Kittamaru Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 So, went to work, had a nice day, went back to the truck at the end of the night, turned the key and nothing. At all. Not even a click. Dash lights are good, all other electronics work... just no starter click or noise. I'm going to guess starter solonoid? It's too dark and cold to try tapping on the starter now, so I'm going back in the morning. Going to attempt to get her home if we can, but... Is that supposition correct do ya think? I don't hear it click, and neither did my friend when he was looking under the hood... but yeah. *shrugs* bad timing on all this... if it isn't the starter and is, instead, something more comprehensive... I don't know if I can afford to get it fixed... and that scares me to be frank... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5523Pathfinder Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Is your rig a automatic or stick? If its a stick, try smacking the interlock relay next to the battery while trying to start it. If its a auto, there is a wiring fix for your starter that, I think, is in the how to section. Or just search for it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSlowReliable Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 it may also be linkage in your gear selector if its an auto, or something similar....i thought I hydrolocked my engine cause I shut it down in R accidentally, then it wouldn't crank.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edicer2 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 (edited) if its a stick make sure the safty button by the clutch petal is working properly. go down with a volt meter and see what you get for power at the starter. if your not getting the 12v then i would say you have a relay or something if you are getting the 12v then i would assume the starter is bad. if its a manual have a couple people help you push start it. Edited December 29, 2009 by edicer2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted December 29, 2009 Author Share Posted December 29, 2009 (edited) She's an auto I'm pretty sure the switches are working right (when I turn the key the radio + clock goes out as it has always done since I owned the truck) just the starter doesn't turn Though, where is the relay at? I never even thought of that... dear god if that's all it is I'd be SO very happy! Edited December 29, 2009 by Kittamaru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkorahil Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Check the battery terminals are making a good connection too and not corroded or loose. It takes the full power of battery to turn the starter over. If it doenst have a good connection it can not draw everything from the battery it needs while the low amp items such as the radio, dash lights, etc will work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edicer2 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 see how many volts r getting to the starter when you try turning it over that will tell you if its the starter or some other problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted December 29, 2009 Author Share Posted December 29, 2009 Well, I have full power all the way thru to the starter solonoid... even tried bypassing the solonoid to see if we could get her up and running, but no dice. Gonna assume it's a dead spot on the starter coil? I might try banging on it with a hammer to see if I can get one last start out of it (so we dont' have to tow it) but I doubt I'll be able to with my luck. I was quoted $140 for a new starter minus $50 if I bring back the old one for the core... sound about right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Don't get a rebuilt one from autozone. Apparently they are crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted December 29, 2009 Author Share Posted December 29, 2009 Aighty, well, what's a fair price for a new one then? I'm seeing everything from 120 to 200 on the 'net 0o' I'm probably going to have my mechanic do it anyway (since a, I dont' have the time to do it anytime this month and b, it's cold as balls and doing this on my driveway right now would suck terribly) so would I be better off just letting him get one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edicer2 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 (edited) rockauto.com has them for pretty cheap. you could also ask someone parting out their truck if they can sell you one that way it an hold you over for a couple more years. I rather buy a oem one from a truck with a known good starter then a remanufactured one because its cheaper and the reman ones break faster. I bet you could get one from a junk yard for 30-40 bucks Edited December 29, 2009 by edicer2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Well, I have full power all the way thru to the starter solonoid... Is this the case when you turn the key or just with the ignition on?? Big difference, Like Alkorahil said, check connections, grounds and fusable links before proceeding... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 fusable links B Yep, was the issue on my 88. Couldn't even see a bad spot in the wire, but there was no wire left inside the insulation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted December 30, 2009 Author Share Posted December 30, 2009 Is this the case when you turn the key or just with the ignition on?? Big difference, Like Alkorahil said, check connections, grounds and fusable links before proceeding... B Uhm, ya know, I dont' know - I had a friend check it for me since he was on the spot (this was the morning after and he worked am shift at my store) and he said it had power all the way thru and that it seemed the starter was the culprit... though I might want to double check. Anything in particular I should look for? I would assume there should only be power to the solonoid when I turn to engage the starter, correct? Battery connections are good (first thing I checked when it wouldn't start since I figured my battery had died, but then realized everything else worked fine (and also jump starting didn't work)) Fusable links I'm not even sure what exactly you mean by that - I'm assuming you mean inline fuses? Grounds - I'm assuming you mean the ground to frame? When I looked it seemed pretty good, anything in particular to look for? I'm going to try tonight or tomorrow to crawl underneath and hit the starter once or twice and see if I can't get my baby home - I hate having her sit out in the parking lot like this Sorry if I seem slower(er) than usual... just been a bad week between the truck troubles, money issues, and multiple small personal injuries on strange items (like a getting a deep cut on the roof of my mouth while eating an oreo cookie...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 How much mileage on this thing? It may just be time for a new starter... The fusible links are short pieces of wire that burn out instead of something big blowing up. You can see them on the positive side of the battery on the cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted December 31, 2009 Author Share Posted December 31, 2009 Ah, yeah, then the fusible links are good Miles... uhm... a little over 170k miles? I've been fairly lucky with original parts lasting far beyond design specs I guess... seems my luck just gave out. I had planned to tap the starter a few times today and try to get her home... but I wake up and find a deep pillow of snow everywhere... ugh. Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edicer2 Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 make sure it isnt getting power until u turn the key to try and start it. I think its your starter in which that case u might just have to tow it home and work on it. it would be easy to swap but i wouldnt want to do it in the snow. If thats the orginal starter then im sure thats the problem. Bith of my starts in my pathfinders havent made it past 150k miles before they broke. That if they were even the orginal ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JesseLivingston Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 My old 89 did the same thing to me, ended up putting in a push button start. Still have to turn the key to on, but just pushed the button instead of turning key further. Worked well, cost $10 in parts. Just need two wire to your starter, one to ground and one to solenoid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted January 1, 2010 Author Share Posted January 1, 2010 Aighty, sorry for the delay in replies. I have off work tomorrow, so I plan to take some cardboard and a shovel with me, dig out around the pathy, and see if I can get her started one last time so I can get her home. I'm hoping tapping on the starter will work... but if it fails. Is it possible to "push start" an automatic? I didn't think it was, but if you guys know any tricks... I was wondering if the residual compression in the cylinders would be enough to crank it over when I turn the key... but somehow that sounds too simple and not likely to work *shrugs* Worst comes to worst, my wife has AAA, but if we have them tow it to a residential address, they will not tow it from there to a shop... which leaves me up @!*% creak without a paddle if I can't do the starter on my own. Without a heated garage to work in, much less any real toolset, I don't know if I can manage it on my own... thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted January 3, 2010 Author Share Posted January 3, 2010 Go figure... went down to the truck today with the toolkit and dressed warmly (24 degrees with 20-30 mph winds... ugh). Before I did ANYTHING else, I figured what the hell, I'd give her a shot. Started up first crank of the first turn of the key... lol... I didn't do ANYTHING. It was colder today than the first time it didn't want to start, though I did notice the battery seemed to sit a little lower than normal - it's going on 4-5 years old (battery) so I plan to get an Optima ASAP, but the old thing still has the charge to start it (I tried a few times since then to start her with no trouble, just to be sure) Nothing was done to the truck to 'fix' anything since the first night, and nothing we did that first night helped at all... The truck hasn't been moved/towed/pushed at all. Sat in the same place since Monday. The only thing I can fathom is that water got into the starter while I was driving to work and froze solid during the 6 hours I was in at work, holding it fast. We had one day here where it was around 40 ish (thursday I think?) so it could have melted and dripped out... but that seems like a serious long-shot to me... I'm going to replace the battery and have my mech take a look at the truck ASAP to get his opinion on it... I might have to buy a spare starter and keep a kit in the truck from now on just in case, lol... but yeah, she's home safe and sound in my driveway right now. Go figure, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 well if your starter worked great and suddenly died then its the battery my old starter started making funny sounds before i swapped it out with a dealer one no issue till today, its a much quieter starter too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 huh, go figure... she's doin it again. Turn the key and nothin... I do have the new battery to put into her, and when I turn the key to just "on" it's only showing 8 on the battery, so here's hopin once and for all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 no issue till today, its a much quieter starter too You noticed that too? I'm on my oem starter and it has sounded the same since I bought it but I know a few people who've replaced theirs and now it sounds like a VG33 r50, much quieter and softer sounding lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kittamaru Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 Well, I replaced the battery with a brand new one (Autocraft Gold, 700 CCA @ 0 degrees, 825 @ 32 degrees, with a huge reserve, 100 bucks, ugh) and no dice... she didn't want to start. I bapped the starter a few times with an extension and she started... so I'm guessing it's the starter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathfinderfisherman Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 (edited) Go figure... went down to the truck today with the toolkit and dressed warmly (24 degrees with 20-30 mph winds... ugh). Before I did ANYTHING else, I figured what the hell, I'd give her a shot. Started up first crank of the first turn of the key... lol... I didn't do ANYTHING. It was colder today than the first time it didn't want to start, though I did notice the battery seemed to sit a little lower than normal - it's going on 4-5 years old (battery) so I plan to get an Optima ASAP, but the old thing still has the charge to start it (I tried a few times since then to start her with no trouble, just to be sure) Nothing was done to the truck to 'fix' anything since the first night, and nothing we did that first night helped at all... The truck hasn't been moved/towed/pushed at all. Sat in the same place since Monday. The only thing I can fathom is that water got into the starter while I was driving to work and froze solid during the 6 hours I was in at work, holding it fast. We had one day here where it was around 40 ish (thursday I think?) so it could have melted and dripped out... but that seems like a serious long-shot to me... I'm going to replace the battery and have my mech take a look at the truck ASAP to get his opinion on it... I might have to buy a spare starter and keep a kit in the truck from now on just in case, lol... but yeah, she's home safe and sound in my driveway right now. Go figure, eh? There is a relay i think it's a blue, right next to windshield fluid that can cause intermittant starter probs i had to replace mine and shes fine now I went to a local scrapyard and gleaned alot of those 20-30-40 dollar relays for 25- 50 cents apiece, they dont take alot of space i have them in a kids shoe box in the back at all times....... if your starter is starting to wear it might jus throw the relay out of whack i guess..... Edited January 8, 2010 by pathfinderfisherman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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