Sooooooo I was having issues with my 94 Tracker starting.  Put a new battery in it, the old one was pretty much shot.  Started ok.  Took it to Advance Auto and got them to test the alternator.  Said it wasn't putting out anything.  Took it home.  Went to pull the alternator off and the lower mounting bolts had completely sheared off, so it was just hanging by the adjuster bolt (i.e. there was NO tension on the belt).  Took it off anyway and took it back up to Advance to bench test it off the truck, and it's fine.  I put it back on, got the lower mount situation straight, so all that's fine.  The truck is still having electrical issues.  I went out to start it this morning and it tried to turn over for a quick second, then quit.  All I could hear was was sounded like a "machine gun speed" clicking noise.  Tried another few times, and that's all I could ever get.  Roll started it.  Got to work.  Turned it off.  Tried to restart it, and it restarted fine.  WTF?  Any ideas??

Thanks in advance guys,
Bryan

Did you leave something on in the truck last night? Put an amp meter between the + battery post and the + battery cable with everything off and see how much current flow there is. There will always be a small amount for the radio clock etc.

   Electrical problems can be the absolute worst. With the engine running have you tried diconnecting the battery. The engine should continue to run just fine. If the engine continues running fine with the battery disconnected, the charging system is working. The battery is probably the problem in this situation. The battery is just a storage device to hold an electrical charge when the vehicle is not running (let's us crank the engine over, use cigerette lighter, listen to radio). You can even take this test a step further and check the voltage output of the charging system. Check with battery connected and then with it disconnected.

   Here is the rub. If there is an intermittent problem with the charging and/or cranking circuit. The above test results may be meaningless. Although I would have to say that better than 90% of the time, in my experience, when the above test is applied and the engine continues to run it is the battery that is the problem.

   Sincerely,
   Nine Pine

Did you leave something on in the truck last night? Put an amp meter between the + battery post and the + battery cable with everything off and see how much current flow there is. There will always be a small amount for the radio clock etc.

I don't have anything in the truck I could have left on...  except headlights, and they would've been coming through my bedroom window when I went in, so I know I didn't leave them on... LOL.

   Electrical problems can be the absolute worst. With the engine running have you tried diconnecting the battery. The engine should continue to run just fine. If the engine continues running fine with the battery disconnected, the charging system is working. The battery is probably the problem in this situation. The battery is just a storage device to hold an electrical charge when the vehicle is not running (let's us crank the engine over, use cigerette lighter, listen to radio). You can even take this test a step further and check the voltage output of the charging system. Check with battery connected and then with it disconnected.

   Here is the rub. If there is an intermittent problem with the charging and/or cranking circuit. The above test results may be meaningless. Although I would have to say that better than 90% of the time, in my experience, when the above test is applied and the engine continues to run it is the battery that is the problem.

   Sincerely,
   Nine Pine

The truck has a brand new battery in it, so I don't think that's the problem.  I'm wondering if it has anything to do with a relay under the dash.  The "machine-gun-speed" clicking SOUNDED like it came from under the dash, but I could just be imagining things...

The "machine-gun-speed" clicking SOUNDED like it came from under the dash, but I could just be imagining things...

The clicking is the sound the relay makes when there is not enough voltage to turn over the starter. You need to find the voltage drain. If you need a short term fix, disconnect the battery when you park so the battery stays charged.

Quote

The "machine-gun-speed" clicking SOUNDED like it came from under the dash, but I could just be imagining things...

The clicking is the sound the relay makes when there is not enough voltage to turn over the starter. You need to find the voltage drain. If you need a short term fix, disconnect the battery when you park so the battery stays charged.

UPDATE-  My girlfrend said she could hear the clicking a lot louder when she was outside the truck.  Maybe it was the starter???

 I really don't think I have a voltage drain anywhere, but I will throw my multimeter in the truck and check it beforehand whenever I try to start the truck.

Is the starter spinning while the clicking sound is happenning? If so, I would look at the hold in coil of the starter (via electro-magnetism this coil engages starter gear to ring gear). If the starter is failing to spin, I would be leaning toward the brushes, or an open in the starter armature.

