intermitted Starting problems...HELP

[brgoff007]

I have a 2002 Ranger XLT. When starting truck clicks trying to turn over. then starts. Thought maybe a starter or a battery problem. I took out starter had tested. tested ok of course. had battery and alternator tested OK again. Seems like battery will charge, but let sit for 15 minutes to a hour same thing happens. Turn key, all clicking happens again. when tested I had just drove it. Could battery, maybe tested ok, but might be going bad? I cleaned all terminals when changing starter and battery. Anything else might need to be checked? im at my wits end here. Any help would be appreciated. The battery and alternater were checked at my local O'reillys. The starter too.

 

[dwsykes]

Check the battery with a volt meter after it has run should be around 12.something volts, then when it has set over night check it and if the voltage is not above 11 V, then we have problems. Something could be draining the battery to the point of almost not allowing you to start. My 02 Fx4 did something similar to this and I found that the battery was at the brink of dying. Good luck.

 

[a31ford]

Two things.

1) As dwsykes said, check the battery, the first sign of a battery going is not holding a charge for an extended period (overnight, for example).

2) I've been the start/alt repair business for over 30 years, and have seen 2 issues that could cause the clicking..... a) dead spot on the armature (will test good with no load), b) brushes worn to the point of acting like a).

Both will appear to work good with no load, when tested off the truck.

but my guess is the battery..

Greg

 

[brgoff007]

Well thanks for the insight. im going to try the battery first. (it is the cheaper of the 2). and easier....lol

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I would suspect the battery as well....

But I would also check for parasitic drain and a bad ground wire - both of which could cause similar problems.

To check for parasitic drain, pull the negative terminal off the battery and hook up a light (12v of course) between the negative battery post and the negative terminal. The light should not light up (of course this is with the engine and everything else turned off). If it lights up, something is drawing off your battery, so you need to start by pulling one fuse at a time to see which circuit shuts off the light, then find the wiring fault in that circuit.

Ground wires can corrode inside the casing. Flex your ground wire (the negative battery wire) and listen to see if it crunches. If it makes a lot of crunchy noise, it's probably corroded and not conducting very well. Also check for corrosion where the cable hooks to the frame and engine block. If it is badly corroded inside the casing or on the ends, you may want to replace it.

 

[doorgunner]

yep......my '89 cables both were rotted on the inside...but looked good on the outside...and the frame ground bolt was really rusted...replaced both cables & ground bolt....solved problem

 

[brgoff007]

Thanks for all the great ideas. Well so far put in new battery , no more problems. Ill just monitor to make sure