I have a 96 Chevy Cheyenne 2500 with the 5.7 liter 350 engine. The trouble is that every once in a while when you get in it to crank up, all you get is what sounds like the electric fuel pump hum. No solenoid or starter sounds at all. It has plenty of battery power, and I have replaced the starter relay just in case. I also checked all the fuses. Once it sits for a while-like overnight, it will usually crank right up.
Does your truck have an automatic or manual transmission? If it’s an automatic just shift into neutral when you have the no-start problem. If it starts it’s probably a bad neutral safety switch. If it’s a manual then the neutral safety switch is on the clutch. It can cause the same no-start symptoms. Have you cleaned the battery posts and cables?
One very possible cause of your trucks problem is mutiple small voltage drops that when added up cause this “no crank” condition. This is a situation that has plagued GM vehicles for many years and the basis of the problem lies in the technique GM uses of using the large stud on the starter solenoid as a bus point.
This bus point can be moved and a jumper bar installed on the starter,also involved is putting what amounts to a earlier FORD starter relay on the inner fender and busing of it. The only time battery voltage would go down to the starter is when the key is turned (and it will be the max available)
Thanks for the reply. My truck has an automatic transmission. I have tried to start it in neutral, but it still won’t crank. I have cleaned all the batt. cable and posts.
Thank you for the reply. I suppose I should check all of those starter and solenoid connections. Could I just make a jumper bar out of some flat copper stock?
That would work fine. There is a company that makes a kit to do this but the name eludes me.
You know the big nut at the starter has a habit of loosening up on this year GM,same with the engine ground at the front of the engine below the water pump. Always issues with the battery cables on this year truck, does an inspection of the postive battery cable reveal any indication of a previous battery acid leak? how about the battery box, does it show signs of a previous acid leak? the acid can wick down the cable and damage the solenoid.
Thanks for the helpful tips. I’m on it right now.
I have cleaned all the batt. cable and posts.
Both ends of each cable?
I just went out and took the starter off. I checked the cables cleaned all the connections. The small wire going to the solenoid didn’t have a connector on the wire end. I put one on it, put everything back, tightened it all up and it cranked right up. The battery cables don’t look the greatest so I’ll probably replace them too. Thank You for the help.
I just went out and removed the starter and cleaned both ends of each cable. I found a wire end connector missing on the small wire going to the solenoid. someone had wrapped the wire around the stud and put the nut on it. I put on a new wire end connector, checked and cleaned everything, and it started right up. Thanks for the help.