Its gotta be the starter itself or the solenoid IMO

Grab a $5 test light, hook it to Bat ground, and probe the S terminal (the small single lead, not the big red wire) while your girlfriend hits the key. If the test light lights when she is holding the key in the start position, you have a bad starter/solenoid. It's sold as an assembly so it doesn't matter which. If the test light doesn't light up, you either have a bad starter relay or an ignition switch. Checking the relay is also a simple matter of using a test light.

this may not work, too generic. were not testing fuses here. batterys need to be percise.

That test is just a continuity test. Which actually tells a lot.

Unfortunately, it tells us what we already know. Which is that the ignition switch is fine, (I'm pretty sure somewhere the OP said the motor HAS cranked, intermittently, but doesn't start) so the continuity from the ignition switch to the starter solenoid, which is literally always just 1 wire, is fine.

If his battery does hold 12.5 volts on its own, there really can be culprit: the solenoid itself.


OP: if for some reason I am incorrect in my assumptions, I would recommend checking the ignition switch, just to eliminate the possibility. But again, I'm pretty sure your starter is at fault.

This post was edited by OldAndyAndTheSea on Jan 22 2014 07:55am

Take jumper cables from the battery and put them on the starter posts, of ots the starter I'll have Ur answer



Also, hitting them isn't "to" bad for them

I did it with my bronco for over a year lol


I think it's funny that new Chevys have a hammer with a line across it saying not to hit the starter with a hammer lol

What the hell else are you supposed to do

Thats comedy

Haha I've seen someone hit the a 4 bolt chevy starter with a hammer, and he broke off the studs into the block. Then he botched drilling the bolt out. He was forced to buy a new motor! Haha


but I didn't worry "he knew what he was doing"

Classic... must have been a "hold my beer" type of situation

watch my beer and hold this!