Need help with starter

[Vexarana]

The previous owner changed over my battery terminals to boat quick disconnects and I have had issues with the wires working loose so occasionally I've had to go in there and tighten it down.

Its a 91 4.0 so there are the two wires for positive and negative which need to be connected to hook up for it to start.

Normally, a wire works loose and I take it out and recrimp the connector on it and it starts fine.

Last night I was at a coworkers house because I'm housesitting this weekend and it wouldn't start up when I tried to leave.

Power is fine, all lights work, headlights work strong, don't need a jump.

All the battery wires look to be getting a good contact.

But no crank. Just "click click click" when I try.

One important thing I know is that when I try to crank it, all the lights on the truck go out. If I have door open and dome light is on, I crank and it goes pitch black.

My supervisor said he had the exact same issue and it was his starter. Found a decent deal on one for $120 local, so I can get it and hopefully install it today. But I was planning on changing the terminals first. If anyone has experience with this and I might be overlooking something, please speak up.

Oh, and I did check the ignition fuse. The 60A in the distributor box. It's fine.

 

[Dugan]

Your terminals are loose. And or your wires are bad

 

[Vexarana]

Does the click-click mean that the smaller wire is not hooked up properly? Or one of the big wires isn't getting a good contact and the amperage isn't getting to the starter properly?

EDIT : Hooked up / good contact / going bad interchangibly.

 

[martin]

It's a bad connection on one of the big wires, somewhere, check both ends of both big wires.