One trick with a bad starter is to lightly give it a few taps with a hammer or whatever is handy. Brushes wear out and don't contact the contactor a few taps can get them to make contact and get you going. Still need to replace it but this can get you out sometimes. Also if this works it confirms your starter is bad.

If you're getting clicks from the starter and it's not cranking, that's probably your problem (assuming the engine isn't locked up!). They're not too bad to pull off of the 5.3, although if it's 4WD that's probably a bit more annoying than my RWD trucks. At this point I'd just remove it and take it in to a parts store to have them test it.

One other thing to test before you do that...put a volt meter on the battery and see if the voltage drops significantly when you try to crank it. If there's a bad cell or two in your battery, it's possible it's showing 12v without a load, yet still has enough juice to kick the solenoid over but not enough to crank. My son's truck battery went bad last week, and it would show 12v until you put a load on it then drop to 6 or 7V when you tried to crank the motor.

To check the starter you might want to try tapping it gently with a hammer while someone else tries to start the car, sometimes that can jolt it into action temporarily.

My $0.02
If your key has a resistive bead on it clean it with alcohol. It could be the Theft Deterrent System.

quote:

Originally posted by Lunasee:
My $0.02
If your key has a resistive bead on it clean it with alcohol. It could be the Theft Deterrent System.

While the GM Passlock security system is indeed utter garbage and prone to all manner of issues, he said in his OP that his vehicle is push-button start.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:

One other thing to test before you do that...put a volt meter on the battery and see if the voltage drops significantly when you try to crank it. If there's a bad cell or two in your battery, it's possible it's showing 12v without a load, yet still has enough juice to kick the solenoid over but not enough to crank. My son's truck battery went bad last week, and it would show 12v until you put a load on it then drop to 6 or 7V when you tried to crank the motor.

I have a volt meter I just really don’t know how to use it. Has all those options on the dial I have no clue what they mean.
Really do need to learn how to use it.

I agree with 92fstech. Had the same thing happen to my Titan, internal short. 12v looked ok until you tried to start. Can you disconnect the battery and try to jump start from another vehicle.

Check Youtube on how to use your volt meter and troubleshoot your starter.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Traded one for my Tundra.
I am pretty much done with anything but Toyota. Traded a mint Highlander for the Suburban. That vehicle was great we just need more room than they offer.

The kids (who’ve both had the use of it) still refer to the ‘02 Sequoia as the greatest car known to mankind.

Back in prehistoric days, one used to be able to use a screwdriver to jump from the lug where the positive cable from the battery connects to where the start signal from the key lands. It will spark and may startle one, but it takes all the other stuff (neutral safety switch etc) out of the equation. If this doesn’t make it crank, it is definitely the starter. I dunno if this is possible on your vehicle. There is a good chance that it is brushes as mentioned.

quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie1:
I agree with 92fstech. Had the same thing happen to my Titan, internal short. 12v looked ok until you tried to start. Can you disconnect the battery and try to jump start from another vehicle.

I had the volt meter on and it was 12.62 volts, wife opened the door, all the screens and lights came with the chimes it dropped to 11.92 volts, she attempted to start the truck and it only dropped to 11.32 volts.
So I am guessing that is well within range since it is really not a drastic drop.

Yep that sounds healthy. I'd start interrogating the starter.

If it dropped from 12.6 to 11.9 with just opening the door, I would say that's pretty bad. And 11.3 volts is in the dead battery range, as in dead dead. That seems like it's ok when tested, but dies as soon as you put a load on it.
I have the exact same car in my garage and just went through the same thing a couple months ago. Changed the battery, which was a small pain in the ass, and good to go. If your battery drops below 12, it's dead.

Put a different battery or a jump pack on it and see how it does.

^^^ I would agree with everything he said. Modern automotive electronics do weird things when the voltage drops below 12. Put a jump box/cables/charger on it and see what it does.

It is the battery.

It may be your switch itself. My daughters VW Golf did the same thing a couple of weeks ago. Battery was fine, new battery in fob, and still no start. Pulled up a video on YouTube and the guy said check the switch itself. He showed how to remove it as well as how to take it apart and clean it. 20 minutes later, the switch was reinstalled after I cleaned it and it starts like new again.


As for voltage on your battery, it’s a bit too low for a lot of newer vehicles. 13.5+ is where you should be.

Hope you get it figured out soon.

Pull the battery out, take it to Autozone, PepBoys, Advance, oRiellys, any parts store
will test it and see if it takes a charge and holds a load, if it's dropping to the 11v level the BCM in the vehicle may not let it start.

At least you can eliminate it for free, other than the time to do it.

Who knows a kid could have left a reading/dome light on all night, doesn't take much these vehicles draw power even when off.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Pull the battery out, take it to Autozone, PepBoys, Advance, oRiellys, any parts store
will test it and see if it takes a charge and holds a load, if it's dropping to the 11v level the BCM in the vehicle may not let it start.

At least you can eliminate it for free, other than the time to do it.

Who knows a kid could have left a reading/dome light on all night, doesn't take much these vehicles draw power even when off.

I agree. The last decade or so the manufacturers have really gone haywire with electronics and it doesn’t take much voltage drop to run into problems. I have started to replace my batteries at 4 years old even if they appear normal because my luck would be that I’ll be in the middle of bum f%^ck Egypt when things start going wonky.

It’s not the battery. I pulled the battery and box a box on it and still nothing.
I even replaced the battery and still the same scenario. I thought the battery was 3 years old but it is actually 4.
The new battery was reading 12.86 I am the only one here so I could not check what it drops to when one goes to start.
I have the charger sitting on the new battery maybe just a bit more juice is needed but I am still guessing the starter at this point.

Whoever designed this should be punched right in the freaking face!!!!
I bet I can get the starter out easier than the battery, considering you have to remove two cross supports and the coolant tank before being able to get the battery out.
What an idiot. If you have a Suburban with the secondary battery it is right out in the open at the front of the truck and not tucked up in the firewall.
Would be so much easier!
So new starter goes in tomorrow morning!
Wish me luck again.

Good luck with the new starter...you got this. It's just bolts.

My '03 Suburban is the best vehicle I've ever owned, with my '01 Silverado a close second. Removing the battery is a 3 minute process that involves one bolt and two cables, and it's right up front. The last time I did it was in a NAPA parking lot in northern Michigan after I jumped it at the campground. It's too bad GM (and pretty much every other truck manufacturer) kowtowed to the libs and ruined a great design trying to chase arbitrary fuel economy numbers in a vehicle class that was never about fuel economy in the first place.

Yup had and 89 Silverado and still have a 2000 Silverado with a little over 100k love it.
Worst issue rusted rockers, fuel, and brake lines. But all that was after it being 20 years old.