Like the title says, I can hear the fuel pump prime, the slightest click of the starter solenoid near the pedals, and the car does not crank at all. Security light comes on but turns off after a few seconds like it should..I'm looking for ideas guys..

 

Poor battery cable connections? Bad battery? Bad starter?

 

Starter is brand new. The old one tested good but i had a warranty on it so i replaced it for the hell of it. Battery and connections also check out fine..

 

If you hear a "CLICK" at the starter solenoid when you turn the key, it sounds like a bad starter, new or not. Have someone turn the key and hold it in the start position. With your helper holding the key in the start position, give your starter a good firm knock with a hammer or other solid metal object. A wrench will likely not work. The object has to have some weight behind it. If the starter engages, congratulations, it needs to be replaced. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

Was this happening before you replaced the starter.
If no then I would suspect the "new" starter, btw is it new or rebuilt
If yes, then you are not completing a circuit. Its a pita but you can bypass the ignition switch and check the starter at the starter connections by shorting the CORRECT 2 out.

 

I had the same problem with my 96 Silverado.
Starter went out, just clicked.
Put a new one on. Started great for about 3 days. Brand new, not rebuild mind you.
Took it back got another, has been fine sense. That was Feb or March.

Also both were tested and tested good.

 

There is so much being built in China and rebuilt in Mexico that anything you replace is a crapshoot now.

 

If you hear a click by the pedals, it might be the VATS relay in the left kick panel.

 

When my car didnt start it was the ignition control module. Everyone seems set on the starter but you never know.

 

It's deffinitely not the starter, I tried the hammer thing and nothing. But I jumped the starter with a screwdriver and it engaged.

Don, my security light does not stay on, could it still be a vats issue? A friend of mine had to bypass his vats system with a resistor when he was having similar problems, but on his car, the security light was on..

 

Check the voltage that's getting to the starter solenoid start circuit. I was losing about 3 volts between the battery and starter, through harnesses, connectors, neutral safety switch, ignition switch, etc. I put a remote solenoid on, haven't had an issue since.

 

Like he said, GM runs the power from the battery to the starter through numerous connections. Each connection has the potential to go slightly bad. If you lose 1/2 a volt at each connection, you are suddenly down to 8 or 9 volts at the starter solenoid, and it won't crank. Changing starters won't help. For some reason, the starter solenoid requires more voltage to pull in than a small relay. Put in a small relay attached to the starter or fastened to the inner fender near the starter. Run the wire that would normally go to your starter solenoid to energize the starter to the relay coil, and the other side of the coil goes to a ground on your engine block or even to one of your starter mounting bolts. Run a #10 gauge wire directly from the positive terminal of your battery to the relay normally open contact with an inline fuse holder and a 20 amp fuse. Run a second wire from the other side of the normally open contacts to the starter terminal on the starter solenoid. The only problem with doing this is if you have an automatic transmission with a power hatch release. If you have a power hatch release, GM ran it through the starter circuit on automatic cars and the relay will energize your starter when you try to open your hatch with the button. The fix is to unplug the hatch release wire under your console and move it to an identical plug that is in the wiring harness for stick shift cars. The plug for the stick shift car is in the same location and both plugs are there in all harnesses. When you move the harness to the plug for the stick shift car, you will need to set your hand brake to "pop" your hatch.

 

I have a problem with my VATS module that its not supplying a "good enough" ground to the starter enable relay. It would just click like a dead battery. I grounded the relay to the body and it cranks fine now. The VATS module works for everything else, just not the starter.

 

Replacing the vats relay tommorow, if it doesn't fix the problem I will give this a shot.