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08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting


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Rspeidel
User

May 10, 2021, 6:15 PM

Post #1 of 22 (1624 views)
08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Hi all and thank you. I have a 08 Chevy Express 2500 van with a 8 cylinder motor. I parked in my driveway and went to start it up and nothing. A very weak crank if that. The battery is less then 6 months old and when testing voltage I get zero. I took the battery out and got 12 volts. I also went and purchased another new battery to eliminate any possible dead cells..etc. I get no cranking or anything when turning the key and still get 0 volts when terminals are connected but get 12 volts when disconnected and removed from truck. I checked about 50% of the fuses and they all checked out good but will check the rest in morning when it is light out.

Would anyone have any ideas or point me right direction. I am thinking it is a broken wire from battery to starter. I am pretty mechanical so you all can talk shop with me. Thanks


Hammer Time
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May 10, 2021, 6:26 PM

Post #2 of 22 (1622 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Where are you testing to get 0 volts?



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Rspeidel
User

May 10, 2021, 6:31 PM

Post #3 of 22 (1615 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

between the battery terminals


Rspeidel
User

May 10, 2021, 6:33 PM

Post #4 of 22 (1610 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

So when battery is installed in van I get 0 volts between the terminals but when taking out and tested I get 12 volts and this is with 2 new/newer batteries


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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May 10, 2021, 6:35 PM

Post #5 of 22 (1607 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

That's pretty simple. You have at least one bad battery cable end.

I'm assuming you are not getting wild sparks when you hook up the battery.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on May 10, 2021, 6:37 PM)


Rspeidel
User

May 10, 2021, 6:37 PM

Post #6 of 22 (1603 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Thanks, it most likely will be the Red as I get continuity on the ground from terminal to body ground


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 10, 2021, 6:38 PM

Post #7 of 22 (1599 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Continuity is not enough to carry 150 amps. A single strand would be enough to show continuity.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Rspeidel
User

May 10, 2021, 7:07 PM

Post #8 of 22 (1591 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Very true.. Electrician here. I just went out there to do a few more tests. I removed the terminal shield on the ground and everything looks solid and with the shield removed I am now getting 12volts but still no crank. When tomorrow morning comes I will see if there is power going to the starter. I did notice quite a bit of rust build on the terminal lugs going to fuse block.


Rspeidel
User

May 10, 2021, 7:10 PM

Post #9 of 22 (1587 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

I kinda am getting some wild sparks when hooking up the battery terminals


Hammer Time
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May 10, 2021, 7:11 PM

Post #10 of 22 (1587 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

See what happens to that 12 volts when you attempt to crank it. If it drops off to nothing, you still have a connection problem.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 10, 2021, 7:13 PM

Post #11 of 22 (1584 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In


Quote
I kinda am getting some wild sparks when hooking up the battery terminals


That means you have a high current draw. If you don't have the key or the headlights on, it should not be doing that.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Rspeidel
User

May 10, 2021, 7:18 PM

Post #12 of 22 (1580 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

It is not like the 4th of July but there is some arcing going on. This is on the negative when I hook it up and it really wasnt all that bad.


Rspeidel
User

May 10, 2021, 7:25 PM

Post #13 of 22 (1574 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Thank you very much for your time and patience Hammer.


Hammer Time
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Hammer Time profile image

May 11, 2021, 4:11 AM

Post #14 of 22 (1544 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Sparks mean current being drawn. If it's a reasonable amount for module start up, that's fine.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Rspeidel
User

May 11, 2021, 8:31 AM

Post #15 of 22 (1528 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Update .. I am now getting a solid 12v across the battery terminals but still no start. I am getting continuity between starter ground and battery ground. I also have a starter switch that I connected the red terminal on battery to starter directly with key turned on and starter didn't engage. I am by myself so hard to crank over while checking for voltage at starter. Am using the brand new battery at this time.


Hammer Time
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Hammer Time profile image

May 11, 2021, 8:45 AM

Post #16 of 22 (1526 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

OK, do you know how to do a voltage drop test?

Take you digital voltmeter and connect one lead to the positive battery terminal and the other lead to the main starter terminal where the cable attaches. Read the meter as you try to crank it. If the meter reads anything over 1-2 volts, then you have a problem with that cable. This can also be repeated on the negative cable and chassis ground to test the negative side.

If you have no voltage drop, then you just have a bad starter.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
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May 11, 2021, 9:23 AM

Post #17 of 22 (1521 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Quote back 2 posts ">I am by myself so hard to crank over while checking for voltage at starter. Am using the brand new battery at this time.<"


I hear you working alone. You can buy or rig a "trigger" button from Bat+ to starter's trigger wire. Push button and it will crank only for testing.


This trouble now new battery that shows then doesn't voltage (not how powerful) can mistake testing side posts at the bolt you need to test the eyelet.


BTW, new batteries are not usually charged up, just filled is about 2/3rds of the AMPs it would have but they work or do something.


Eyelet ends of cables and one (should be larger gauge) to body metal just look for them.


One ground at sides of engines is a neglected spot on almost anything some exposed to rot there. If unsure of that cable toss it for low gauge than OE meaning more wire - you knew that?


T



Rspeidel
User

May 11, 2021, 10:26 AM

Post #18 of 22 (1512 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

I do have a starter trigger and attempted that earlier. I do have 12 volts at starter and with trigger engaged there was no voltage drop.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 11, 2021, 12:19 PM

Post #19 of 22 (1505 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

That's not what I explained to do. That is not a voltage drop test.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Rspeidel
User

May 11, 2021, 1:13 PM

Post #20 of 22 (1499 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

was a bad starter, wire shorted to ground and bad battery terminal. Thank you all for the help and Hammer I did the volt drop test like you explained as well. Once I changed terminal and found short it was easy to test the starter that way.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 11, 2021, 1:17 PM

Post #21 of 22 (1497 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Glad to hear you found the problem. You have to be careful when tightening the small wire that it doesn't rotate into the battery cable.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Rspeidel
User

May 11, 2021, 1:32 PM

Post #22 of 22 (1492 views)
Re: 08 Chevy Express 2500 non starting Sign In

Funny you say that as I was thinking same thing when installing it. I used a mirror and had to adjust the ground before hooking up battery.






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