One of the easiest ways to know if you have a starter issue in your 1997 Chevy Tahoe is to hear a clicking sound when you turn on the ignition key. This means, one of the four main components of your ignition system is bad. The battery sends electricity to the ignition. Fortunately, if the starter makes a clicking sound, you know the ignition and the battery works, because the starter has to have electricity to click. So, this automatically narrows down the issue to the starter motor or the starter solenoid. With a few quick steps, you can determine which one is bad.
Locate the starter bolted to the transmission housing on the lower driver's side of the engine. The starter solenoid bolts right on top of the starter motor.
Locate the two metal contacts on the back of the starter solenoid. The contact on the left has a wire that extends to the ignition switch. The contact on the right is a jumper wire that goes down to the starter.
Place the metal blade of a screwdriver across both contacts to short out the starter solenoid. This allows the starter motor to turn on but does not allow the solenoid to kick in the starter gear. The object is not to start the Tahoe but to see if the starter motor works.
Tell the second person to turn on the ignition key for 30 seconds. If the starter motor turns on and makes a smooth humming sound, the starter motor is OK and the starter solenoid is defective. If the motor does not turn on or it has a choppy humming sound, the starter motor is defective and the solenoid is most likely fine.
