Starter had one job

True. But this was years ago, way before I knew what an in-ground splice kit was

 

well now you've gotta share with the class. What is an in-ground splice kit? (i'm pretending we're in pre-google times. just play along)

 

The in-ground splice kits we used made one hell of a hand warmer after mixing the 2 gels

 

Anything is an in-ground splice kit. Just depends on how long you want it to last...

 

Basically, a piece of heat shrink over a mechanical splice, holding 2 electrical connections together. Like, for when you run over nana's landscape lights with a tiller and need her to stop crying.

Exactly!

 

#OddlySpecificReferences

 

I'm familiar with those splice kits, just never heard 'em called 'in-ground'. Makes sense tho.

 

Yeah, so..... another update on the starter/battery terminal failure issue fkn headache;
Everything was great for a couple days, then began the new problem. Turned key once and didn't fire up right away. Hmmmm..... 2nd turn fired right up. Thought it must've been a fluke. A few starts later it did it again. A couple more and then took several turns to fire. Yesterday, it got to the point where I had to turn it 15-20 times, then it would halfway turn over, then back to another 20 turns, and then fired up. Clearly no fluke and worsening rapidly. I keep saying 'turns' of the key rather than 'click's' because it is not the same as the single loud 'click' that I was experiencing before. Anyways, so last night after turning the key bout 60 times to get it running, I pulled away from the fuel pump into a parking spot. disconnected the battery terminals and wire brushed the shit outta the battery posts, and sanded the insides of the clamp terminals with 120 grit. Loosened the 7/16" bolts and wire brushed the shit outta those ring connectors. Bolted everything down with all the uggas and the duggas. Hopped in confident I'd have no more problems. Nope. Same shit. Guess I'll be hunting with my DVMM.

https://media.giphy.com/media/NxrmdIuhu843JCwPTE/giphy.gif

 

Do something next time, for shits and giggles: When it won't start, shift to Neutral and see if it suddenly starts.

 

When you turn the key nothing happens? Then when it does catch, starter motor spins fine?

 

Like a strong battery reaction crank that quit after a ~second or weak struggling crank.l that quit quickly.

The crank in neutral is a good thought and only add to that by suggesting, go thru gears from top to bottom and them back to neutral….somewhat of a Park/Neutral switch test.

 

Ignition switch?

 

That's my other thought, if it won't crank from a different-start-allowed gear position. Asking to shift from P to N while cracking just to see if maybe it has something to do with the PNS (that's not "penis", breau! and it's not a definitive test, just for shits and giggles). My other thought is "old key in ignition", but could be a variety of other things, I'm sure.

 

So what exactly is the starter doing now? is it not doing anything, turning the engine over slowly, or turning it over normally but without it firing the engine? Depending on which it is can give clue to what the issue could be.

I like the neutral start idea, but if the starter rotates at all during the attempts its not going to be that.

 

I went thru and gave it a good wiggle-down this morning, all cables in and out of the relay box, and the motor harness. I've started it probably 10 times today. About 50% fired right up. The others took at most 7-8 key turns.
When I turn the key and it does not start, it does still click, but as I said, it's not the same single loud click that it was before. It's much softer. Seems like before it was the solenoid clicking, and now possibly just the relay. Clearly a different click. Then maybe 10% of the time, it starts to turn over the motor, (very weak like a dead battery) not even a full revolution before nothing. If I hold the key turned, it doesn't continue trying to start, I have to release and turn again. The times that the starter spins normally, the truck starts, every time. I haven't had a chance to start checking legs for low continuity/high resistance (or open) with a multimeter yet, but I think I'm going to find a stranded wire breaking at a connector, hopefully not the one at the starter. I should note; I am doing all this with a 2 month old key that was cut at the dealership.

 

Yeah, sounds like something isn't letting full power through, but only sometimes. I hate intermittent faults, and I really hate intermittent electrical faults.

 

That's why they're called 'gremlins', and notice how people are always talkin about chasing them more than catching them.

 

Honestly, they're not good eatin'. Too slimy, too many bones.

 

Well, neutral or park-same behavior.

 

Swapped relays around?