Truck will click once when key is turned

The other day I crossed a flooded road. It got to where the wake from me moving forward was splashing over the top of my hood. Didn't cause any immediate problems. Since then I haven't had a problem until yesterday. Everything has been fine and then I got in my truck to go to lunch yesterday. It clicked once when I turned the key. Tried again and it fired up. After work (approximately four hours later) the same thing. I had my mechanic check it and he said it was a bad battery but my alternator is putting out the right amount. I went and bought a new battery and went to start it and it clicked once with each attempted start (tried five or six time) and on the last attempt it started. When it started I let it run for about 10 minutes and then killed it. Immediately after the truck would start up every time. An hour later I tried it again and the truck barely started. I have no clue what it is. Any help is appreciated.

 

If the battery it good and there's enough voltage to charge battery, but it clicks when you try to start it, your starter is done.

I had that happen. Started got wet, it would click click click click start. After a while it stopped clicking and would just work every time. Still using that starter.

 

I hope the same works for me. The thing that gets me is that after it starts up and runs its good for a little bit. But after I let it sit it goes back to click click click click start.

 

I had to replace the starter in my pathfinder a couple weeks after a water crossing. Was riding shotgun in a jeep & went through a deep mud hole with water about 8" up the door. The next day, my buddy called me needing a ride to work 'cause his starter was shot.starters & alternators aren't known to like water

 

Sounds like a starter to me

 

I also agree it's the starter; the mechanic you had check out your truck should have known that if the battery was fine then it was most likely the starter and he should have checked it out.

The starter in my dad's F350 went a couple years ago, same thing with how it would 'click' and then fire. Kept getting worse until eventually I'd turn the key and it would click but would never fire.

Starters aren't that expensive though, usually about $100. The expensive part is if a mechanic is installing it for you at $100 an hour.

 

Had this happen to me after I crossed 1 to many creeks. If you want to do it even cheaper then replacing the whole starter, I'd suggest trying this, http://www.nationsstarteralternator...-with-Plunger-2-contact-p/drk rebuild kit.htm

90% of the time the issue with the started has to do with those contacts and plunger being dirty or corroded. The motor on those denso starters almost never die.