OK...HiOSlvr left the wife stranded ( at least she was HOME but you know that's stranded in her opinion ). Here's what it does. Open door, interior light is on. Put in key buzzz, here fuel pumps pressurize turn key click then nothing and all power is dead. If you let it sit for 30mns it will do it all over again. Took battery out ( I had left the lights on about a month ago and completely drained it but it has been fine since then) Silver from Advance Auto, and took to store. Tested good. Came back. Cleaned cables and battery terminals. Same thing. Tapped side of starter ( old dad trick for stuck starter sel if I'm not mistaken) same thing. Cables look OK ( I had reaplaced the terminal ends about 3-4 months ago ). Could it be the relay/sel that is mounted on the fender panel behind the battery? I can't remember what that thing is/does.

 

If there is a "click" then the solinoid is working. Thats the thing on the fender that sends power to the starter. Have you checked the connections at the starter? Sounds like there is a loose/corroded connection.

 

Check your GROUND cable. There is a second ground point in the middle of the cable which grounds to the chassis at the inside of the RF wheelwell. That point tends to corrode badly. When it does it can cause the symptoms you describe.

If it is corroded, replace it with 2 cables: a full length one which runs from the battery (-) to the stock location on the block at the starter mounting flange and a second, shorter cable which runs from the starter flange up to the chassis ground. This will eliminate the problem.

 

The stock ground point on the block for '94 is the front bolt of the R engine mount, which is a stud that also holds up the trans cooler lines & the starter/HEGO harness.



I've never seen the frame ground point corrode, but it's certainly worth checking.

My money is on the battery terminals themselves. Buy a can of "Battery Terminal Cleaner & Acid Leak Detector", pull the clamps off the batt. terminals, clean them with the spray AND a wire brush, make sure the bolts work, & reinstall them JUST tight enough that you can't twist the clamps by hand.

If they're bad, you can get a good shop to crimp or solder new (better) clamps onto the stock wires.

 

If you try to start it with the dome lite on what happens? If it gets really dim or goes out completely you have a battery or battery cable problem. If the interior lights still work and you are just getting a click but no cranking you have a bad starter.

-Jon

 

i would check all the connections..... then i would pull the starter and have it tested ... i just had to get one for the wifes donkey about 3 weeks ago..$100 and it had all the same signs..come to think of it when my truck needed a starter it was also the same thing but it was only 50 bucks

 

He's got a 4.9L

The stock ground point on yours is one of the starter bolts. As mentioned, the negative cable also grounds to the chassis mid way between the battery and the starter. If I'm understanding your description of what happens, I completely agree with StrangeRanger, and recommend following his plan.

 

Thanks for all your replys.

Read all the suggestions and.....

It was indeed the ground.

I've replaced this cable once before (FoMoCo part ) so if anyone has a high quality source they wanna pitch I'm interested since I will be following SR and PWs suggested steps to eliminate.

Thanks again everyone.

 

Forget spending the coin on an oem replacement cable, just do what SR suggested with two cables. Works excellent!