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ok well i turn the key and all that happens is the gen light and oil light turns on like normal and the fasten belt light turns on like normal but it wont turn over
now 5% of the time it will turn over
and for the past to days ive had to pop start the damn thing
any ideas
battery has enough juice but it just wont turn over

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Sometimes the battery will show 12 volts but not have enough amps to turn the starter or possible a gounding promblem.

Does it clik-clik-clik? Or just sort of bog down? When you turn the key to the start position, what happens to your dash indicator lights? If you turn on the headlights and turn to the start position, what happens?

To make sure it's not your battery (voltage might be OK, but current draw may be poor), hook up jumper cables to another car and see if it will start with the key. If it does, try another battery in your truck.

It could also be the ignition switch. Do you have a trigger style remote starter? If you use the trigger starter, that will help you identify which way to go (engine side of starter, or cab side of starter) if it's an electrical issue.

If your engine has really good compression and it's really cold where you are, you could just have a weak starter or solenoid. Depends on your answers to my first couple of questions.

If your truck is mostly stock there are several switches that need to be made in order to supply power to the starter from the ignition key. You are looking for a little cannister shaped thing with a push pin in it, mounted on the top of the pedals. The pin sits on a tab on the top of the pedal arm. When you push the pedal in, the pin moves, the switch closes, and makes the circuit. This is a really basic sort of neutral safety switch setup. The senders are about the size of your thumb. The 2 wires coming out of them will probably be green. You can just jumper the switches to see if this is your problem. Bent tabs on the pedal, or worn plungers seem pretty common. All 3 of the trucks I've had, had at least one of these switches jumpered. The start switch circuit may actually be jumpered from the factory, it's two large gauge black/white stripe wires that are usually hanging below the dash in the area of the light switch. Both 'no-start' problems I had were due to these B/W stripe wires. This may not your problem if you are able to pop start it, but it's good to check this stuff.

Finally, make sure all your grounds are good. There is the obvious neg battery cable to block, but there is also a block to frame cable. There should be a ground in the wiring harness on each side of the engine compartment. I think they are supposed to be mounted on the front edge of the fenderwells. Disassembling and cleaning the fuse box can also sometimes solve lots of problems.

Let us know what you find out...

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"If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves" - Thomas Edison

I'll just add one thing to what nukeday said and that would be to clean your fuse panel really good make sure all your connections are good there. Make sure the voltage is right there as well. Another thing you need too be sure of anyway and that task is free and just a little time to do it.

I thought all of ours did this...LOL

Mine does it too, I figure it's a short or bad ground, I haven't got into it yet, I just keep turning the key back off and start and it finally makes contact, You know your starters good if your jumping it, I think ahead and park it on a hill...

my only advise is to change one thing at a time so you know what fixes it... I just hate not knowing why...

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Did a v8 conversion in 1981 on my '76 luv
Current Fleet
#1 1980 Black 2wd, #2 1980 Blue 2wd, #3 1980 Black 4x4 #4 1980 black 2wd Long bed #5 1979 black 4x4 #6 1977 red 2WD
pics
http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q223/gs11x/

Lots of good advice above, follow it. When mine has done this it has usually ended up being the starter solenoid. I was able to limp it for a while by just clicking the key to start repeatedly until it went. Sometimes a crusty connection at the battery will mimick the same symptom tho. Hope you find your gremlin and get it running quick.

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95 Isuzu Trooper Daily Driver
86 Isuzu Trooper reliable backup
77 LUV 2wd stock beltway blaster (resting)
79 4x4 LUV project: 2.6L, 5spd, 31s (eventually)

MEPR: Man, my 4x4 makes all other LUVs look good

You might want to check the two fuseable link connections at the battery. The pesky white plastic plug connectors on mine were so full of gunk and so darn corroded that my truck always had trouble charging and starting.

I finally got fed up with having intermittent electrical gemlins and went through all of my Luv's connections and electrical plug connectors and cleaned them all, and then cleaned up the fusebox connections, then chased down all of my grounds and cleaned those up too. While I was doing this, I found some pretty "custom" and "creative" wiring that had been done by the poor truck's previous owners that had to be immediately replaced and re-done properly.

(Some people just shouldn't be allowed to touch any vehicle's wiring - because they obviously don't comprehend the simplest concepts of basic electrical theory...lol)

Once I did all of that and switched to the optional 50 amp alternator, my Luv has been completely electrical gremlin free.

Good luck!

haha i pop started it for like 5 days parking on hills but to let u all no all it was was the safty clutch
i took it out and fused the two wires and now it starts woot woot
thanks for all your advice tho

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