Weird electrical issue

[Lil-Pony]

Reason i ask, is because i had one starter that would short out my battery every now and then...

 

[Doctormario777]

Not really sure what's going on now. I went out with a wrench and wire brush and some contact cleaner and cleaned up the lead from the neg terminal to the engine block. I turned the key on and I could hear the starter click if I touched the wire to the terminal, but still no start and no radio.

 

[Lil-Pony]

Temporary swap your battery for a known good one out of another vehicle. See how she reacts? Also try using jumper cables to make another ground path directly to the starter and bypass the solenoid with the other jumper cable

 

[RazorBeam]

Be sure to check the connections at the engine block, starter, and solenoid.

When doing the remote start, if you don't have a wire handy, you can use a screwdriver or metal rod to jump across the power in terminal and the start post on the solenoid. Just make sure that you have it in park or neutral before you do. And if you have a friend put it in park for you that can't be completely trusted, stand to the side of the vehicle when you try to start it.

 

[Lil-Pony]

Be sure to check the connections at the engine block, starter, and solenoid.

When doing the remote start, if you don't have a wire handy, you can use a screwdriver or metal rod to jump across the power in terminal and the start post on the solenoid. Just make sure that you have it in park or neutral before you do. And if you have a friend put it in park for you that can't be completely trusted, stand to the side of the vehicle when you try to start it.

I hate to ask but that little tid bit of knowledge has to come from experience...

 

[RazorBeam]

Never trust your friends any more than you have to.

 

[Doctormario777]

Ok, so now I'v noticed that the interior cab light comes on when I've got the key in, but goes out when I turn it over.

 

[Lil-Pony]

Your cab light should come on the moment you open the door.
Your starter may be shorting out internally

 

[Doctormario777]

Yea, it does come on when I open the door. It's kind of dim though. After I go to start it, the cab light is dim and then it gets brighter.

 

[RazorBeam]

Does the starter look like it was soaked in an oil bath?

 

[Doctormario777]

Does the starter look like it was soaked in an oil bath?

What do you mean by that?

 

[Lil-Pony]

Is the starter covered in motor, trans, etc oil or does it look like it was once covered in oil...
If the dome light almost completely turns off during starting pull the start and have it tested more than once by an autozone, advance, orileys, and do the alt while you are at it.

 

[Doctormario777]

Is the starter covered in motor, trans, etc oil or does it look like it was once covered in oil...
If the dome light almost completely turns off during starting pull the start and have it tested more than once by an autozone, advance, orileys, and do the alt while you are at it.

I had a leak at one time, so I'd bet it's covered in oil pretty good.

That all being said, shouldn't the radio work when I try to start it?

 

[Lil-Pony]

Not while starting unless it is wired to do so, in your ign switch you have certain contacts that stay energized during start like power for the ign coil and there are contacts the de-energize like your radio, cig lighter, and maybe a few other things, especially on newer cars. Now you can wire a radio to stay on during starting but that could end up damaging it. It may be time you do a main power wire harness make over. I recommend 4awg for everything.

 

[RazorBeam]

What do you mean by that?

Most of this was answered, but the oil conducts across the commutator and shorts out the battery during start up. I can be the cause if a clicking solenoid.