Starting

Same thing happened to me recently. Totally dead. Not even a click. Turned out to be the starter solenoid. I got a new starter solenoid and a new battery, too, because it was 9 years old. It started just fine for a month, and then completely dead again. Terminals looked clean. I tested the new solenoid with the screwdriver trick, tested the alternator. Knew it wasn't the starter because I could jumpstart it. But then dead again. I checked all wires from the battery, and all looked OK. I went back to my original thinking – the terminals. Removed them from the battery, cleaned them thoroughly with baking soda, put on new bolts, and because they were the old soft lead type, I sanded them and then filed the rough spots with a metal file to make a more even contact with the battery posts. Sanded those, too. Made sure the terminals were really tight. Truck started right up.