Hello all! Had a sluggish start problem with my 04 H2 recently. Bought a brand new battery in October after they tested it and it was bad. They also tested the alternator and said it was good. Today the Hummer is dead when I went to start it, it would make a click noise and everything electronic would get power, but it doesn't try to start at all. I took the battery out and went back to the battery store, they tested it and the battery is fine. Anyone know what I should try next? I'm not a mechanic or even close but I've been able to fix a lot of things on the H2 by myself over the years. Any advice on where to start would be greatly appreciated! Starter? Ignition switch? Help please!

 

Clean connections at the starter motor.

 

Check starter relay as well and also check grounds to make sure the grounds to the engine and frame are good.

 

Try tapping on the starter solenoid with a small hammer while you have someone try to start the truck from the inside. If it cranks then you know the starter is bad. It's not a definitive test but it's a quick easy thing to try.

 

I took the old starter off because it's rusted to hell and I'm pretty sure it's the problem. With the worst luck imaginable when I was taking one of the nuts off it fell and I can't find it anywhere. I even checked the ground all over with a magnet. The only thing I can think of happening is that it fell inside here (attached photo). Will it cause catastrophic damage if I start the truck with a nut inside there ? Is that the flywheel? I did order a boroscope and I'm going to try to look inside there to see if I can see the nut.

 

Just to be clear, you took the nuts off after you unbolted the starter? Btw, that's the tc and flywheel. You can use a socket on the crankshaft to turn those, or get a flexible stick magnet to find your nut.

 

Yeah i unbolted the starter first because the wiring attached on top was too difficult to get to until I had it loose. Then in the process of taking the nut off to disconnect the battery from it, it dropped somewhere and I've searched and searched and cannot find it. I will try using a flexible magnet and boroscope to find the nut. If I can't find it but it really is in there, will it cause damage to run the truck ?

 

try looking from the top of the engine down maybe its on the motor mount or chassis /suspension or pinched. on the exhaust shields if you still have any

 

I've looked every where, even using a magnet and boroscope and cannot find the missing nut. I guess my main question is that if it did somehow get into the transfer case opening where the starter was removed, will it cause any damage if I run the truck with it in there? I love creating new problems before I even fix the original one!!!!!!!

 

well there is an inspection window on the bottom of the transmission you might have access to reach it. anything is possible having a loose part next to a rotating mass.