Starting issues on Suburban

paradisePWoffrd

paradisePWoffrd

Recovering Project Junkie
Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Location
Newton, NC
My dad has an 89 Chevy Suburban 2500 4x4 with the 350, T400 tranny, and stock manifolds & exhaust. Here the part year or 2 he's been having starting issues with it... Basically it seems like a hot start issue to me, but im not really sure...

Occasionally it doesnt want to start back up after a trip somewhere, but never 1st thing in the day when it hasnt been run, or after a long time sitting... It is rather random, and doesnt seem to matter if he has driven 2 miles or 200 miles... What happens is you turn the key to start it, all the lights and electronics will power up fine, but the starter wont engage or click or anything, similar to a dead battery... If you try to jump it, it doesnt help; and crossing the posts on the starter motor works on occasion... If you let it sit a while, itll eventually crank like nothins wrong...

When it first started happening he had a dead battery and replaced that... but the problem continued so he replaced the starter... It was fine again for ~6 months, then it started acting up again...

Hes tried starters from stealership, the premium ones from parts stores, with no success after a few months... Weve changed the starter switch on the truck as well... only thing left to try is the lock cylinder...

Recently the issue started back up after only a week of having a new starter on it, and a extreme rise in frustration...

I think its a hot start issue, and have tried to get him put a blanket (wrap) or mini starter on it... but he hasnt yet...

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to catch you up with as much detail as I can remember, and see what you all think the issue might be... TIA
 
wanted to clarify that when you turn the key to start it, nothing happens... no click, nothing...


ive checked the connections to the starter, solenoid, battery, and even elec switch, and all seem good and snug...
 
This seems to be a known problem with the K5s. Do some research for Chevy Hot Start Issues. Jegs sells heat shields, I've seen remote solenoids, and other fixes for the problem. I've personally never experienced it with mine, though, so I don't know if any of them actually work.
 
Sounds just like a hot start issue. Either wrap the starter or get a shield for it. You seem to have checked everything else. The only thing I can think of that hasn't been mentioned is the cranking amps of the battery. As a starter wears or when it is hot it requires more amps to turn it. Alot of the 3/4 tons had factory "heavy duty" starters which also require more amps. Just some things to think about.
 
REPLACE the positive battery cable with a larger guage cable and a good crimp connection at the starter. hell replace the negative as well.

I would bet if you cut open the end of the cable you'd find corrosion ( and possibly not even recognize it as such )

My GMC was doing the same thing, sounded like the timing was off when you tried to start it hot. I re-made both battery cables, now, no issues, starter is at least 15 years old.

when copper has a crappy connection it builds heat ( and resistance) when it gets so hot, the resistance is high enough to be a problem ( engine heat will do this )
 
clymer shop manual for chevy trucks 70-87 recommends a weaker soleniod spring part # 1978281 for hot starting problems also an aluminum heat shield between starter and exhaust manifold
 
While you're checking the main cable out take a look at the solenoid switch wire (from solenoid back to column switch) the one on my S-10 as well as the one on my uncles '87 C-10 and a couple of mid 90's Z71's that I've worked on in the past were shorting out against the engine causing similar issues.
 
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