2001 Tahoe..Only 6 volts at battery - No power - No start

[ks03]

kirkh34, in the original post

...I have been driving it a year with no problem and then lost all power on the road and would not start...

When you say you lost all power, do you mean you lost all engine power, engine stalled, but you still had electrical power, like gauges lit up?

 

[kirkh34]

Thank you all for commenting. I am going to write a summary of everything I've been though with this because it is quite confusing to understand (my fault for not being clear through this all).

I was driving on the interstate and the engine stopped. I had power on the dash all the way to the side of the road. I was able to turn the key and all I heard was "click". Tried to jump it. Same thing just a click. I went and pulled it home. It was not low on oil and I didn't hear any odd sounds when I was driving it. I have had it for about a year and my brother is the one who sold it to me. He had issues with it before starting and had to wiggle cables. I initially suspected a ground issue because of this or bad wiring. I asked him more details and found out it had no power at all and he wiggled wires to get power and it would start. It never died driving on him. I realized that this is a different situation compared to what I was having. I ran all new grounds anyway to the frame and one from the starter itself to the frame. I wasn't quite understanding what was happening like I should've but I will tell you now what I know for sure. There is a voltage drop at the starter on both wires while turning the key about 6 volts. I traced this back to the battery. There is a voltage drop at the battery itself. I replaced both the battery and the starter with the same issue. I ran a new cable to the solenoid. Same issue. I did a voltage drop test on the wire to the starter motor and it was good. I have supplied 12 volts bypassing the starter relay with no luck. I have supplied 12 volts from another battery to the starter with the key in the ON position with no luck. All of this and it's still the same thing...a hard "CLICK" from the starter. This has never changed. I took out the plugs and belts off and two grown men with a breaker bar cannot budge the motor. I do not know what else I can do at this point.

As I mentioned in a previous post...after researching I found someone to have a similar issue with this voltage drop at the battery because the alternator was locked up. The voltage drop coming from the starter not being able to turn the motor. A pulley being locked up or a seized engine could give this same result. I took the starter out by had it hooked up still and grounded. I turned the key and the starter motor ran and the voltage was all good across all areas...battery and at the starter. As soon as it's hooked up...voltage drop at battery. I do not want to believe it's a seized engine but I have exhausted all options.

 

[exp500]

Have you tried turning engine by hand? Take out spark plugs, do it again.

 

[exp500]

Also unless I missed it- you only replaced pos battery cable? If one bad, the other isn't far behind.

 

[Doubeleive]

pull the inspection plate off of the bellhousing and look at your flexplate with a flashlite and small mirror

 

[drakon543]

ill jump back in here with some added starter information. the 90s gm trucks and v8 cars are notorious for not liking starters. 91 camaro i went through 3 starters on a 305 before i found one that would work at all or last more than a month. my 97 Tahoe went through 2 starters before i gave up and upgraded to the newer style pmgr starters within a year. next as stated bench testing a starter isnt always a great way to test a starter. i took one to autozone after going through everything you have gone through and after the initial 2 attempts and arguing with the staff they tested a third time. during the third attempt the staff member was talking to me so the tester ran longer than usually does and it was drawing so much power it popped the stores main breaker. literally the main all the lights and registers and everything went out. ive also had numerous times been given a battery back that was supposedly good but was actually dead. also as ive done extensive work to my tahoe keeping it running and done a couple 350 swaps and such I've had a couple that weren't locked up but be damned if i could turn them easily. one i even had to use a pry bar and work it over with the flywheel and inspection cover. it is definitely possible to have a pulley or accessory that is seized and wont allow you to start the vehicle. ive also dealt with that just take the belt off and try to start it without the belt on. its not entirely impossible to have had your engine sieze but from all the information your giving us and 99% of the time you will have something that leads up to an engine seizing. that or atleast something seriously alarming happen when it does sieze up. also it is possible to have a starter too tight on the flywheel and you will see the same problems your having. the starter you purchased did it come with a shim plate and did you use it. if you didn't use the shim plate try putting the shim plate in and trying again. after all that and if you still cant turn the engine with the plugs out and belts off even with a prybar off the flywheel its time for the truck to visit a garage. probably not what you want to hear but without being there and working on it ourselves it seems like you might need a bit more direct experienced hands on assistance. you can take it to a garage and ask for a diagnosis and only pay for the diagnostic work to cut costs. once they tell you whats wrong you can then fix it yourself.

 

[drakon543]

not suggesting you stupid or just cant do it but without being there and seeing it with our own eyes something simple could be a problem. once you get focused on one potential problem area it can be very easy to miss something somewhere else.