Just a tip... ITS THE BATTERY!

[mohms]

I recently broke down in my 2001 Jimmy Diamond Edition in the parking lot of walmart. I was on my lunch break. The truck started fine 20 minutes earlier when I left work.

Initally, the motor turned over about a half revolution, but then nothing. Something under the steering column was making all sorts of sounds, and the dash lights were flickering. I thought maybe dead battery, but the volt gauge was reading 10-12 volts?!? I got a jump (from a massive Dodge Ram with 6 gauge jumper cables), and the motor would still not turn over. Not even a click from the solenoid. Turn the key and nothing. The volt gauge was up to 14 volts while trying to jump. Played with all the connections and still nothing. Tested starter relay... it was fine. Still no crank...

I could just imagine myself under the damn thing yanking out the starter...

I had it towed back to work, and put it in an empty warehouse. When I finally got my tools there and started working on it, I figured I would just try to jump it again with my beater Civic. It had an Optima red top in it from the previous owner. Holy crap it jumped! Took off the jumper cables and started backing it out of the warehouse, and it stalled. Jumped it again, and this time it drove out of the warehouse, but the dash lights were going nuts. Every one of them was flashing, and the compass/temp gauge in the overhead counsel was going nuts too! Then it hit me... put the Optima in the truck! This is what I did and haven't had a problem since. And a new battery for the Civic was alot cheaper than one for The Jimmy

So the moral of the story is... if your truck wont start, try a new battery (not just a jump) before tearing into anything else!

[DelCoch]

The first thing out of the box on trouble shooting a no-start (even when the engine seems to crank good) should be a battery test with a load type battery tester. AutoZone, etc, will do it for free. I've had situations where the engine appears to be cranking over as it should, but due to the weak condition of the battery the starter draws all the current and not enough current is left to run the fuel pump up to max pressure.

[mohms]

The first thing out of the box on trouble shooting a no-start (even when the engine seems to crank good) should be a battery test

I agree! Even if it has good volts (according to your dash gauge if you have one), cause it might not have enough cranking power, as it was in my case.

My wife's grandma has a horror story about that... She had a shop look at her car cause it wouldnt start. They replaced the starter among other things and all it was was the battery. That was an expensive battery.

[Schrade]

Originally Posted by mohms

I recently broke down in my 2001 Jimmy Diamond Edition in the parking lot of walmart. I was on my lunch break. The truck started fine 20 minutes earlier when I left work.

Initally, the motor turned over about a half revolution, but then nothing. Something under the steering column was making all sorts of sounds, and the dash lights were flickering. I thought maybe dead battery, but the volt gauge was reading 10-12 volts?!? I got a jump (from a massive Dodge Ram with 6 gauge jumper cables), and the motor would still not turn over. Not even a click from the solenoid. Turn the key and nothing. The volt gauge was up to 14 volts while trying to jump. Played with all the connections and still nothing. Tested starter relay... it was fine. Still no crank...

I could just imagine myself under the damn thing yanking out the starter...

I had it towed back to work, and put it in an empty warehouse. When I finally got my tools there and started working on it, I figured I would just try to jump it again with my beater Civic. It had an Optima red top in it from the previous owner. Holy crap it jumped! Took off the jumper cables and started backing it out of the warehouse, and it stalled. Jumped it again, and this time it drove out of the warehouse, but the dash lights were going nuts. Every one of them was flashing, and the compass/temp gauge in the overhead counsel was going nuts too! Then it hit me... put the Optima in the truck! This is what I did and haven't had a problem since. And a new battery for the Civic was alot cheaper than one for The Jimmy

So the moral of the story is... if your truck wont start, try a new battery (not just a jump) before tearing into anything else!

Yup - the 'ol 'Fully Automatic Assault Wallet' approach. Put the wallet on Full Auto, spray the problem with a bunch of new parts, and you're guaranteed to [almost never] hit the problem.

Great advice mohms.

(and I have stock in parts retailers index funds, so you just keep buyin' parts blindly )

[mohms]

Yup - the 'ol 'Fully Automatic Assault Wallet' approach. Put the wallet on Full Auto, spray the problem with a bunch of new parts, and you're guaranteed to [almost never] hit the problem.

Great advice mohms.

(and I have stock in parts retailers index funds, so you just keep buyin' parts blindly )

ummmm... i didn't tell anyone to throw new parts at it. just saying if the symptoms are the same as I had, check the battery first.

did you even read the f'ing post, jackass?

[Schrade]

Originally Posted by mohms

ummmm... i didn't tell anyone to throw new parts at it. just saying if the symptoms are the same as I had, check the battery first.

did you even read the f'ing post, jackass?

Yeah - I read the title, and the part about buyin' a new battery, and everything else in between:

Originally Posted by mohms

So the moral of the story is... if your truck wont start, try a new battery

You surely ain't gonna' gain MY favor by sweet-talkin' me like that.