Wont start after unplugging block heater

mechman3

no such thing as too fast
Jan 7, 2015
181
2
18
Saratoga Springs, Utah
I have an LLY 2005 bone stock except 4" diamond eye exhaust. Different truck than my sig. My wife unplugged the block heater this morning and said she heard a pop and smelt something like an electrical burn. She started the truck truck in ran a few seconds then died. It will not restart. It cranks but does not start. Any suggestions?
 

DAVe3283

Heavy & Slow
Sep 3, 2009
3,733
305
83
Boise, ID, USA
The starter is controller by the ECU, so if it is enabling the starter, the ECU is alive at least. Crank but no start can be caused by a ton of things, and really requires a scan tool to log rail pressure, RPM, etc. Given it was cold enough to need a block heater, it is possible the fuel gelled slightly, and it just needs primed and some additive.

If the block heater had shorted to something important, I would imagine it would have not started/cranked at all, but the fact that it initially fired is a good sign.
 

ty_LBZ

Camaro killa
Dec 6, 2014
297
1
16
Farmington, NM
The starter is controller by the ECU, so if it is enabling the starter, the ECU is alive at least. Crank but no start can be caused by a ton of things, and really requires a scan tool to log rail pressure, RPM, etc. Given it was cold enough to need a block heater, it is possible the fuel gelled slightly, and it just needs primed and some additive.

If the block heater had shorted to something important, I would imagine it would have not started/cranked at all, but the fact that it initially fired is a good sign.

Maybe I'm wrong but...doesn't the starter wire come from the ignition switch? I spliced into it wiring up my remote starter. It read like 14ohms to ground, so that makes me believe that's the starter solenoid?

On another note...maybe the fuel did gel up, and the popping noise was from unplugging the block heater? Mine will arc and pop pretty good when unplugging it.
 

JoshH

Daggum farm truck
Staff member
Vendor/Sponsor
Feb 14, 2007
13,736
806
113
Texas!!!
Start and run for a few seconds followed by a crank no start is almost always a loss of prime situation in my experience. I wouldn't let the block heater thing throw you off too much. It may have been nothing.
 

mechman3

no such thing as too fast
Jan 7, 2015
181
2
18
Saratoga Springs, Utah
OK after depressing the prime button several times and cranking and doing this 3 times the truck finally fired right up. It didnt even dawn on me that the problems were not related. I had forgotten that just this past Saturday I had the oil changed AND the fuel filter. I drove 20 miles on Saturday the truck sat until Monday. My wife drove it for work all day Monday with no issues. She is a homecare nurse so alot of visits everyday starting and parking the truck. Then today truck wont start. LOL

Thank you to all who offered suggestions I appreciate this forum more than you know. I suppose alot of help from been there done thats helps all of us who dont know or forgot

AGAIN THANK YOU!!
 

c20elephant

C20ELEPHANT
Apr 25, 2013
2,065
0
0
Phoenix, Arizona
OK after depressing the prime button several times and cranking and doing this 3 times the truck finally fired right up. It didnt even dawn on me that the problems were not related. I had forgotten that just this past Saturday I had the oil changed AND the fuel filter. I drove 20 miles on Saturday the truck sat until Monday. My wife drove it for work all day Monday with no issues. She is a homecare nurse so alot of visits everyday starting and parking the truck. Then today truck wont start. LOL

Thank you to all who offered suggestions I appreciate this forum more than you know. I suppose alot of help from been there done thats helps all of us who dont know or forgot

AGAIN THANK YOU!!

May be time to rebuild or replace the fuel filter head, Saturday to Monday is not that long of a period for the truck top sit and lose prime.
 

hondarider552

Getting faster
May 28, 2008
10,627
2
36
34
Arizona
Block heater wont cause a crank no start. Glad you figured it out. The 110v block heater plug goes straight to the passenger front freeze plug.