Have you pulled the starter and bench tested it? If not, have you tried applying 12 volts directly to the starter with it installed?

Here is a wiring diagram of the starter circuit.

Sincerely,
Nine Pine

The truck is still having electrical issues.  I went out to start it this morning and it tried to turn over for a quick second, then quit.  All I could hear was was sounded like a "machine gun speed" clicking noise.  Tried another few times, and that's all I could ever get.  Roll started it.  Got to work.  Turned it off.  Tried to restart it, and it restarted fine.  WTF?  Any ideas??

Thanks in advance guys,
Bryan

The clicking sound is most likely the main and fuel pump relays, which are under the dash. It sounds like a bad connection to the ECU or the ECU is going bad. The ECU continually resets when there is a major fault and that causes the relays to click on and off.

   Rhinoman,

   I do not dispute anything you said in your post concerning the ecm and/or relays. Although, the starter motor should work independant of the ecm and/or any relay. It is my understanding that the starter motor recieves voltage directly from the battery via fusible link, ignition switch, clutch switch (in that order). Help me out, if I am missing something here.

   I am not suggesting that a possible problem in this circuit could not effect others. It certainly could. I am just saying that if battery voltage is good, we have continuity across the fusible link, ignition switch, clutch switch and all connecting wiring the starter should turn over (assuming a good ground). If I am incorrect I apologize.

   Sincerely,
   Nine Pine 

Actually guys, I now believe the problem to be the alternator.  I had it tested on the truck before, and it wasn't putting out anything.  I found out that was because the lower mounts had sheared off, so I got it remounted, but before doing so, I took it to Advance Auto and had them bench test it off the truck.  It worked fine.  Put it back on the truck, but never had it actually tested on the truck until yesterday.  After thinking everything through, the problem seems to occur after I've driven the truck with the lights on (i.e. at night).  Drove it home one night, drove fine.  Next morning, it wouldn't start.  Roll started it and drove it to work.  Sat there for 8 hours.  Started fine.  Drove from work with the lights on to subway for dinner.  Came out and it wouldn't start.  Roll started it and drove it home, but it acted REALLY weird (lights barely lit, tach jumping up and down, radio flickering in and out).  That was from driving it twice in a row with the lights on and not having a driving session with no lights on in between.  The alternator is putting out just enough to keep the battery charged when the lights aren't on, but with the lights on, it can't do both, so the battery drains down some, enough to where it won't start the next time.  I remember reading back some time ago that you could put a 105 amp alternator on a track/kick.  Anyone got a link to the info on that by chance?

Now it sounds like a loose battery cable.  Check 'em all, and both ends.  If you've got an intermittent/bad connection, your alternator can be in tip-top shape and it's not going to charge your battery.  Or your battery can be in tip-top shape and it's not going to be able to deliver the amps to the starter.  The fact you've got funky radio/tach stuff going on reeks of a battery ground-wire issue.

Hmmm...  I guess it could be.  Maybe I'll replace all the cables first.  Let's see.  I'll need to replace what?

Alternator cable
Starter cable
Battery ground cable.
?

Keep in mind it only does all this if the battery is discharged enough and the lights are on.  With the lights off, it will charge the bettery, but not much more.

You may not need to replace them.  You may, but a broken wire is less likely than a simple loose or corroded connection.  I'd start with the grounds first (battery to block and battery to fender).  I'd also check the connections at the alternator early since it may have been disturbed in the testing/removing/hanging-by-pivot episodes.  The "clicking" during starting would normally say to check the connections at the starter, but those woudn't have much to do with the charging trouble you're having, so that one area seems less problematic at this point.  There will also be various grounding straps elsewhere (they're usually braided copper or whatever looking things), but I wouldn't know where to tell you to look for those, and they're not as likely culprets.

So where should the 2 grounds be?  I have one that goes to one of the strut tower bolts that I can remember.  I'll have to check for the other one.