Bad starter?

[timstone_v]

Ok...so here is yet another thread of me having yet another problem with this pile of crap truck.

It started a few days ago when I was going to work. I always let the truck warm up before I leave so I went out to start it and on the first try I just heard some clicking (assuming it was from the solenoid) I tried it a second time and got the same thing. And on the third time it finally turned over. Over the past few days it has been repeating this every time the truck is started cold.

Now today after work I went to leave and it would not turn over at all. I tried it over and over and nothing. Had my dad meet me there after work and was gonna try and jump it thinking maybe the battery was dead for some reason. But that did not work. He told me to get in the truck, put it in drive and we would push it backward a few feet and so we did. I went to start it and it started right up first try, although it was a bit hesitant.

What does this sound like is the problem? He said it sounded like the starter may have a flat spot. I really don't know that much about the starting system of vehicles because I've never had any issues with it in any of my other vehicles so any help would be appreciated.

 

[94twodoor]

Possibly missing teeth on flywheel?

 

[Nhaz]

Any motor that uses brushed contacts can develop a flat spot. there are a few reasons for this but the most common one is the brushes themselves are wearing out and are not longer contacting the commutator properly.

In some cases the carbon dust from the worn brushes stays inside the starter and builds up, causes a short that acts like a flat spot. Most notably I've come across this in motorcycle starters but ive seen this in 2 honda civics as well.

This is a repair that most people can do if they choose to. But it does involve removing the starter and tearing it partially down. Most people just replace the whole starter since its just faster. They turn the old starter is as the core and it gets sent off to be rebuilt (usually just getting new brushes).

But I would also personally go over all the wires and the solenoid before I blame the starter Starting at the battery terminal. as it gets colder the terminals get looser.

 

[idriveafordranger94]

My Ranger did the same thing. If you haven't fixed it yet and it won't start, either tap on the starter with a hammer or push-start it (like you said). The tapping only works a few times-so use them wisely! I tried rebuliding my starter and the damn part to rebuild it was like $35! I bought it anyway and it worked for about a day and then went bad again. I took it apart and the brushes looked like the the old brushes that were in the starter originally. So I said screw that and bought a new starter. $119 at AutoZone. Still workin' fine. Good Luck

 

[94twodoor]

I JUST got done changing the starter in my 94 2wd 4 cyl. Man that was not fun! At least I mde it to auto zone 5 mins before closing! My truck was clicking 1 time hard at the fender selenoid. I tried to bypass it by jumping the 2 contacts, nothing doin, too it in to auto zone,bench tested it, dead. $130 later, truck purrs. Now to finish the front shock mount replacements!!

 

[timstone_v]

Well I'm so damn confused about what exactly is wrong with it now. I went to walmart tonight after getting it started from work and when I came out from walmart to leave the damn thing wouldn't start again and nothing would work at all like the battery was dead...I honestly have no F'n clue what it could be...I think I will have to take it to O'Reilly and make them test the starter now. I've had it there twice for them to check the alternator and battery and both times they said they were both fine.

 

[Snowboarder7710]

friend of mine had a similar issue on his 2000 4.0 manual trans. just randomly one day he went to start and it would just click once and thats it.

we replaced the starter and got nothing...same issue.

turned out it was the battery cables. the starter got voltage but the batt. cable going to the starter had a ton of corrosion build up inside of it. we ran a new 4awg wire from the battery to the starter and it fired up and has been good since.

 

[timstone_v]

I left the truck on the charger all last night and it started up fine this morning and just now after work. On the way home from work though my battery gauge was reading higher than normal and when I would speed up my little battery light was coming on like it was getting too much voltage...what's the deal with that? Are these trucks prone to having bad battery meters?

 

[Nhaz]

In the laneway check the voltage At the battery while the truck is running. If its pushing more then 15 volts they that sounds like the regulator is bad.

 

[timstone_v]

Well I don't think it's the battery now. I had it on the charger that whole night and only drove it to work and it wouldn't started the next morning and after work...work is less than 2 miles away. After I got home it sat there for about 3 hours and when I tried to start it again it wouldn't do anything. I really doubt a battery can run dead by driving that distance. I'm gonna have a look at it tomorrow...check all the cables are tight and look at the starter if it's not too hard to get to.

 

[timstone_v]

Ok someone please answer this for me...

What would cause a truck to not start because of the battery cables? I finally had time to work on the truck this morning...couldn't figure it out at all...tested as many things as I could think of and nothing was broken...tried pushing it a bit and everything...NOTHING.

I went to take the battery out to have it tested out of the truck and charge it to see if that would help because jumping didnt do anything at all and when I loosened the + cable the under hood light got brighter...so I tried to start it and it just clicked at first...got out and wiggled it a bit more and tried to start it again and it started right up...I can't ****ing believe it was something so stupid and simple yet it seemed so complex. I checked the cable going to the starter and it's not tight enough to be pulling and losing contact so I don't have any idea what's going on...but for now it's starting. I'll keep my socket handy for if it does it again I can get under and wiggle the wire again.

 

[pangborn83]

Sounds like there maybe internal corosion (there will usually be a bubble in the insulation that you can feel) causing less voltage to get to starter. Sorta makes the wire a smaller gauge so to speak and it wont allow enough juice to the starter.

 

[timstone_v]

Well I didn't want to pull the wire off for no reason at all...and it had a cover on it...if it keeps it up I'll just replace the wire...although it seems like it's pretty long...don't know if I'd be able to find one that long without buying from Ford directly.

 

[AllanD]

Disassemble, clean & grease ALL of the grounding points on the negative side battery cable, both the frame and block grounds AFTER you've done that get back to us.

You aren't doing it "for no reason at all" your $%&$ truck won't start reliably and there are proceedures that ANY professional mechanic will tell you to follow (and one is doing so... right HERE)
and cleaning battery grounds is usually FIRST on the list

DO THEM ALL.

Frankly mine are disassembled atleast once a year, usually in October right before the weather turns nasty.

Why? because I'd rather do something I don't strictly need to do when the weather is tolerable (if not actually "nice") than NEED to do the exact same job when the weather quite frankly ****ing sucks.

And sure as god makes the mounains and trees and little chirping birds something will break at a time doing anthing than sitting next to the fire and looking out the window saying "it sucks to be anbody who has to go out into THAT"

Trust me I don't have an ambitious bone in my body.
I do things when it is convenient and I hate doing anything
when something decides it wants to piss me off.

Hey, recently I had a cracked header.
Instead of fixing the header I removed them and reinstalled cast iron manifolds.

Why? that's easy... IF I get them fixed there is a very real chance that they will crack again... and I didn't want to be
laying in the snow replacing a header pipe in January or february.

Instead I'll get the headers repaired and reinstall them in april.
when the wether isn't so good at sucking as it is in January and February.

Tattoo THIs on your forearm:

"There's never enough time to do it right, but
there's always time to do it over"

Frankly I'd rahter do things when it is convenient to me, but if something is already broke try to find everything else that might need attention before spring.

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