and clamps fixed it.
 
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