S-10 Starter Issue

[JIvers]

I have a 2000 S-10 with a 4.3 litre V-6--over the last week or two I have noticed that when the engine is cold (hasn't run in more than an hour or two) the starter no longer fires the engine right away, and I have to grind it for a few seconds before it fires. Once I get the engine running I can shut it off right away and it will start more quickly, although the first time or two I can hear the starter "slipping" a little bit before the engine fires. Once I've run the truck a bit on trips around town it will start with no trouble.

I've checked the battery and cables, and everything seems good there. Plus, it does not sound like the power is low when I start it. I am hoping it is the starter, and not the fuel pump, as I went through that $750 headache a few years ago. I've done nothing with the starter on this truck. This seems like a starter issue to me.

So far, I have not gotten stranded anywhere as the truck has always started, and once started it runs fine. It does seem to take a little longer to fire every time I start the truck when the motor is cold, so I'm guessing sooner or later the starter will fail. Any quick fixes or solutions, or am I just going to need to put in a new starter before it gets worse?

[TooTallTom]

While you should probably wait for some of the pros to chime in, I can tell you that I replaced the starter on my 2002 S-10 about a year ago. Twelve or 13 years is probably pushing the life of the starter out about as far as it can go. Mine would just not start at all. The gear in the starter was siezing up in the channel it travels up to engage the truck's engine, and it wouldn't crank at all unless I got out and hit it with something to loosen up the gear.

On the bright side, the starter is really easy to replace, it's right behind the front passenger tire. Mine took about 45 minutes to do, about an hour if you count the trip to pick up the new one/ drop off the old one.

[JIvers]

While you should probably wait for some of the pros to chime in, I can tell you that I replaced the starter on my 2002 S-10 about a year ago. Twelve or 13 years is probably pushing the life of the starter out about as far as it can go. Mine would just not start at all. The gear in the starter was siezing up in the channel it travels up to engage the truck's engine, and it wouldn't crank at all unless I got out and hit it with something to loosen up the gear.

On the bright side, the starter is really easy to replace, it's right behind the front passenger tire. Mine took about 45 minutes to do, about an hour if you count the trip to pick up the new one/ drop off the old one.

Yup, I had an '81 Cutlass years ago on which I had to beat the starter with a block of wood to get it started once in a while--that really does work. I haven't got to that point yet on my S-10.

I got a '79 Caprice Classic in high school--the starter on those motors (I don't even remember what motor it was) tended to die suddenly, and no amount of beating would get them to work again. I know I had to put two starters on that car. It's been close to twenty years, but I think I can still do it if need be.

[98prosport]

from your description, i'd say you are losing fuel pressure. fuel pump? fuel pres regulator?