changed the starter and still won't start

battery is good has 12.5 volts, replaced starter and it was good for 5 days now it won't start agian. :mad2: When I try to start it it just clicks and thats it. Is this a wiring problem or something else?? Please if u can help? The starter i bought was actually a starter assembly included the soleniod, and my battery is only 5 months old.

Have you tried replacing the battery cables yet? I was and am still having the same problem. My battery was bad, replaced it, seemed to fix the issue. but this morning I have the same exact symptoms - just clicks. I've had the alternator tested, and it is good.
My next step is the battery cables.... I'm also thinking it might be a loose shifter cable that is feeding the computer a signal saying the trans is not in park.

let me know what you find on yours.

GM4me said:

...I'm also thinking it might be a loose shifter cable that is feeding the computer a signal saying the trans is not in park.
.

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If the neutral safety switch was inop or in another position other than park or nuetral, you wouldn't get any current to the starter relay at all, which wouldn't even result in a click.
I would lean more towards a corroded cable/connection somewhere in the high current portion of the starting circuit. Check locations at the battery and the starter, both ground and positive. Remove all the connections, clean with a stiff wire brush, then re-connect. I've seen this on dozens of customer cars with the exact symptom description and about 99% of the time turns out to be bad or corroded connection somewhere along the starter circuit.
It may be not obvious, so keep looking, even if all the connections seem clean and secure.

That is a good point... It doesn't keep clicking, so I'm going to have to look into the shift solenoid as well. I visually looked at the cables my first round with this, and everything looked good, from the battery to the starter / ground points. I might replace them for the same reasons mentioned in your response. Is there any easy way to test the shifter solenoid? Would there be other symptoms while driving related to that part?


.... question.... on my old 69 chevy i had used i think 2 or 4 gauge cabling for the batteries. does any see any issue with that for a 99 tahoe?

many thanks.

GM4me said:

That is a good point... It doesn't keep clicking, so I'm going to have to look into the shift solenoid as well. I visually looked at the cables my first round with this, and everything looked good, from the battery to the starter / ground points. I might replace them for the same reasons mentioned in your response. Is there any easy way to test the shifter solenoid? Would there be other symptoms while driving related to that part?


.... question.... on my old 69 chevy i had used i think 2 or 4 gauge cabling for the batteries. does any see any issue with that for a 99 tahoe?

many thanks.

Click to expand...

Sorry. I stated shift solenoid in my previous post, when I actually meant the neutral safety switch (I already edited my post). The shift interlock solenoid is what keeps the shifter from moving out of the PARK position, depending on the signal from the brake switch. The neutral safety (transmission range switch) switch keeps the starter circuit open unless the shifter is in P or N.
So, when you turn the key to the start position with the shifter in either the P or N position, voltage is sent to the neutral safety switch, and then to the starter relay. The starter relay is located in the fuse block under the hood.
Once the vehicle is started, neither the shift interlock solenoid nor neutral safety switch will affect driveability issues.
And to answer your question about larger gauge battery cables... The bigger, the better. I upgraded my charge lead from my alt to battery with 4ga and added a 1/0ga ground cable from my battery to chassis on my Tahoe.
On my camaro I relocated the battery to the rear and used 1/0 ga cable from the battery to the starter and also for ground. It never hurts to add larger gauge wire, but will make a substantially negative effect if you don't have sufficient gauge.

quick update.... swapped battery cables, started first try.... I'll keep posting though if this isn't a permanent fixed... maybe I'm just paranoid
oh yea... didn't go with larger gauge - all the parts stores around here don't sell bulk which was incredibly surprising for Sacramento. I guess I could have tried another area.

GM4me said:

quick update.... swapped battery cables, started first try.... I'll keep posting though if this isn't a permanent fixed... maybe I'm just paranoid
oh yea... didn't go with larger gauge - all the parts stores around here don't sell bulk which was incredibly surprising for Sacramento. I guess I could have tried another area.

Click to expand...

Cool. I'm sure that's what it was.
Most auto parts stores aren't usually going to carry larger cables, much less in bulk. Anytime I upgrade cables, I make my own. Your best bet would be a car audio shop; and not somewhere like Best Buy or Circuit, but a custom shop. But good 4 gauge or larger wire starts to add up. The 1/0 gauge that I use sells for $7.50/ft. and $3/ft for 4ga.

The starter may not be grounded very well. Run a jumper cable from the negative terminal and clamp the body of your starter to check this. If the starter works fine with this set-up, then remove the starter, clean the corrosion around it and where it mounts, and reinstall it.