Starting problem for my 2000 Yukon

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H8 PVMT

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I have a 2000 Yukon, 295,000 miles on it. Lately I've had a problem and I'm not sure what it is.

I'll turn the key to start it and I get nothing, not a click not anything. I can wait about 5 min or so try again and it starts right up. I've also had a couple times when it will not do anything, start very rough and then die. Try again a little while later and it starts right up and runs great.

What I've done recently, new starter. New mass air flow sensor. Changed all the plugs and wires.

I did notice that the negative connection on the battery has a fine line between a solid connection and falling apart, that might be the cause of the truck not doing anything but it's not part of the truck running rough and dying.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Can the ignition cylinder go bad and cause this type of sporadic problems?
 

Scottydoggs

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change that neg battery cable asap. would have been the cheapest route to go in order of repairs.

normally you dont change a big ticket sensor unless its setting off the cel and has a code for it.
 
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H8 PVMT

H8 PVMT

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change that neg battery cable asap. would have been the cheapest route to go in order of repairs.

normally you dont change a big ticket sensor unless its setting off the cel and has a code for it.


I'll get it checked, it's actually the bolt that screws into the battery terminal, since it's led and won't grip very well that seems to be the problem, although I have it tight enough to stay on but maybe once and a while it wiggles and doesn't create a good connection.. just a theory.
 

Scottydoggs

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so the battery side is stripped? thats the only lead.

short of a new battery, you can wrap some layered up tin foil around the threads to help make the bolt tighter. you cant really tq on it to much or it will spin, so a good snug and stop.

or ive seen a fine mesh sold at the parts stores, does the same thing.
 
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H8 PVMT

H8 PVMT

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I had my wife stop by Advance Auto, they tightened up the connections and she said it started right away, like nothing was/is wrong. The attendant said to watch the connection and we may have to replace the battery because the connection is worn a bit from it being lose. He didn't say anything about some mesh to help keep it tight. That will be my next move, the battery is just under 3 years old, would kill me to have to replace the battery with it having so much life left.

Thanks all, if something else comes to mind let me know!
 

SnowDrifter

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change that neg battery cable asap. would have been the cheapest route to go in order of repairs.

normally you dont change a big ticket sensor unless its setting off the cel and has a code for it.
Especially opting to do larger stuff in light of obvious smaller things. It doesn't make sense to see a problem, then proceed to replace everything around it, saving the original issue for last.

You'll only succeed in creating expensive repairs for yourself. Queue "this car is a ************* I'm never getting another"


A loose battery connection will do all sorts of weird stuff. The alternator just can't respond fast enough to the load demands of the vehicle - it needs the capacitance of the battery to buffer things a bit. If it's still running rough after fixing this, OP, make another thread and we can do some diagnostics vs. firing the parts cannon and praying
 

RGB1978

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Try taking the red plastic cover off the battery cable to inspect the lug that the bolt passes through to attach it to the battery. From one side mine looked perfectly good but when I took the plastic cover off you could see that about 80% of the contact surface had corroded away. Blew my mind how different one side looked from the other.


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Martinjmpr

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Just a tip here - IF you end up getting a new battery, consider switching from the factory size (78 = side terminals) to a 34/78 which has both side AND top terminals. Just gives you more options to attach the battery to power.

AFAIK there's no significant price difference between a 34/78 and a straight 78 so if you're replacing the battery anyway, this is a zero-cost modification.

I am running 2 34/78 batteries on my Suburban and have come to really appreciate the top terminals.
 
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H8 PVMT

H8 PVMT

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So far it was a loose connection to the battery from the neg terminal. It was tightened up and has been working great. There was obviously more play in that connection than I thought. I get nervous on what can go bad with 295k on the thing.
 

Lancem

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Replace the battery bolt with a 3/8" bolt say an inch long with a nut threaded up on it. Place the bolt though the cable and tighten it in the battery, usually this will give you a couple of more good threads in the battery, then snug down the nut against the cable. This will eliminate the battery stripping out and allows for a very tight connection. I have replaced all of them on my trucks using this method with great success.batterybolt.jpg
 
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