bad starter or battery?

Question

please take time to read all this. the vehicle im talkin about is a 75 chevy truck. I parked the truck in late november due to carburator issues, and some other small problems. the thing is, whatever the carb was doin to make it not start I, whenver I'd shut it down and try to start it again I would have to crank on it for at least a minute or so. It has been sitting since novemb, now it wont start. when I turn the key all the way over to the starting position nothing happens, then when I let off a litte the engine turns over maybe one time for 1 or 2 seconds. battery is fully charged, headlights, signals,radio,cb EVERYthing inside works. so is it the starter or battery?

you can hear a small humm if your underneath the truck

Answer 1

You defintely have a bad starter or a bad solenoid. The solenoid is the round thing on top of the starter where the battery cable connects and the ignition wire connects. Or it could be a bad battery. Have the battery load tested. Cold weather can cause havoc on older batteries.

Answer 2

either a bad battery or starter could cause this problem or both when most new vehicles electrical system drop below 10 volts the computer systems start to shut down certain things. just because it clicks doesn't mean the starter is good. there might not be enough available amperage to turn the engine over. Have someone do a load test on the battery (similar to turning the headlights on and cranking it over) if the battery tests good then make sure there are no corroded cables on the battery or at the starter. if you have a multi meter or volt meter then you can measure the voltage at the battery while cranking if volts drop below 10 volts then the battery is the problem if the voltage changes very little or doesn't change then you have a connection problem or you have a bad starter. if you can access the power wire at the starter(the big one on the starter) then you can do the same voltage test there. if you have 10-12 volts at the starter while cranking then the starter is no good. hope this helps.

Answer 3

You may not have enough power to turn the motor even though the lights and all work. If the motor turns according to the way you turn the key, then it could be the switch. What happens when you jump start the engine? You can load test the battery, and you can check at the starter with the ignition on to see if power is being supplied. Cold weather can cause battery trouble.

Answer 4

your battery probably has enough power to work your lights and radio but not enough to start your car. Try giving it a jump. If it starts up fine with a jump it could be a bat problem. While its running disconnect the bat if it turns off its your alt. Does your starter wind when you try to start it or grind?? You can have a starter problem if it just winds or you hear it grind. Being a 75 you can also have some corroted wires not making full contact look fo any that are damaged and repair them. It can also be a regulator problem. Best way to check would be with a voltage meter or a test light to see if youre getting power everywhere you need, starter, v.r, etc. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

I would replace the ignition switch first and then if that didn't do it, the starter and of course make sure the battery is good first before you do any of the 2 previous things.

Answer 6

it could also b the solenoid. thats what brings power to the engine. my car has done the same thing...so i went and bought a new battery and nothing changd. it could b the starter but i was told to change the solenoid first and that seemed to work just fine.

Answer 7

get volt meter connect it to your battery.have someone crank it while you watch.if voltage doesn't drop below 10.8 volts connect meter to starter black lead to ground red to starter solenoid 's' terminal.if you have battery voltage 12 volts then check for voltage at starter main terminal 'the big cable on starter'if you have battery voltage 12 volts replace starter assembly.if you dont have battery voltage at 's' terminal then its an ign switch or wiring in between switch and starter.if battery voltage drops lower than 10 volts while cranking recharge or replace.

Answer 8

To me it sounds like your starter. You can take it off and have it checked out at alot of part stores. Did you try jump starting it with another vehicle?

Answer 9

from what u said id say that ur ign swicht is faulty and turning to far or that u have a corroded connection at the starter solenoid good luck hope this helps

Answer 10

This is a question that if I was there I would know but sounds like the starter