no crank no start

[delawarediesel2ndamend]

i have a 1999 7.3 diesel with 136,000s. wont crank or start. the battries are good. one is brand new and the other was tested two weeks ago at pepboys and is good. changed the oil 2000 miles ago. new fuel filter 2000 miles ago. new air filter 2000 miles ago. when i put the key in and turn it to the glow plug heating position and fast clicking under the dash starts. the starter does not turn or seem to do anything. furthermore the wipers go on one sweep and the rpm gauge moves around a bit. there was a blown 30 amp fuse that i replaced but that does not seem to make a difference. also i bought it used from a contractor who was the first owner. there seem to be some freshly cut wires under the steering colume. i have been driving it fine for several months with those wires cut. wonder if the seller took a plow with him or something. thanks for any info/ideas

[delawarediesel2ndamend]

i pulled the starter as well as the battery cables. pepboys tested the starter and its fine. so i put it back in as well as the battery cables. put the battries on a charger and it started right up... one time. now its dead again and back on the charger. is it possiable that the second battery died in the past week even though it was fine when tested two weeks ago? or is the aternator shot? it is fairly new also. under a year old. or was the battery cable connection at the starter bad and a battery bad? too many issues.

[International Tech]

sounds like a loose battery connection or bad battery. i would re-check cable tightness on starter, batteries, altenator.

[delawarediesel2ndamend]

sure enough the second battery was shot also. i guess the pepboys test says the battery is either good or bad not that its about to be bad

[International Tech]

i would replace both of them...i had 1 battery go bad replaced 1 and the next week the second one went bad one me...besides cranking on 1 good battery is alot of stress.

[delawarediesel2ndamend]

thanks for the advice. i already did replace both and the truck is up and running well. when the first battery went a friend of mine who also has a 7.3 said do both battries at the same time:-) i brushed off his advice because of whatever test pepboys did was telling me the second battery was good. it sure did not pay to have a dead truck for a week+ to be cheap and not get the second battery. i guess this is no longer a 911 situation but he also recomended keeping the truck 'plugged it'. he said the heater also has a trickel charger in it. does this help make batteries last and starts be easyer?

[International Tech]

as far as i know it doesn't have a trickle charge attached to it...it's just the coolant warmer..it may seem that way because the coolant is already warm and the glow plugs don't have to turn on as long so there for the batteries don't drain down as much