Ive been driving to work through TS Fay and encountering flood water on the way. Nice to have a lifted truck! But, now for some reason when I try to start it, it gives me the dreaded starter clicks. Its a brand new battery. Connections are tight. Could I have shorted the starter connections driving through the water? Or could I have done something to the alternator with all the water and now its not charging like it should?

 

If you hear clicking when tryin to start it, i would say its the starter. Just take it out and get it tested by autozone or someplace like that. Its not too bad to take it out. Worth a try

 

The clicking sound is the sound of your starter trying to engage the flywheel, but doesn't have enought juice to stay ingaged, so it kinda justs clicks back and fourth. If thaty is going on, I would say that your starter is fine, its just not getting enough juice. Likly culprit is dead battery.

If you have an ammeter check the volts that yor battery has. If when you try and start it, the volts drop way off, say from 13+ to 7-8, your battery does not hold a load, you need a new one.

If the ammeter shows you 11-12 volts that is right on the threshhold of what is needed to start your truck and it might not be eough. If the battery holds the load then it is a charging problem. Either Alternator of the wiring between the two. Could be from all the water, but I bet its more, like a coinicidence.

 

First thing you should always try to do is jump start it. If it starts when jumped then it is the battery or a charging problem. Some parts stores will test the alt on your vehicle or on a bench. If it doesn't start I would try the starter relay, especially if it doesn't make any noise. My starter relay went out last month and it acted like a dead batt untill we tried to jump it and it still acted like a dead battery.

Good luck hope this helps.