'05 intermittent won't crank - start

[axxense]

Right - the search is a good thing. It has revealed many posts with very similar, yet, not exactly the same issue.

Some pose viable troubleshooting, but, talk about jumping the relay, etc. - Apologies, yet, I am pretty clueless, so, I need it stated more like, 'place one end of your wire at X, the other end at Y, then do this, then that'.

I also read where some replaced the starter, some the ignition switch, another says it is the switch/sensor that let's the ignition know that the gearshift is in park. After having read the posts, I can conclude it might be the starter (solenoid) or it might be the ignition switch - some say it is the 'gearshift in park' sensor/switch.

Certainly I could replace one or the other or all three and might be good to go. What I would rather do is definitively find the problem and correct it, as opposed to guessing, having it start and thinking I am fine, then getting myself in a remote gorge in the Washington Nat'l forest and discovering it was something else. Like I said - I can go a week without having any issue. That is why I am asking how to troubleshoot it. Thanks for the responses - all VERY much appreciated! VERY.

[Rene S. Nielsen]

Hi

I would start with having the ignition switch changed. There seems to be a lot of problems with that one.

That fixed the issue that I had on my truck (same problem as yours)

Rene

[Gunzz]

Had it happen to me one time on my 05. Battery lights and all electrical were fine but when turn the ignition, no crank. Just like the old days I took a broom handle and banged on the starter from the passenger side. When I turned the ignition started right up. At least that limits me to believe I may have a faulty starter down the road a little later, but for now it has been ok.

If it happens again to you just give it a try. If it starts right up after a couple bangs at least you can probably now limit your trouble to the starter. If it doesn't work then you may have to do some testing of the ignition circuit.

Good luck.

[axxense]

Thanks for the help. It hasn't cranked for 2 days now.

Tapping the starter didn't help. I wonder exactly how to jump (arc/cross) the starter to see if it is dead. I was also hoping there would be some easy voltmeter check I could do while turning the key to 'start' to see if is the switch - something to keep me from replacing a component at a time only to have murphy toy with me - not discovering the prob - or worse - thinking I have fixed it cuz it cranks its random crank after I swap something out.

I have already spent more time reading the gazillions of posts than what it would take to swap out the engine

I suppose I will replace the ignition switch first and see what happens. That seems the least time and $ consuming of all of the options. I will give an update post after doing that.

I just dread replacing the ignition switch, then the starter, then the battery, then the neutral sensing switch, only to discover it was the last option that fixes it or to discover I still have some whacked out problem.

Thanks again.

[Rene S. Nielsen]

Hi

You could try to set the ignition switc to the normal running position and then hot wire the starter.

Best done from behind the right front wheel.

Get a screwdriver and hotwire the small therminal in the middel to one of the big ones. If you choose the wrong big one nothing will happen.

If you have tried both and still nothing then you have a starter problem.

If it cranks but won't start then the problem is not the starter and posible not the ignition switch.

Hope this helps, and if I'm mistaken please to correct me

Regards
Rene

[axxense]

Hi Rene,

Ok - Long-winded post coming...

Here is what I am deducing from your post...

...I am concluding that the smaller terminal is to the solenoid that pushes the starter in. In turn, the top-most larger terminal is what turns the gear and the bottom-most large terminal is the battery lead (power).

Here is what happened...

(with ignition switch in the 'run' position)

...jumped the smaller terminal to the top-most large terminal and got nothing (kind of figured such, as the bottom-most large terminal is the hot).

Jumped the smaller terminal to the bottom-most large (hot) terminal and got a little blue spark, but, no reaction.

This, now, confirms your post suggestion as being a starter problem.

I then jumped the two larger terminals (the top-most large and bottom-most (hot) large terminals), and the sarter spun (but, wasn't engaged, so, it didn't crank).

Soooooooooooooooooooo, the ultimate conclusion is, when I turn the the ignition switch, which I now believe is fine, all the way to 'start', the solenoid is not engaging, which, in turn, does not then power-up and engage, nor spin, the gear, which renders the no crank situation.

Lo, it appears you have helped me isolate the problem to my starter, and, more specifically, the solenoid.

I will pick up a new starter and install it and let you know how things turn out. Likely I won't have the time to do so until this weekend.

Does this all sound on the mark to you or you other guru-types?

It does bring up a question, however... ...why would power be going to the bottom-most large (hot) terminal when the key is in the 'run' position? I might guess (incorrectly, it appears ) that it would only have power when the key is turned all the way to the 'start' position - power goes to the bottom-most (hot) terminal, the solenoid then pops in, thus powering up and spinning the gear, cranking and starting the engine, the key is then let to return to the 'run' position, removing power from the bottom-most (hot) terminal, thus allowing the solenoid to return, thus removing power from the gear, stopping it from spinning. Does anyone feel like explaining this to me?

THANKS! I'll let you know how the starter replacement goes this weekend and likely bestow more thanks upon you!

[Rene S. Nielsen]

Hmm

If I remember correctly then I have 3 terminals on my starter

1 (big) goes directly to the batery positive.
2 (big) goes to ground (I thought) maybe it's just the other side of the solenoid.
3 (small) goes to ignition.

I jumped the 1 and the 3 in the above text and it started up no problem.

So I replaced the ignition key and that fixed the problem.

Just trying to help without you having to buy to many spare parts.

I would have thought that when the starter started to spin the it would automatically engage so your probably right that it's the starter.


Rene