Hey guys, I know this is a camaro only web site, but Im having trouble with my 1999 Chevy Tahoe. Its got a 5.7L Vortec engine in it. So basically, the trucks been sitting for about a year and a half. Been workin on it a bit recently, getting ready to start it yesterday.

It wont start, when you turn the key to crank, you hear a click as if a faulty starter or solenoid. So we took the starter out of the truck, hooked it up to a battery, bypassing the solenoid, and it works perfectly fine. No weird noices or stickly solenoid.

We go & put it back in the truck, same issue again. So we tried to bypass it while it was on the truck, and it will struggle to turn the engine over as if the battery was dead, it would only turn the eninge like for 1 second, and then pop one of my ignition fuses.

Anybody got any clue whats the matter with my truck? Is the starter bad? Or do you think its a wiring issue, mind you since its been sitting, nothing has been touched on the truck, and as for voltage, its a brand new battery we put in it last week.

 

It sounds as if either the starter is faulty or the engine is taking way too much torque to rotate which may be from sitting so long (internal corrosion).

Have you tried to rotate the engine by hand (socket/breaker bar on crank nut)?

 

Yes, we actually even shot some wd-40 in each cylinder before we attmepted to start it. I put a racthet on, and can rotate the engine easily, no internal corrosion as far as I can tell.

 

Then I would replace the starter, just because it spins up on the bench doesn't mean it is putting out much in the way of torque.
It is common for the motor windings and armature to become damaged from exposure to the elements.