No Crank, No start

[mvollans]

I just replaced the rear end in my 91 CK1500, pulled the truck out front and parked it. I intended on going inside, changing out of my work clothes, then taking the truck for a test drive to make sure everything's alright. I go out there and hop in the truck and when I turned the key the engine doesn't even crank. This struck me as very odd because the truck has a very good battery in it, and has never in the 1+ years that I've owned it not cranked. About a month ago it didn't start, but it turned out to be a fuel pump. Although it seemed to have good power (all accessories, lights etc worked) I hooked up the jumper cables just to try, but turning the key still did absolutely nothing. Although the vehicle does have good power (headlights didn't even dim when the jumper cables were removed) there is no click or anything coming from the starter, which would indicate a bad starter. Tried banking on the starter anyway with no luck, and it's dark outside so I'm done for the night. I've checked all fuses, and I really don't think it's the starter (I could be wrong). I'm wondering about a possible ignition switch issue because my steering column has some serious wobble in it (which is another problem I need to fix if anyone has ideas on that). With the key in the ignition there is buzzing, but wobbling the steering wheel around causes it to cut in and out. I'm gonna leave sit 'till Monday, so if anyone has any thoughts I'd certainly appreciate it.
Thanks,
Matt

[GOLIATHGMC]

Two things immediately come to mind, and I think you are looking in the wrong direction.
First, you dont say if the truck is Standard or Auto - but either way you have a Neutral Safey Switch somewhere. On a Standard, the switch is integral with the clutch pedal; if the switch went bad, the motor will not crank. On an Auto, the switch is at the base of the steering column, just above where it passes through the firewall (under the dash). Again, if the switch is broken or loose, the system acts as if the truck is in a gear other than PARK or Neutral, and will not crank. Also, if you have a friend with a Scanner of some kind, you can easily verify if either type of switch is working properly.
Second, remove BOTH ends of BOTH battery cables and check for corrosion. Chevy battery connections are notorious for making bad connections after a while, especially if they have no dielectric grease on them. Check to see that the Positive connection at the starter is clean, and that the Negative connection has nice clean contact at both ends.
Hope this helps!
George
REBEL Motorsports

[67malibu]

Do the lights dim when you try to crank it? If the lights don't dim any, then you're not drawing any amperage and a switch or fuse is likely to blame. If it's a bad battery connection or battery then the lights will go almost completely out when you turn the switch. If the steering column is really loose, I would agree with the last post about the neutral safety switch being suspect, if it's an auto. Try pushing up kinda hard (like you're trying to push the gear shift back to the left past park) and try cranking it. I've seen neutral safety switches work loose or get out of adjustment and this would be a way to start the vehicle until it was fixed.
If the lights do dim, even with a jump vehicle or battery attached yet there is not even a click from the solenoid, you can try 'bypassing' the starter solenoid with a screwdriver or wire (better), if you know how. If you don't, don't try. You'll get a facefull of sparks and the computer may not appreciate it either.

[mvollans]

Sorry, should've mentioned that it is an automatic. No, the lights (interior and exterior) do not dim at all when I attempt to crank. This along with the fact that I hear no starter, or soleniod noise I think that it is one of three things:
1-bad connection at battery or starter. The connections look good, but I will definetely clean and apply dielectric grease to the connections
2-Neutral saftey switch bad, or out of adjustment (have located it will check it later)
3-Ignition switch

I will check all these things when I get off work and let you know what fixes it. Thank you very much for your replies and suggestions.
matt

[horse482]

Can you get it to turn over when you short the battery lug and the starter switch lug on the starter?

[mvollans]

I think because of the replacement of the rear end literally minutes before having the no-start issue got me caught up in thinking that something weirdly connected to the repair had something to do with the no-start. Although I did breifly check to make sure that the starter wasn't getting power to it, if I'd have stuck to basic dianostic practices and tested the starter properly I could have saved myself some time. In the end it turned out to be a bad starter, the solenoid wouldn't even move. I'm sure I could have just replaced contacts or whatever but for $40 I'd rather just replace the whole starter. Further good news is that when I replaced a burnt out fuseable link at the junction block (thinking that was causing no-start) now my A/C works. That will certainly be nice to have when summer arrives in West Texas.
Thanks for all your help.
Matt