Hi,

I'm trying to get an H2 running that has been sitting a few months, it was my mother's truck and hasn't been started in around 6 months but supposedly started and ran well at the time.

The battery was stone dead, so I put a charger on it for several hours, wouldn't hold a charge, was about 8 years old, so I bought a new one and installed it.

Now when I turn the key all the lights work as expected, but when I try to start everything dims, just a cllick and no turn at all, the lights come back after i release the key.

To me it seems like a bad battery connection, but the connections are clean and tight, I'm not really sure what the problem is.

The security light isn't on, and no OBD codes since the battery was disconnected.

Any ideas on what I should try?

Thanks

 

it could be a few things. could be a bad ground strap from engine block to chassis. to test clamp a booster cable from the block to the negative battery. if it starts fine then find the bad strap connection.
it could be a bad starter or a bad connection to the starter
and then there is the locked up engine scenario. could be fluids in the piston bores like coolant or fuel keeping the engine from spinning.... hydrolock.

 

Thanks, I'll get back to it tomorrow and try again.

 

It turned out (so they say) after installation of a new battery it drained again and said the onstar was the cause. 16 years later the onstar system continues to drain the battery???

 

what happened?

 

To test hydrolock, can u remove spark plugs to see if she cranks?

Also bang on starter, to see if starter is frozen.

But I am guessing it is simpler problem, like you have a bad battery connection, bad new battery (did u buy quality or junk?) or rodent chewed wiring problem from sitting.

 

"rodent chewed wiring problem from sitting." Is My Indian cousins name.

 

Have the new battery tested by a different shop.
A few years back I had the same problem.
its a big engine to crank on and because it had been sitting for a while everything else is tough to turn.
Rats, mice and other chewy friends can be a problem but in most cases you shouldn’t have any power to other components but it ain’t hard and no trouble to look for damaged wires.

 

Turns out the engine was seized, I was told it had been started every couple months, expensive mistake.

 

What does that even mean?
You can’t let it sit for a few months?