tahoe not starting

[dwmmatt23]

first of all ill start out saying love this site much more than the other. and on to my problem, i have a 99 2door tahoe that for about the last week my volt meter was showing alittle low. i figured it was the battery cause it would only do it everyonce in awhile. yesterday i took a trip and stopped by my house for a few minutes with no problems at all. then i try to remote start my truck from inside (cause its 100+ here) and all i here is a click. go outside to try it and all you here is the click from the starter engaging but nothing else. tested the battery and it is full, its a 700cca tested at 724cca with 100% health, so its not the battery. any ideas or things to try?

 

[ravingmadman]

Your starter probably quit, if you've got a good battery, and the solenoid is engaging. They're cheap and easy to do yourself, nothing fancy. Get the new one, there are 2 posts holding the electrical on, and 2 posts holding it to the engine, IIRC. You'll need a 15mm socket, wrench, and an extension or two. And beverage of choice.

 

[dwmmatt23]

Your starter probably quit, if you've got a good battery, and the solenoid is engaging. They're cheap and easy to do yourself, nothing fancy. Get the new one, there are 2 posts holding the electrical on, and 2 posts holding it to the engine, IIRC. You'll need a 15mm socket, wrench, and an extension or two. And beverage of choice.

is there a way of testing it before removing? also would a starter be the cause of my volt drop?

 

[haks310]

Take it to Kragen, they will test your whole electrical system for free.

 

[ravingmadman]

Take it to Kragen, they will test your whole electrical system for free.

+1. I don't know of a [good] way to test your starter, but they should be able to run a full diagnostic on the battery and alternator with/without load, with/without engine revving, and give you numbers. This is the most thorough check, but if you don't have access, here's how you do it yourself...

Turn off your rig, and everything like you're parking it for the night, etc. Remove one of the battery cables, and connect the leads of a multimeter between the battery and the battery cable, measure amperage. it should only read an amp or two. Anything more than that, and you'll run the risk of having a dead battery in the morning.

Put the battery cables back on, start your truck (after you get it started, of course.) Measure voltage on the battery over a couple of minutes. It should not decrease. If it does, your alternator (or accompanying wiring) sucks.

Turn on everything you can- brights, fan, interior lights, hazards- everything you can. Watch the voltage, and have someone step on the gas, and rev it to 2K-ish. Voltage should increase when you rev it, and the lights should all visibly get a little brighter. If they don't, your alternator (or accompanying wiring) sucks.