Chevy Suburban. Got a starter problem. Go to start the vehicle. Works fine. However on any start of the day you may get a "bad start". There is no click - no nothing!

I started out thinking it was the ignition switch.

By passed it. Things seemed to work fine for a few days then again, no start. Thought it was the old bypass switch I was using. Replaced it with a new one. Right away it didn't work.

You can sit there for two or three minutes and then "it just works". I had this exact same probablem two starters ago. I replaced the starter with a factory re-man and it went away. But now 5-7 years later its back again.

I am jumping directly to the wire from the starter - to the battery plus terminal and about 70% percent of the time the starter operates as expected. The other 30% of the time nothing.. For up to 3 minutes of dinkin around then bingo.

So what is causing this? No doubt something in the starter solenoid but I can't imagine what since there are no "contacts" in the solenoid as relates to operating the plunger. (unlike the main contacts that operate once the solenoid/plunger does).

Anyone else seen this or gotten to the bottom of it?

Thanks!