I have a 2002 Chevy Silverado 6 cyl. Runs great and very reliable… until today… I went to start it and got nothing - the instrument pannel lights up as normal, the battery is fine (even tried jumping it just to be sure) but when I turn the key - nothing - I can hear a small click from the instrument pannel and also one in the fuse box under the hood (only when the hood is up and the box is open - it’s the relay I assume). I tried to “relearn” the passlock per the procedure I got from a secret source with no success - the security lamp is off so it doesn’t sound like that is the problem. I even tried banging on the starter and manually rotating the crankshaft a few degrees - still nothing. Also - the voltage guage and dome light do not move or dim at all when I turn the key so I’m assuming that the starter load isn’t drawing the voltage down.
Any suggestions that don’t involve $100 towing bill?
Another clue - I thought it may be related to the shifter switch - it is behaving the same as if you were trying to start it in gear. I tried starting in nutral and various other positions - jiggling it etc… one thing I noticed is that when I put it back in Park - the door locks lock - as they are supposed to - so I’m thinking the shifter switch is not the problem…
the neutral safety switch may be involved, but usually the changing of the shift, wiggleing the shift or unplugging/ replugging the neutral safety switch can let you start it, which would narrow down the choices.
however, if you are hearing the click it sounds like the starter has given up. i am not sure about your truck, but the newer autos have the starter solenoid attached to the starter itself.
it is usually a pretty straight forward job to swap a starter.
but first the neutral safety switch must be eliminated as a suspect.
ignition switch? It should be easy to put a meter or trouble light on the starter wire and see if it’s getting anything when you turn the key. If not, it’s the switch. If yes, then the starter.
Update. A day later the truck started behaving again - since there is no history of starter problems on thei make/model vehicke we think it’s not a bad starter. I read the codes from the truck and have a U1041 code. Some kind of communication failure. Looking through the bulletins and calling a few experts - all point to a bad ground on the chassis under the driver seat. After cleaning and reconnecting the ground - only time will tell…