thunderboltthornton
New member
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- Location
- Tenneessee
Hello everyone, I'm fairly new to SS as far as my profile goes, but I've been searching this site for longer. The past 2 weeks I've been searching and searching over posts and threads about other members having starting issues with there truck and I've taken a lot of the advice and checked a lot of the things the members had problems with. So I really hope I don't get bashed for starting another thread about a CUCV not starting. I have literally been looking and looking for days about where to go next. I have looked through some threads from Warthog about the fuse box and fusible links and things like that. I do apologize for that but i do honestly need help.
To start out I have an 84 CUCV with the 6.2 diesel motor. It does still have regular 12/24v starting system. It has 47k miles on it. I bought the truck about April. Drove it from Kansas to Tennessee no problem. Every once in a while when I'd turn the key I would just get a click and no engagement at the starter. I would turn the key off then back to start and it would then proceed to turn over and then start. This didn't happen every time i went to start the truck but just every once in a while. Then one day i ran to the store maybe 4-5 miles down the road, I came out and tried to start it and just the click but when i turned the key to off then back to start i kept just getting the click. I proceeded to get under the truck and I tapped the side of the starter thinking this was the problem. Maybe coincidentally or not, not really sure but i got into the truck and it started right up. Then i had no more problems for about a week. Then it did it again only this time i tapped the starter and nothing happened. All it did was one click. Starter wouldn't engage.
Since then i have been searching on here and these are the things i have checked and done so far, first thing i took the starter off and had it rebuilt and starter solenoid replaced, also i did the doghead starter relay mod, i have got the batteries load tested and one of them failed so i replaced it, there is a ground on the back of the block (closest to the firewall) that was bad and also had a grounding strap from the block to the firewall. i replaced the grounding strap and put a new fitting on the ground. Today i took the instrument cluster out and dropped the steering column so i could get to the ignition switch. i hope i used the right terminology for the ignition switch. from the key on the column there is a rod on top that goes into a little box, (this little box i'm referring to as ignition switch) i took that box off and did what i shouldn't have done. i pried the bracket off the box that the rod goes into. And all the little connectors and springs fell out. So i went to O'riellys and found the part and it came up as an ignition switch. I thought the ignition switch was where the key goes so correct me if i'm wrong. But i did replace that part but i think its the wrong one because it works backwards. Instead of the key springing backward from the start position to the run position it springs forward. And it doesn't line up with the bolt holes which is probably why it springs the wrong way. But i did try to start the truck with this switch and still nothing.
So i do have 2 problems, I need to know how to get the correct ignition switch and also still have to figure out why it isn't even turning over. I've checked the ignition fuse and its good. All my fusible links (behind the batteries) are all good. I don't see any melted wires like other members have reported. Nothing burned up while i tried to start it and I've never had a runaway starter. I'm not sure if i'm at the point of just tracing down all the starting system wires or what. I would consider myself as a decent mechanic. I work on all my own vehicles. But i know i'm not the greatest mechanic. I am in the army reserve and my MOS is wheeled vehicle mechanic. I do have basic mechanic tools. Just a little background info about my skill set. I was hoping it was something simple but i'm not sure anymore and i do love this truck. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And thank you in advance for any help. Again i'm sorry for starting another thread about these problems but i have yet to find one which pertains to my certain situation and I've check mostly all the other places other member have reported.
To start out I have an 84 CUCV with the 6.2 diesel motor. It does still have regular 12/24v starting system. It has 47k miles on it. I bought the truck about April. Drove it from Kansas to Tennessee no problem. Every once in a while when I'd turn the key I would just get a click and no engagement at the starter. I would turn the key off then back to start and it would then proceed to turn over and then start. This didn't happen every time i went to start the truck but just every once in a while. Then one day i ran to the store maybe 4-5 miles down the road, I came out and tried to start it and just the click but when i turned the key to off then back to start i kept just getting the click. I proceeded to get under the truck and I tapped the side of the starter thinking this was the problem. Maybe coincidentally or not, not really sure but i got into the truck and it started right up. Then i had no more problems for about a week. Then it did it again only this time i tapped the starter and nothing happened. All it did was one click. Starter wouldn't engage.
Since then i have been searching on here and these are the things i have checked and done so far, first thing i took the starter off and had it rebuilt and starter solenoid replaced, also i did the doghead starter relay mod, i have got the batteries load tested and one of them failed so i replaced it, there is a ground on the back of the block (closest to the firewall) that was bad and also had a grounding strap from the block to the firewall. i replaced the grounding strap and put a new fitting on the ground. Today i took the instrument cluster out and dropped the steering column so i could get to the ignition switch. i hope i used the right terminology for the ignition switch. from the key on the column there is a rod on top that goes into a little box, (this little box i'm referring to as ignition switch) i took that box off and did what i shouldn't have done. i pried the bracket off the box that the rod goes into. And all the little connectors and springs fell out. So i went to O'riellys and found the part and it came up as an ignition switch. I thought the ignition switch was where the key goes so correct me if i'm wrong. But i did replace that part but i think its the wrong one because it works backwards. Instead of the key springing backward from the start position to the run position it springs forward. And it doesn't line up with the bolt holes which is probably why it springs the wrong way. But i did try to start the truck with this switch and still nothing.
So i do have 2 problems, I need to know how to get the correct ignition switch and also still have to figure out why it isn't even turning over. I've checked the ignition fuse and its good. All my fusible links (behind the batteries) are all good. I don't see any melted wires like other members have reported. Nothing burned up while i tried to start it and I've never had a runaway starter. I'm not sure if i'm at the point of just tracing down all the starting system wires or what. I would consider myself as a decent mechanic. I work on all my own vehicles. But i know i'm not the greatest mechanic. I am in the army reserve and my MOS is wheeled vehicle mechanic. I do have basic mechanic tools. Just a little background info about my skill set. I was hoping it was something simple but i'm not sure anymore and i do love this truck. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And thank you in advance for any help. Again i'm sorry for starting another thread about these problems but i have yet to find one which pertains to my certain situation and I've check mostly all the other places other member have reported.
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