Hello! A couple times now I took my HiJet to the store, came out 15 minutes later and had a lot of trouble getting the engine to turn over and start. Eventually it did, but after the second time I wanted to try and troubleshoot the issue. I replaced the battery recently and it is fully charged. I suspect it could be the starter, but want to try and confirm that's the issue before buying a new one. I tested the voltage at the starter with a multimeter and it looks OK. I read the next thing to check is the starter relay, but I cannot find this to save my life. I've traced the cables from the starter to the battery and another under the passenger's seat (left side). I found a couple of electrical connections there, but I have no idea what they are for. Plus, I have no idea how to test these for voltage. My multimeter did not pick up anything from them and the truck starts just fine with them both disconnected. Another thing to note is I believe both times the truck wouldn't start it had been raining. My battery does not have a cover, so I wondered if the terminals were getting wet and if this could cause the issue? I use an adapter to connect the new battery to the truck. See the pic below. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!
I had similar problems. one issue was clutch material from wear was pulled into the starter. Taking the starter off is easy. Clear any material there. Also, replacing distributor cap and coil/plug wires really eliminated the issue for me. Good luck.
First thing to check is the electrical terminals at the starter. Remove them and clean them with sand paper, or similar, so they are really clean. Also inspect the smaller one for corrosion of the wire itself. This is the one that transfers power to the rest of the vehicle. If is not making a good connection, your engine may turn over, but not enough power left to give good ignition. If it is corroded, cut it back to good wire and attach a new connector. Also inspect your ground straps for similar problems. Replace the wires and try it. Good Luck
Thanks for the suggestions. I took the starter off and cleaned the connections. They weren't in bad shape, nor were the wires. The motor terminal bolt (connects the solenoid to the wire on the starter motor) was pretty corroded so I replaced it. I also bench tested the starter and it seems to work fine. I'm gonna make a battery cover (kydex) to keep the terminals from getting wet and replace the spark plugs and distributor cap. I have to admit I do not know what the ground straps are nor where to find them. If you could point me in the right direction, I'd definitely appreciate it!
Your engine is mounted on rubber mounts, so, to complete the electrical circuit back to the frame ( ground ) there will be a heavy gauge wire from the engine/transmission to the frame. This could look like a battery wire, or may be a woven metal strap - either way, it needs clean tight connections. If this is not making a good connection, or is broken/missing, the electric current will seek other sources to ground, and could result in the release of smoke.
On other vehicles, I have added ground wires or straps. On my LandCruiser I have one from the engine to the body and another from the frame to the body. The body is connected to the negative battery terminal. I attached them using existing bolts and by finding unused welded nuts on the frame and bolting a strap there.
Thanks all. I inspected my ground straps yesterday and boy were they in bad shape. I had a hard time removing them because the bolts were rusted and corroded, but now they are all new. I'll be replacing my spark plugs next, just waiting on my local NAPA store to try to find a compatible plug in their stock. Otherwise I'll just order online. I also checked my distributor cap but it was in good shape.
