my blazer wont start how can i get that to change?

[caveman87]

i have an '88 K5 blazer with a brand new battery and i just replaced the positive cable and my truck wont turn over or start... when i go to start it all power dies, the lights, the radio, anything that takes electricity and i was wondering what to do to fix that problem....

any help would be appreciated
thank you

[wolfox]

How did you store the battery when it was removed from the truck? Placing it on the ground will kill it quickly. I would re-check all of your work, make sure both ends of the cable are clean & pristine (Brush them with a battery terminal tool until they shine - and the places/terminals where they are attached to are clean too) Put the battery on a 10 amp charger for 6~8 hours. Check the battery charge half an hour after removing the charger with a VOM. A fully charged battery, installed and ready to start should read 12.5~12.7 volts when fully charged. If there is a remote/seperate starter solenoid like on a fender well in one side of the truck's engine compartment - I would check terminals and leads there as well - brush the terminals clean there too with a wire brush and re-tighten all leads.

Your problem sounds a lot like a "high resistance" connection to a battery terminal. It will allow enough current to run your lights, accessories, etc - but the moment you turn the key, it will break the connection under the full load of a starter motor trying to kick over. Again, re-check everything you touched, clean battery posts, cable terminals, and fully charge your battery and give her another shot.

[caveman87]

thanks ill try that and see what happens

[BlazerLT]

Have you tried charging the battery?

Take a voltmeter out and test the amount of voltage.

[caveman87]

i have charged the battery and i dont store it on concrete... and other than that i have no clue what could be the problem

[wolfox]

Do the lights dim when you crank the engine? Basically, all you hear is a "clunk" and she's unwilling to even turn over?

[caveman87]

thats exactly the problem except that there is no power after wards and i have to wait about a half hour to get any power again after i try to start it

[wolfox]

A part of me wants to really, really blame a stuck solenoid/jammed starter. Okay, here's what you do:

Find a buddy who has, or just take a loaner battery from another vehicle. See if it still does it. IF you are FOR CERTAIN that all of your cables ends are clean, tight, and everything checks out, and it still just clunks and kills all power with the swapped battery - you probably have a starter solenoid/starter issue. I have seen the little torsion bar that the starter's pinion gear spins on throw bearings and engage askew too - causing the problem you are describing.

So in short: Swap battery for a KNOWN good one. If it still does it, and you have eliminated any doubt that it has anything to do with your previous wiring job, I would start to suspect your solenoid/starter. If it is a single piece with the solenoid body on the side of the starter, time to swap. One way of testing for this is to get under the truck and *lightly* tap along the axis of the starter's housing with a steel hammer. That should release it to allow even a weak/dying winding a chance to rotate out of the way and get you a good winding. Either way, if she starts witht he swapped battery, it's your battery.

If she still clunks with the donor battery, get underneath and give a tap with a hammer to the starter housing right near the nose of it. If she still refuses to crank, make sure that you are getting a clunk, and not just a "click" or "rat-a-tap-tap" when you turn the key. But either way, if your cables are spot on, deadly good for certain, you're gonna be looking at a starter with a dead spot, bad solenoid, or toasted torsion bar. The latter three will require replacement.