No Start and Positive Cables Getting Hot

madpogue said:

Old oil can obviously make it run BAD, by poorly firing the injectors. Can't say I've ever heard of one completely fail to run on account of old oil. But as a rule, if you can't say when the oil's been changed, it's waaay overdue. So even if it's not the root _cause_ of your no-start, it may very well be a contributing _factor_. Unfortunately, you'll have to change it cold, which means you might consider changing it again once you get it running.

You also said the oil is really low, right? So yeah, just change it, even cold, just to get something fresh in there.

And as said, check fuses.

Click to expand...

Okay so I changed the oil today and the fuel filter and it still did not start.

One thing I did notice when I pulled the old fuel filter out is the fuel bowl was nearly empty so I installed the new filter and tried cranking for a little bit and then rechecked and it was half full like it should be.

The loud clicking sound that I'm hearing while I'm cranking sounds like it's coming from somewhere near the fuel bowl.

I checked all the fuses under the hood and in the cab with my meter and they're all good.

I did get the USB adapter to power up when plugged in but I can't get the Torque Pro app or the forscan app to communicate with the computer in the truck.

I don't know why but I do notice that the battery light is on in the truck and won't go out. Both batteries are less than 6 months old and I check them with my meter after recharging them last night and they are good and holding a charge.

I do hear a loud clunk at times when I try to start the truck that sounds like it could be the starter not engaging or maybe a problem with the starting solenoid.

If I keep trying to start it it will eventually stop clunking and start to crank.

That isn't a "battery light". The battery is just an icon. It's a charging system failure warning light. Tells you when the charging system is not charging the battery. Well, when the engine isn't running, the charging system is not charging the battery. The light won't go out until the engine runs fast enough for the alternator to start charging the battery. IOW, don't worry about it until you get the truck running.

Sounds like you're now having cranking problems. Have you load tested the batteries? Are you keeping them on a charger between the attempted starts? It could be that your voltage is dropping to the point where the PCM will not fire the injectors, even when the starter is cranking the engine. Or it could just be weak connections at the batteries or the grounds.

Elaborate on the clicking. Is it just one click as you turn the key? Is it repeating? If so, how frequently? Does it click with the key in the RUN position, or only in the START position? This _MIGHT_ also be an indicator of a main power/voltage issue, weak connections. etc.

Keep trying other options with Forscan and/or Torque Pro. At the very least, if you can get one of them to report on RPM, it might be informative to see how fast the engine is cranking with the starter.