96 hardbody starting issues

[bilzbobaggins]

96 Hardbody 4x4   Truck was having issues starting.  Battery good.  All connections good and clean.  Turn key get click of nothingness 4 or 5 times then it would turn over normally or slowly, but still enough to fire truck up.  Other morning when it was 20ish(cold here), all I could get was clicking. 

 

Went and had old starter tested(failed mightily)and  got a reman from oreily, installed, and still have issues.  It takes three times of turning  key over to get it to fire.  click click fire.  And this new starter sounds pathetic to what the old starter sounded like.  This one sounds hollow and pathetic. 

 

 

Does this sound like the relay going bad?

 

Thanks

 

 

Sorry for the crappy grammer.  Im a much better talker.  I have not the ability to type or text all the stuff in my head fast enough.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

I say replace the starter relay & you should be fine.

[datzenmike]

Re-man should have a new starter solenoid with it.

 

Check clean tighten both battery terminals and both ends, the starter lug and the ground to the engine. Work now?

 

Use battery cables to jumper a good known battery to yours, and try. If it turns over every time then your battery is ineffective and needs replacing.

 

 

Pull the start signal wire off the starter solenoid and measure the voltage when the key is in the START position. Should be close to what ever the batter is reading. Many old Datsuns suffer from old wiring and my 710 was only 7 volts, enough for a light click but not enough to pull the solenoid in and connect the battery to the starter. Two or three clicks and then it would crank the engine over.

 

Clip a jumper wire to the battery positive and touch the starter solenoid terminal. If it cranks every time without fail, then you have a weak signal from the key. Don't forget the battery voltage has to travel all the way inside the cab, over to the ignition switch, and then all the way back out and over to the starter, including 3 or 4 connectors and a switch plug. That, plus and old battery and cooler weather and you have problems.

 

Look up 'hot start relay' in the search function top right of every page.

[HRH]

Replace the starter relay, try again.  I've seen both bad starter and bad relay cause that problem on hardbodies.  The starter relay eventually will crap out.  The other option is turn the key and have someone tap on the starter relay.  If it doesn't start up, starter is suspect, or wires are loose at the solenoid or battery cable.

 

Remember, almost all starters are reman now, and the "new" ones are cheap Chinese shit with high failure rate.  You can get one that will be as good as the original (almost) but you may have to go through a couple to find that one.  Blame the American buyer wanting cheap cheap cheap.  I just talked to our starter rep and we literally can't get anyone to make better quality new starters with better components, even if we charge more money for them.  No one will do it.  How fucked is that?

[bilzbobaggins]

update.   After making this post, I haven't had one more problem.  All connections are tight and clean.  Thinking of getting a relay and tossing it in the glovebox.  They are pretty cheap.  I always have them bench test the reman I buy.  Doesn't always get the turds out but has saved me trouble twice.  Think im going to turn the third alternator in for another.  Think the bearings are going out on this one.  At least its an easy job.

 

thanks for the advice