It started a few weeks ago, every so often the truck refuses to start .I have power to everything and my volt gauge reads 12v. Ive swapped starter and ignition relays so I don’t think its in the fuse box. You turn the key and the truck just sits there dead. No clicking starter solenoid or anything. I have no idea what to check for if its inside the steering column. The battery is iffy since it was in the truck when I bought it so Im going to swap it with a spare. I really hope its not in the key switch, but ive never seen a starter behave this way if its dying.

 

The electrical half of the ignition switch could be going bad. That is in the steering column though, it's a 1.5 hour job to replace and I think it needs a special tool to pop out the electrical half.

 

I had a starter do that once awhile back. I'd have to turn the key a few times before it would do anything. I think it was a bad solenoid. I replaced starter and the problem went away. When it's acting up, try getting under the truck and whacking it with a hammer and see if it works after that. If so, I'd try replacing the starter.

 

Duh. I read it as having replaced the starter LOL.

Yes I think thunder is on to something, the starter solenoids can and do stick when they go bad.

 

for future reference, it was the ignition harness switch that attaches to the lock cylinder that went bad. Total cost of repair was around $80.

 

Could be the solenoid. If you have an AC Delco battery, I would be quick to dump that in the trash and get a Varta. Had a lot of AC Delco's fail on me for no reason and some won't even last 2 months.