Truck Problem

[mcveighr]

'96 GMC 3/4 Tonne 6.5L Diesel

Two nights ago my brother drove it to colledge and when he left he got a click click click when he tried to start it, like the battery was dead, he put it in neutral(automatic) and it started fine.

Today its doing the same thing but neutral wont start either, it takes forever to glow and the lights are really dim.

Do I have a short or something?


...and no comments like " your first problem was buying a GM"

[PyRo]

I would try jumping it just for the hell of it, I don't think you can hurt anything by giving it a shot. As for the neutral start, thats odd, I don't think it should start at all in nuetral, perhaps your sensor is screwed.

[GhillieGuy]

First off thats a pretty nice truck, second off you prolly already did this but did you wait for the glow plugs to heat up? I'm sure you did so i was just suggesting. You might have a short somewhere, check all of the fuses in the fuse pannel.

[PyRo]

Why does it matter if the plugs are heated or not, it will still crank if they're not. I cannot see a fuse causing this, maybie a ground?

[GhillieGuy]

Originally posted by PyRo
Why does it matter if the plugs are heated or not, it will still crank if they're not. I cannot see a fuse causing this, maybie a ground?

Perhaps, but in the fuse pannel the fuse that cranks it may be blown out or dammaged. I had a similar problem but with my headlights..

[PyRo]

But it wouldn't be clicking would it?
I'm still for trying to jump it just for the heck of it.

[stondroopy]

it might be your starter

[1stdeadeye]

It could be your tranny. I had that problem with my Jeep a few years ago. I had to slam the gear selector forward so the car new it was in park and not reverse to get it to start. Otherwise, I just put it in neutral to start it.

Do you have a battery gauge? Is you battery charging at 12 to 14 volts? Maybe your battery has a dead cell in it.

[Lohman446]

Generally when it clicks it means power is going through to the starter (though often not enough to start it). Assuming this is the case one could assume it is not the gear range selector (or neutral safety switch, or whatever GM chose to call it that year). Though cranking in neutral and not park is often enough a symptom of this type of thing.

Sometimes a bad starter, if given power often enough (key cycled) will turn over again, I am guessing this is what happened when you put it in neutral.

As Pyro suggested, try jumping it (and get good 4 gauge or better (smaller numbers being better) cables, not those 12 gauge Wally World things). If it starts at that point you know the battery is not charged, either the alternator is not charging it, the battery is not holding a charge, or there is a draw on the system (like something left on or a a relay stuck, wiring problem, etc.).

If you put booster cables on it and it just goes click I would crawl under the vehicle with a hammer and hit the starter (attached to the backside of the bellhousing (front) of the transmission a few times while someone holds the key to start. This will sometimes free up a faulty starter and get you a couple more starts. If this works you have verified the starter is bad and should replace it ASAP as this is a very temporary thing you have done and will not work very often.

Be prepared to shell out serious cash for a diesel starter or battery and do not go cheap on these. I generally recommend Interstate or AC Delco batteries (I sell interstate) and on that particular model a starter from AC Delco (find an independent Delco dealer and it will be cheaper than the dealer normally).

Good luck

[mcveighr]

So I jumped it with two cars and it started fine, turned it off waited ten minutes and it started again. But I didn't leave it running. I just tried to start it again and I got the clicking again.

I did wait for the plugs to glow(which is taking way too long).

And the started was replaced with a new one a week ago.

I'm no mechanic but it seems like the batteries are gone. Or the alternator isnt charging them(because theyre gone?), or theres a drain somewhere.

I sure hope it isnt the transmission.

[mcveighr]

any ideas?

[Lohman446]

Start the truck, take it to somewhere to chekc the battery and alternator (They will do the easy in parking lot test, take like 30 seconds). This is not the best test in the world but they should at least be able to tell you if the battery is totally bad. This will not check for a draw, which you really need a voltmeter to check for well.

Most parts stores can do this, I go back to telling you DO NOT go cheap on a diesl battery if it is in fact bad. I would replace a borderline battery as well, so frankly if it does not test well I would replace it even if not the cause of your problem.

[PyRo]

If jumping started it its definatly electrical. You really don't have any accurate way of determining just what it is unless you buy that dealie to check if the alernator is charging.
How old is the battery?
When the car is running what does your voltage indicator read (chevy has actually numbers so you can get half an idea of what it is unlike that Fore chit that just says high-low)
Does the voltage indicator jump around?
You could check to make sure all the wires are plugged into the alternator, and the battery, and that none of the connections are bad. If the battery terminals or any other connectors are corroded, clean them off.

Ive never heard anything but good about NAPA brand batteries, and they don't tend to be too expensive, about $20 cheaper than thier AC Delco counterparts. They may very well be AC Delco, kinda like the NAPA brand oil is just valvoline in a differant bottle and a dollar a quart cheaper, I should ask who makes there batteries out of curiousity.

[mcveighr]

Both batteries have to be replaced at the same time right?

I think theyre like 5 years old.

[PyRo]

They don't have to be, but its probably a good idea. A diesel beats on batteries more than a gas motor doesn't it? Five years they would be dead. The only real way to determine has already been said, you need to check, or get it checked.