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Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'92
Chevy Silverado, Starter Problem?
Q:
I'm having a problem on my ‘92 Silverado PU. I have already replaced
the starter/solenoid, positive cable, & battery. Should I replace
the starter again or can you suggest a procedure to verify starter/solenoid?
I ohmed out the ground from battery to engine block and it reads ~0-1
ohms, but when I measure between battery to frame I get a little higher
reading 7-9 ohms. It seems that the ground cable behind the engine head
is the cause for the higher reading, but I’m not sure if that’s
normal? I searched the Internet looking for a cure for this problem, but
most of them say replace the starter & install a heat shield, but
that has already been done. My next step is to unbolt the starter and
add a remote starter switch with external ground. Any help would be great......Sal
A:
Sal, you did great until you used an ohm meter to check the condition
of the battery cables. Why is that? I could cut all but one strand of
the wires in a battery cable and you would still get a good ohm meter
reading. That one strand of wire could never let enough electricity through
to allow a starter to work. The best test for proving that the battery
cables and their connections are good is called a voltage drop test. A
voltage drop test is performed when the electrical circuit is active,
current flowing. When testing under these dynamic conditions you get a
true picture of an electrical circuit’s ability to allow electrical
energy, current to flow. This test works great on everything from battery
cables to computer grounds. The instructions to your multimeter should
tell you how to perform a voltage drop test. If not, go to the automotive
section of www.Fluke.com. They build some of the best automotive test
equipment there is and they’re a very helpful company.
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