AAHHH stupid starter problems!!!

[fourwheelford]

Ok more stupid problems with this piece of crap, I went to the bank to grab some cash and when I cranked it it rotated a couple times and then made a loud click(you all know that sound) I let off and waited a second then cranked it again and it started fine. Also started fine when I left the bank, I just replaced that stupid thing like 2 months ago with a brand new starter, its not even cold out just raining all the freaking time. Is there any chance at all that it was just a fluke and the starter is fine? I don't want to get stranded somewhere, on an odd possibly related note, on my way home from work(in the rain) my radio shut off and then turned back on and all of my presets were gone. This happened once before(while it was raining) but it had reset itself while I was in a movie, any chance any of this is related? Thanks for any input anyone may have.

PS the stereo is aftermarket.

 

[Big Jim M]

I think I would be cleaning my battery posts and cables.. I betcha you've got some ugly stuff on them..
Big JIm

 

[fourwheelford]

They are clean as a whistle, I keep up on that stuff really good, but I will check to make sure just to be safe. I was just under the hood last weekend to clean the maf and IAC and unhooked the battery to reset everything. I will look though thanks jim.

 

[red93terror]

i had the same problem. its a 2 dollar fix, if you do it the right way. theres a 99% chance your terminals are losing connection. especially if theyre the factory terminals. just replace em. 5 minutes, 2 bucks. easy as pie man

 

[fourwheelford]

I never thought of that, that is a good theory it kinda mixes what jim said with it. Two people pointing to the battery terminals is a good sign, thanks much

 

[JohnPi]

+1 on the battery terminals being a chronic problem on these vehicles. My Ranger, my wife's Explorer and my mother-in-law's Explorer all had to have the battery terminals replaced due to intermittent starting issues.

 

[BlackBII]

Don't forget to clean the connections on the starter itself, and then clean grounds on the block and frame.

 

[fourwheelford]

Thanks for all the replies everyone, to blackBII I only replaced the starter a couple months ago and I cleaned everything with a wire brush before the install because it was such a pain to get it in the there, but its worth shot to check it out. It started fine all day today though and I was all over town. Im gonna change the terminals this weekend though

 

[Big Jim M]

I got tired of cleaning my battery posts and cables about 20 years ago. Since that time I have changed batteries every 36 months whether they needed it or not.. I also haven't had a single no start problem since that time. I have six children and all have at least two vehicles. I make sure they also change batteries regularly..
It seems that as a battery gets older it makes more FUMES which destroy everything around the battery.. Newer batteries don't do that.
Changing terminals on the cables and leaving an older battery in there just gives the fumes something NEW to eat on.
By the way.. I always use a PAINT PEN and mark a new battery so everytime I lift the hood I can see when that battery was installed.
Big JIm

 

[rurouni20xx]

funny thing is on my 93 ranger my truck eats battery terminals, i get the click going on the dash looks like xmas and the door dinger sounds weak as well. undo the terminals clean posts with brush and inside connectors reconnect fire up and away i go. doesnt matter if its a brand damn new battery with post connectors or 2 yrs old. i even tried brass marine connectors as ive been told they dont corrode, lets just say thats a load of crap. the only thing i havent changed and contemplated changing was the wire leads themselves, but hell theyve been on their 17 yrs and still work if it aint broke dont fix it. thing that still puzzles me is in 17 yrs between me and my dad owning it shes went thru 9 starters 6 batteries and still on the oem alternator, tests good everytime? they dont make stuff like they used to i suppose, just like i didnt change the distributor cap/rotor/plug wires/coil til they corroded in half at 255k miles either...oil changes every 3k and air filters every 9k tho!

 

[Big Jim M]

Here's a question for ya rouni. Do you use the battery while the truck isn't running? Recharging is when the batteries make the fumes. I see guys that work for me that leave their radio playing all day while they work.. Their batteries don't last and their cables and even the battery tray gets eaten up.
Big JIm

 

[rurouni20xx]

when im not driving the key is out of the truck. longest it ever sat b4 i retired her was on the wknds when i didnt feel like doing crap. other than that she stayed on the road. now that you mention it it actually happened on the way back from pennsylvania, drove fine all the way from honesdale pa and stopped for gas in bristol, tn. went to restart the truck and the notorious click xmas tree dash dull dinger thing happened. took the tools out my truck pulled the cable off and scraped them off with my truck key (no battery brush at the time) reconnected fired up and drove the rest of the way into louisiana. i do not let battery sit there and run with my radio on thats a good way to kill a battery as well. if i want to listen to the radio i crank it and drive with it on (i dont do extended idle periods either as this is hell on the motor) or fire up the shop/house radio and park the truck. another thing this happened to my dad with the factory head unit, then it broke and continued with no radio, aftermarket tape player and then the cd player that got stolen right after i retired it. i only hooked up a 300 watt amplifier and two 300 watt speakers for about a month but the problem continued before and after all this was going on. just something i came to expect of the truck, even cleaned the grounds where the cable connected to the frame/engine, no difference. probably the best thing i did was a light smear of dielectric grease in the terminal connections, lasted about 8 mos vs every 3-6 mos otherwise.