Starting Gremlin

[philb]

not a new Member just haven't been on in 7 years. My 1996 Suburban K2500 6.5 has been having a weird intermittent starting issue for the last two years. truck has 200,000 miles on it, love that it is still made out of metal.
Sometimes I turn the key and I get nothing, no noise, no clicks just silence. I might Turn in 3 or 4 times real hard and it fires right up, like nothing happened. the problem might not show its face for a month or two than 3 times in a week and that 3 times in a day than disappear for a month or so.

Mechanics have replaced starters, glow plus, batteries, cables and injectors. I sent the starter back to mean green, they tested it, said it was fine and sent it back, I put that one in my 1983 6.2 banks turbo GMC jimmy, no problems.

I bought a brand new starter and the same issue persists. I bought a new engine and replaced all of the wiring harness, it still happens. I figure it must be a module or something in the column or the ignition? since I have basically replaced everything else. I have no idea, electricity makes my brain hurt.

I only use this truck for camping and hardware stores runs but I do love it and don't want to get rid of it. but I fear getting stranded some where in the back country. any help would be appreciated

[CoyleJR]

Philb, it sounds like a bad ignition switch to me. I have had the same problem with a 1993 pickup and a new ignition switch solved the problem.
Good luck
John

[philb]

Thank you I will order one this afternoon. Fingers crossed

[Yukon6.2]

Yup sounds like my 98 tow truck before i changed the ignition.
The truck was an electrical gremlin wrapped in metal.
From the time i got it there were electrical issues that took out PMD's, Ignition, and in the end the injection pump.
Switched the truck to mechanical injection and kissed the issues goodby.

[a5150nut]

My 94 I had to replace the ignition switch on the lower steering column. Did the battery post upgrade and from the beginning I puled all the weather pac connectors and cleaned with electric contact cleaner and coated with dielectric grease and never realy had any problems with it.

[JohnC]

It's easy enough to test the ignition switch before you throw money at it! Put a test light on the starter solenoid trigger wire. If it doesn't light up when you turn the key to "start" then find out why.

[Yukon6.2]

It wasn't the starting/cranking feature that was wrong with any of the switches i have replaced.
On my 98 3500,it would crank at the end,just no fire from the engine.I did a PMD replacement and still nothing,i was having weird electrical issues that went away with the old switch.
On my 05 Topkick it was the same story,no problem starting the truck but electrical issues were present from the time i bought the truck,and then the heater quit in the winter,so i ran a hot wire to the fan so i could stay warm.That wire back feed some of the issues the truck had and they went away,just to return whenever the hot wire was removed from the fan.After getting the shop manuals and doing some reading i switched the ignition and all issues disappeared.
They way i looked at it is the switch is only in the start position momentarily,it is in the run position 99.9 % of the time the truck is moving/running and that is the function that is compromised over time.

[JohnC]

On mine it was the transmission contacts. It started and ran fine but wouldn't shift out of second gear. I've heard that there are issues with the start contacts caused by switching off the inductive load of the solenoid, which generates a spark that erodes the contacts.