I have a 1993 Chevy k1500 5.7l V8 Silverado z71 with over 200k miles. Earlier this spring, my engine finally gave out on me and spun a rod. I replaced the engine, new oil lines, a new alternator and a new battery.

About three months ago, I installed an after-market Sony stereo.
Last week, I was out collecting firewood and turned my truck off but kept the battery on, and played some music as I cut up a tree. All in all, it took about 15 minutes and I was playing some tunes through my stereo. When I got back in the truck, I went to start and it barely turned over. It had about three "revolutions", that I could hear, like it was trying to start, but each one got quieter than the last.

I had left my lights on at school, and had the battery die on me and I had jumped it and it was no problem, about a week earlier. So I assumed the battery was getting old (it was a crappy battery I had bought in a pinch and was planning on replacing it), so I called my buddy for a jump. He drove out there, and we hooked up the cables for about 15 minutes and I tried it again.

This time, there was no turnover or crank. It just clicked. So, I figured the battery was dead. So, I went and bought a new battery, installed it, had lights, power, and sound, and went to turn it over again, and nothing. Just a click. Not a clicking noise, but every time I tried to turn it over, just one click.

So, I figured my starter was bad, or the ignition switch had gone out. I chain-towed it back to my house using my buddy's truck and have been trying to figure out what is wrong with it.

Basically I spent this last week making calls to try and see if I could get a buddy over to look at it for me, and help me diagnose if it was the starter, bad wires, an ignition switch, or what. I know it's not the Alternator because that is brand new, and the serpentine belt looks great.

So, yesterday, I go out to my truck to grab some tools I had left in them, and for kicks and giggles I decide to try and turn it over. It cranks and ignites, out of nowhere. So, I pull it in closer to my house, and turn it off, flip the hood open, and crank it again. Again, it starts. So, i close the hood, drive it around the block, and then put it in park and turn it off. The third time, it starts up pretty easily.

Now, I'm afraid to take it anywhere, because I can't afford a tow. Before this happened I was making plans to install a new exhaust system, because my catcon has been going bad and clanging around. Also, I was about 1k miles overdo for my oil change. The engine has around 5k miles on it since I replaced it.

I can't think of why it works on a colder day and now all of a sudden. I'm trying to narrow down the problem. Thought maybe someone could help. I plan on getting changing my oil tomorrow anyways and hopefully getting the car in the shop to have the catcon and muffler replaced, but I can't think why those two things would prevent it from cranking. At first, I thought it might be a bad fuel pump, but there was no cranking or turning over, it was just stone cold dead.

 

After reading your current life's dissertation, how about checking the voltage at the battery with the engine running, is it charging? Battery voltage (if you can warm/cold ambient temp) is the battery holding a charge?