Pocky821

I have a 2004 chevy Silverado. First off, I had a camshaft sensor replaced. Then later had a leak so I took it in and they fixed it. They also power washed the engine then When I got it back, it was having trouble starting. It would just keep cranking. Second try it would start. Wasn’t doing this before I took it in. Took it to auto zone and they said it was the battery. Got a new battery, still having trouble starting. Took it to oreilly they said my starter was bad. Took it to the shop, they said the starter was fine and it was the fuel pump that was bad. Took it to the shop that did the fuel pump once before since it was under warranty. They called and said the fuel pump was fine. They were gonna run some other test. What the heck??

Gumby22

First remove both battery terminals and inspect for corrosion buildup and bolts that are stripped. Clean and repair as necessary.

The bolts can be removed so the protective sleeves can be pulled for adequate cleaning.

If the bolts are stripped, replace them with 3/8x16x1-1/4” hex bolts. Use a nut to tighten the terminals to the battery.

Those side post batteries have a lot of problems with corrosion and bolts that don’t stay tight which can cause multiple issues.

fpicker5

I had the symptoms you describe with my '03 4.3L. Since it was only happening in wet weather I suspected moisture in the ignition system somewhere. That didn't turn out to be my problem, but it may well be yours, since it started when they power washed your engine. In my case it was spark plugs. The old ones hadn't been in long enough to make me suspect them initially, and they didn't look bad when I pulled them, but the new ones solved the problem.
Concerning the battery and starter, if they are cranking the engine at a normal clip neither is causing your no-start condition. If AutoZone tested your battery and it tested bad you should believe it. It may crank your vehicle normally in warm weather but it won't when your weather turns cold. As for the previous posters comments about side post batteries, my experience has been different. I've been around them since the '70s, about 10 years of that time selling parts for a living. I change about as many batteries at work as we sell to all of our commercial customers combined, so I'm pretty sure I've seen as many of them as most folks. I seldom see ANY corrosion on one and VERY seldom more than a light sprinkling. It's much more common with top post batteries. Also, I've never seen a bolt loose on one that was not the result of stripping the threads in the battery by over-tightening. If for some reason you do need new bolts and you already have the little ratcheting side terminal bolt wrench, any parts store will have the correct replacements. Be aware that many of the vehicles with side terminal batteries don't provide enough clearance beside the battery for a ratchet and socket, so if you do use standard hex head bolts you are facing some aggravatingly slow work unless the box ends of your combination wrenches are the ratcheting style. Finally, for the sake of others reading this who have older GMs without a remote hot post and therefore have problems getting jumper cables to hold on the side terminal bolts, dual terminal batteries with both top posts and side terminals are the solution and are readily available.