Strange electrical problems '03 Silverado 1500 4X4

[silveradodad]

Hi all, Just bought this truck last Thursday. 03 Silverado 1500 standard cab, long bed 4X4, 83K miles, 4.8L engine. Great truck, appears well taken care of...

So, Friday morning, go out to start it, and "CLICK!" and nothing else. Not the "click-click-click" like a dead or weak battery...after about 10 on/off cycles with the key, the starter catches, and the truck starts right up. Starts up the rest of the day, and after midnight when I came home from work. Being old school, makes me think it's solenoid, ignition switch, or dead spot in starter...

Today, Saturday, go out again, to start it, and "CLICK!"....just like yesterday. After repeated tries, it finally catches and starts. Shut it off, took my shower, jumped back in, to go to work...starts right up. Get a block down the road, and realize that I don't have any gauges at all - no tach, speedo, fuel, water, oil....NADA! But, the "security" warning light was on - I don't have any security! No keyless entry, nothing. Drove it back home, shut it off for about 5 minutes while looking for the security pic in the manual, started it back up, started right up, and all the gauges work!

Called the used car lot that sold it to me, they are willing to take a look at it, but I would like to have some idea what I might be looking at/for, before Monday...

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Roger
'03 Silverado 1500 4X5
'51 Ford F2 - 239 Flathead

[danielsatur]

How old is the battery?The next time it won't start, honk the horn with bright lights on!If horn is weak, buy a new battery.

[silveradodad]

Well, tried that....lights barely dimmed, no more than I would expect, and horn sounded like a horn...

Hmmm...

Roger
'03 Silverado 1500 4X4
'51 Ford F2 - 239 Flathead

[danielsatur]

New cars demand alot of power for the electric fuel pump, digital dash, computers, and control modules.

The battery isn't holding a charge like it once did!

[silveradodad]

I'm really hoping you're right, but I have my doubts - when it first happened, I hooked up a jump-start, and still took a half dozen or so attempts before it would "crank". Then it started right up. Same thing, all the other times, but without the jump-start. When it DOES crank, it cranks like it's a brand new battery, strong and hard. Just takes a dozen or so "clicks" with on/off, before it "catches". Like the old solenoids used to do, before you whacked them with a hammer...

I'll look for a date on the battery, but it appears to be a virtually brand new DieHard from Sears...

Thanks,

R

[consultIII]

sounds like the starter brushes are worn. have someone hold the key in start and hit the starter motor to seat the brushes. Your not suppose to hit permanent magnet starters as the field magnets can crack so don't be a masher; just hard enought to seat the worn brushes. if it starts replace the starter brushes for $25

[consultIII]

just read the last paragraph of your post. the ipc are bad in these things. gm has a special policy for replacement. contact your dealer; i'm sure they will replace it free under this policy...yes i know its and 2003.

[silveradodad]

Originally Posted by consultIII

just read the last paragraph of your post. the ipc are bad in these things. gm has a special policy for replacement. contact your dealer; i'm sure they will replace it free under this policy...yes i know its and 2003.

please excuse my ignorance...what is an ipc? Search didn't tell me, I think 3 letters is too short for search.

Thanks,

R

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by consultIII

sounds like the starter brushes are worn. have someone hold the key in start and hit the starter motor to seat the brushes. Your not suppose to hit permanent magnet starters as the field magnets can crack so don't be a masher; just hard enought to seat the worn brushes. if it starts replace the starter brushes for $25

worn brushes are one posibility the other is the electrical connections at starter and the solenoid contacts...

these all would react to hitting the starter...


I would remove the starter and bench test... open and inspect for worn/damaged parts loose wires/frayed wires...etc..

[danielsatur]

Everything might be getting a good battery + gnd, except for the starter!
The starter needs lots of juice, check the battery + gnd connections going to the starter.

[consultIII]

cluster (instrument panel cluster)

[mustanger999]

You might check the ignition module. Check for power going IN and coming OUT. If there's no power coming out the module might be bad.

[silveradodad]

Thanks to all!! It turned out to be the starter, now works great!!

Guess I'll check with the dealer on the IPC...can't hurt to try, I guess. I also have an LED out (I think they're LED's) on the dual climate, passenger side. Google found a lot of people with the same exact one out...wierd!

Thanks again!

Roger

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by silveradodad

Thanks to all!! It turned out to be the starter, now works great!!

Guess I'll check with the dealer on the IPC...can't hurt to try, I guess. I also have an LED out (I think they're LED's) on the dual climate, passenger side. Google found a lot of people with the same exact one out...wierd!

Thanks again!

Roger

thanks for the feedback good luck with the lamps.

[pottss55]

I had all the symptoms that you are talking about,first dealer sold me an ignition switch that i didn't need , then after severe bitching by me there agreed to do more testing and found that pcm was full of water and connections was all corroded . they dried out pcm repacked with grease and cleaned up connections and replaced a bonding wire and sent me on my way with no troubles since .pcm is located just inboard of battery, what was GM thinking . A place out of elements high and dry would of been my choice