Ok here's the deal been fighting with my mother in law's truck ('91 s10 ext cab 4.3L "z" code auto transmission 300,000+ miles)
About a month ago it died on her at work no crank, no click but all the dash lights etc worked normally (factory volt gauge was only reading 9) Had battery and starter both tested both were good put those back in and it's worked fine ever since so originally I thought one of the starter wires was loose problem solved.
Yesterday it does the same thing so go start checking things when key is turned to start no power to starter wire ok cool bad ignition switch, change that now when key is turned I have power to starter wire but still no click, no crank nothing. If I get off work early enough I am going to pull starter again to have it tested just in case it has gone bad in the past month.....any other ideas or suggestions? If the starter is good I'm unsure what to check next

almost forgot she said it did this at work the other day too but after sitting for 8 hours it started up normally.

as always thanks in advance!

 

Might want to try it in neutral, or hold up on your shifter while you turn the key..May be the neutral safety switch bad or out of adjustment.

 

I considered that but then thought I'm getting power to the starter wire when turning the key to start position and the way I understand it if it was the neutral safety switch that would lock out power from going to the starter.

 

Yeah that's true. But are you getting power, or just voltage? And you said you only get it sometimes. Try checking your battery wire as someone turns the switch, see if your voltage changes. If it drops to zero it will mean either a high resistance open or a short in the starter. You can have voltage but still no current.

 

if u get power while turning the key your solenoid is grounding out. I have had this happen on my 98 jimmy and my 88 s10 very known. How old is the starter? Also check your grounds it may also help ground a wire from the truck to the starter u might have a weak ground.

 

ffox: It wasn't supplying power with key turned to start before changing ignition switch, it is supplying power with key turned after replacing ign. sw.

mxpx: thanks I'll try anything at this point although i'll admit I am tempted to just buy her another car and take the s10 for a V8 toy lol this is the first winter of it's life seeing snow or salt not a single speck of rust anywhere and I just love 1st gens

 

well if u do decide to get rid of it better to sell it for parts just figure i put it out there and i'm always in need of good parts in my area gota alot of friends on my area that need parts and most of them are on this site and one other

 

Anyone have any other ideas? Starter is still good new acdelco neutral safety switch and ignition switch, tried a 4 ga. ground wire to the starter with no change.

 

Main battery cable to starter? Have you tested it? There is a fusible link in it that can go bad.

If you have good power on the main post of the starter and the ignition switch is sending power to the solenoid to activate the starter with no results, then the starter is the only thing left.

 

try ground it to the battery instead of chassis and try jumping the starter if it works by jumping it some where from the ignition switch is your issue a loose wire after market alarm and or bad relay - fuse