Starter..intermittent. hear the fuel pump growel but no relay click. sometimes several clicks and then will start. battery is at full charge

What about your security system? It is a starter disable. If you remove starter relay and use jumper wire between terminals 30 and 87, the starter motor should crank. If you try that, make sure tranny is in park or neutral and parking brake is set. If it cranks, the problem is on control side of relay, right side, in the diagram. Make sure battery has a full charge.

Have to be sure battery has a full charge and battery connections all good, no voltage drop anywhere.
At the starter motor, usually two voltage circuits, one comes from the battery hot all the time. The other circuit goes hot with key in the crank position and is wired through a neutral switch and or starter relay, where applicable. The starter motor should ground through the engine block. Ground circuits are important.
I don't know the model year or I would try to post wiring diagram? With intermittent problems, you have to test when problem is ongoing.

What is year--make--model of vehicle? Did you check voltage and ground, anywhere? Did you make sure the engine isn't seized?


If you hear a relay clicking, check relay circuits. You can usually feel the relay when it clicks, which relay is it? Battery has a full charge?

Is your starter circuit part of the vehicle security system?

Good for cleaning the throttle (Known as upper induction cleaning). A couple references I read specifically said not to use Brake Cleaner on the throttle. See below. You could have killed either the Mass Air Flow sensor or Throttle Position Sensor or both. Fix It Right Induction and Throttle Body Cleaning Have a shop run diagnostics on the Engine Computer.

check fuel filter, fuel pump relay, or fuel pump. IF the car don't even crank over, (starter don't work) then:


READ THIS ALL BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING
NOTE: some vehicles have the starter relay and starter mounted together as 1 unit. Sometimes the starter relay and starter are seperate. When I refer to "relay" it could also mean the starter and relay as 1 unit.
Note: "starter switch" is not to be confused with "key switch", although sometimes they are all one unit. The starter switch is usually mounted on the steering column and actuated by a metal rod. On units that are all one unit, the keyswitch/starter switch (both one unit) will have to be replaced. (this is a rare problem, so don't get worried just yet)
1. Check battery voltage, should be between 12.5-14.5 volts. if low voltage replace or charge battery, and try to start car, if it don't crank with new or charged battery, move on.
2. Check connections on the starter relay, even the small one coming from your starter switch. if loose or corroded, clean with a brush and reconnect them. Try to start your car. Did it start? if not, Move on
3. Well now we know the connections aren't the problem. How about a click? did you hear one? If a click is heard, go to #4, if nothing is heard, go to #5
4. Well at least the relay is clicking, but nothing else is going on. The relay is working, so the starter must be bad. Replace the starter and start your car!
5. Humm, connections aren't the problem, maybe the relay is bad, replace your relay with a new one. Move on
6. Now we have a new relay, with clean and tight connections. Start your car. Does it start? If yes, then HORRAY! we fixed it. Does it click? If so then goto #7, If it don't click, then goto #8
7. So here we have a new relay, with good connections that will click when trying to start the car, but nothing else happens. Starter is faulty, replace the starter, and off you go, see ya!
8. So here we have a new relay, with good connections, but it still won't click when we try to start our car. This means that your starter switch is faulty. Replace starter switch and try to start your car. Vroom! finally done with this car problem!
List of shortcuts: if you remove the starter switch lead (small wire) from the relay and apply +12v to its respective prong or lead on the relay, and your starter cranks, your starter switch is faulty. You can actually hook up a starter button this way. If you jump the two large wires together on the relay and it cranks, then the relay is faulty. If you jump the two large wires together and nothing happens, then starter is faulty, or wires to starter are loose or broken.

NOTE: some vehicles have the relay and starter mounted together as 1 unit. Sometimes the starter relay and starter are seperate. When I refer to "relay" it could also mean the starter and relay as 1 unit.

Note: "starter switch" is not to be confused with "key switch", although sometimes they are all one unit. The starter switch is usually mounted on the steering column and actuated by a metal rod. On units that are all one unit, the keyswitch/starter switch (both one unit) will have to be replaced. (this is a rare problem, so don't get worried just yet)

1. Check battery voltage, should be between 12.5-14.5 volts. if low voltage replace or charge battery, and try to start car, if it don't crank with new or charged battery, move on.

2. Check connections on the starter relay, even the small one coming from your starter switch. if loose or corroded, clean with a brush and reconnect them. Try to start your car. Did it start? if not, Move on

3. Well now we know the connections aren't the problem. How about a click? did you hear one? If a click is heard, go to #4, if nothing is heard, go to #5

4. Well at least the relay is clicking, but nothing else is going on. The relay is working, so the starter must be bad. Replace the starter and start your car!

5. Humm, connections aren't the problem, maybe the relay is bad, replace your relay with a new one. Move on

6. Now we have a new relay, with clean and tight connections. Start your car. Does it start? If yes, then HORRAY! we fixed it. Does it click? If so then goto #7, If it don't click, then goto #8

7. So here we have a new relay, with good connections that will click when trying to start the car, but nothing else happens. Starter is faulty, replace the starter, and off you go, see ya!

8. So here we have a new relay, with good connections, but it still won't click when we try to start our car. This means that your starter switch is faulty. Replace starter switch and try to start your car. Vroom! finally done with this car problem!

List of shortcuts: if you remove the starter switch lead (small wire) from the relay and apply +12v to its respective prong or lead on the relay, and your starter cranks, your starter switch is faulty. You can actually hook up a starter button this way. If you jump the two large wires together on the relay and it cranks, then the relay is faulty. If you jump the two large wires together and nothing happens, then starter is faulty, or wires to starter are loose or broken.

You don't say what year the truck is, but it could be a faulty EEC relay. You would need to trace the coil voltage circuit to find out why you don't have full battery voltage with the key on.

May need this:

You say it won't turn over. Then your problem is with the battery, ignition switch, or starter. If you hear a click, click, click, then the battery is dead. If you hear nothing then it may be a bad ignition switch. Turn on the headlights and then attempt to start the engine. If you hear a click, the lights dim, and it will not turn over, the starter is suspect. Check the voltage at the battery with a voltmeter set to DC voltage on the 20 volt scale. These are the readings you look for. If your battery is not reading at least 12.2 volts it needs charging or replacement. If the battery is over 3 years old, it more than likely needs replacing. Now if I am missing what you are saying and the engine does turn over but will not start then turn on the ignition without trying to start the engine. You should hear the fuel pump run for a few seconds and then shut down. If you do not, then the fuse may be blown or the fuel pump relay may be defective. The fuel pump itself may also be bad. You may have to open the fuel filler door and remove the cap and listen at that location while someone else turns on the ignition in order to hear the pump running.

You will have to check, at the starter, for power to the SMALL wire on the starter solenoid (which is on the starter) when turning the ignition switch to start.
If there is power to this wire ( usually purple ) and power at the LARGE cable ( from the battery ) at the starter end.....you need a starter.

If you do not have power at the small wire at the solenoid with the key in start position and battery power is OK.....check the safety neutral switch.Moving the shifter around a little can sometimes allow the car to start if the neutral switch is worn.

A new battery does not always mean a fully charged battery.
Try a boost from another car before testing the starter for power.

The battery cables need to be clean and tight....and check the ground to the engine as well.

Everything else may work OK with bad connections,they don't use the power the starter needs to turn the engine over.