Ok so about 2 months ago I was having issues with my car starting. I would turn the key to start, and all the lights would shut off and the starter would click. I had my starter checked and it was fine, but the battery was bad. Got a new battery and everything was fine...until now. The battery is 2 months old so I don't think it's the problem. I turn my key to start, and all the lights shut off. Then I try turning it to ACC or the ON position and nothing, no lights no anything. I go out to my battery and jiggle the positive cable to the battery and wait for lights to come on, then hold it there while my buddy turns the key to start it. Then I have to hold on the gas or it will die. When letting off the gas, the battery meter on the console drops until I put on the gas again. Then for the first couple miles when the brakes are applied and held at a stop the battery meter drops but after the first couple miles, it is perfectly fine. Also, once it gets started and keeps moving there is no problem. I drove 120 miles home tonight without an issue once it started. So I think it's either a bad alternator, or maybe the positive cable to the battery is dead, or is there a short somewhere in the ignition? I'm sure the starter is fine because the starter wouldn't cause the lights to go out. Please help, this is really starting to **** me off.

Edit: I can move the negative cable and nothing happens

 

I would be very suspicious of the ignition switch. JP[>:]

 

Would that cause all of the lights to go dead and kill power to the battery?

 

completely disconnect the battery ( both Cables) get underneath the truck and make sure all connections on the starter are tight (dont overtighten them or you`ll crack the black plastic housing of the regulator) if you cant move the terminals by finger then try to make sure theres no corrosion on the terminals @ the starter..make sure the starter is tightened to the eng block too.. check the mountingbolts, if that looks to be ok hook the cables back up (+)first then (-),, see if that helps, if it doesnt then your previous ? about the ignition switch could very well be causing the problem..Keep us informed of your outcome with that...Dont leave us guessing if your out in the wilderness stuck with a truck that doesnt start and a Black Bear attacking you.. LOL

 

Ok, so I took off my battery terminals and cleaned them and so far so good. It's started every time so far but I'm not getting my hopes up. But now when I try to start it, I have to give it gas. I hear everything clicking but it doesn't go until gas is applied. I can hear the fuel pump engage and the spark plugs are a year old. So is it still gonna be an issue with the starter?

 

so b4 cleaning the battery terminals you didnt have to press the gas b4 starting??

 

Yeah i had to both times, before and after cleaning the terminals or it would die.

 

I had the same problem, a couple weeks ago. I THINK it was just dirty terminals. Mine would only run, when I was on the pedal(I posted a thread, but no one responded). My jimmy had a top post battery, with sidepost adaptors on it(no, I didn't do this. I bought it like that). Advance tested the battery, and said it was bad(I don't believe this, because I put it in another vehicle, and it's been fine). Anyway, I swapped it with a REAL sidepost battery, and cleaned the terminals(twice, because it still did it after the first cleaning), and that fixed it. I always THOUGHT the computer and sh*t ran off the alternator, but my evidence would prove that a bad battery connection will keep it from doing so. Although it started up just fine, which left me puzzled. But TWO terminal cleaning, apparently, solved the problem.

 

Hmmm...maybe it is another bad battery. Which would be cool cause I would be getting a new one for free since it's only 2 months old and I still have my receipt. I think tonight I'm gonna pull the alternator and battery, have them tested and see. How hard would it be to get new terminal wires and install them? I think bad wires only because when i move them around it gets the lights back on and starts. It is bolted in tightly so the whole thing isn't loose. Thats they only reason I think bad terminal wires. What should I use to clean them? A buddy said baking soda and water and it worked great but maybe I should get an actual cleaner.

Update: disregard my post about it starting and working again, it was a fluke and hasn't worked again without someone moving the wires around.

 

if you move the positive cable and the power comes back...moving the negative cable has no effect, maybe try replacing the positive cable. It's cheap, and just might do the trick.