2014 Silverado Starting "glitch"

bdplayer81 · February 10, 2019

Hi everyone. Wondering if anyone has had an issue like this or could tell me where to start... I live in WI and we went through the polar vortex recently and my truck didn't move for 10 days (I work from home). I went run an errand and when I tried to start the truck, I got the starter spinning but it wouldn't engage. My first thought was since it sat for so long was to give the battery a charge and try again. I charged it up, checked the voltage on the battery which showed 12.85v so I tried starting again. Same result, just a spinning starter. That led me to think the solenoid on the starter is bad. The second time I tried to start it, I noticed the check engine light staying on when I turned the truck on. I grabbed my code reader and plugged it in, turned the truck on but got no codes. This is where it got weird for me. After I plugged in the code reader and scanned for codes, the truck started. I took the truck for a drive and and parked it for the night. The next morning, the truck wouldn't start again. This time there was no starter spinning, just clicking. I didn't know the age of the battery so I just decided to replace it. Put the new battery in, just a click. I put a charge on the new battery because it could have been sitting for a while, still nothing. I still noticed the check engine light on so I plugged in the code reader again, scanned, and the truck started. It sat overnight again and the next morning it started. I'm not sure if this is some weird coincidence or what's going on but I'm hoping someone can give me an idea of where to look first. I'm inclined to have the starter replaced but the seeming electrical glitch has me thinking that's not the problem. Truck has 49,000 miles on it.

jackgraves · February 10, 2019

Gremlins man Gremlins

Ed S · February 15, 2019

I've read in the forums on here that if you have a 2014 truck built prior to December 2014 they have Mexico assembled starters put on them and when the weather gets really cold they fail, due to them not being properly sealed when the starter was assembled. Moisture gets in them over time causing failure in really cold temps. Once it warms up outside they work again. I know this for mine fails when temps get much below zero. I had it happen three times this winter. In my case the starter just clicks though. Wont spin engine at all. I thought, well, time for a new battery. New battery in truck didn't help either. I wasted money on the new battery. GM knows about this issue but has done nothing about it as in a recall or anything. Their answer is to install a new starter at customer expense with the updated part number starter.

TXGREEK · February 15, 2019

I've read in the forums on here that if you have a 2014 truck built prior to December 2014 they have Mexico assembled starters put on them and when the weather gets really cold they fail, due to them not being properly sealed when the starter was assembled. Moisture gets in them over time causing failure in really cold temps. Once it warms up outside they work again. I know this for mine fails when temps get much below zero. I had it happen three times this winter. In my case the starter just clicks though. Wont spin engine at all. I thought, well, time for a new battery. New battery in truck didn't help either. I wasted money on the new battery. GM knows about this issue but has done nothing about it as in a recall or anything. Their answer is to install a new starter at customer expense with the updated part number starter.

Most everything is manufactured in Mexico, doesn’t mean they’re all going to fail for over 25 years. I’ve had a lot of trucks through the years, most of them were made in Mexico but even ones made in Canada or Michigan had same issues as the ones put together in Mexico. Parts are shipped and assembled there. GM knows of a lot of issues but “NOTHING” you can do without a recall so knowing the exact issue, just go have it done yourself.

Sent from above

Ed S · February 15, 2019

5 minutes ago, TXGREEK said:

Most everything is manufactured in Mexico, doesn’t mean they’re all going to fail for over 25 years. I’ve had a lot of trucks through the years, most of them were made in Mexico but even ones made in Canada or Michigan had same issues as the ones put together in Mexico. Parts are shipped and assembled there. GM knows of a lot of issues but “NOTHING” you can do without a recall so knowing the exact issue, just go have it done yourself.

Sent from above

I will install the new part number myself. Not that big of deal. Just the price of the starter. My point is GM knows the starters didn't get assembled correctly to begin with. That's how they know by build date. Prior Dec 2014. Yet, no reimbursement for their bad quality build. It is what it is.

TXGREEK · February 15, 2019

I will install the new part number myself. Not that big of deal. Just the price of the starter. My point is GM knows the starters didn't get assembled correctly to begin with. That's how they know by build date. Prior Dec 2014. Yet, no reimbursement for their bad quality build. It is what it is.

Correct, it is what it is, good luck

Sent from above

Snowcamo · February 15, 2019

I've read in the forums on here that if you have a 2014 truck built prior to December 2014 they have Mexico assembled starters put on them and when the weather gets really cold they fail, due to them not being properly sealed when the starter was assembled. Moisture gets in them over time causing failure in really cold temps. Once it warms up outside they work again. I know this for mine fails when temps get much below zero. I had it happen three times this winter. In my case the starter just clicks though. Wont spin engine at all. I thought, well, time for a new battery. New battery in truck didn't help either. I wasted money on the new battery. GM knows about this issue but has done nothing about it as in a recall or anything. Their answer is to install a new starter at customer expense with the updated part number starter.

I have been wondering why the starter acts like it wants to catch the flywheel but doesn't for like 3 seconds. Time for a new starter before it knocks teeth off the flywheel. Sucks.

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Ed S · February 15, 2019

36 minutes ago, Snowcamo said:

I have been wondering why the starter acts like it wants to catch the flywheel but doesn't for like 3 seconds. Time for a new starter before it knocks teeth off the flywheel. Sucks.

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I should have said 2014 trucks built prior to December 2013 have these bad starters. Sorry for the mis type.

Snowcamo · February 15, 2019

Well I'll figure a way to check the date once I'm home. Mines likely in that category. Smh i guess that's why they stopped making those"built like a rock" commercials lol.

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SS502 · February 15, 2019

1 hour ago, Snowcamo said:

Well I'll figure a way to check the date once I'm home. Mines likely in that category. Smh i guess that's why they stopped making those"built like a rock" commercials lol.

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....Sandstone now

DirtyAndy · February 16, 2019

My 2018 had a whacky moment after the polar vortex in Illinois as well. Truck started but threw about 8 error codes and said to service battery charging system. Voltmeter read about 10 and steadily dipped. Truck died on me about 8 times. But after a couple minutes it would start(a few times it wouldn’t do anything or the starter would click). Then die. Repeat. Then eventually it started and read 14-15 volts. It had a check engine light for a couple days and that’s went away and has been fine since.

I personally think my battery was partially froze or something since it sits outside currently. Ironically, my 2017 Malibu had zero issues. Last winter it had a couple of moments too where it wouldn’t give me full engine power.

Fwiw, my truck is a 2018 w/ e-Assist.