I've got a 1996 Ford F-250 with a 7.3L Powerstroke Diesel. I drove it to school Thursday and parked it. I accidentally left the lights on, but I was only in class for about an hour before I went outside and turned them off. Right after I turned them off, I tried to run the engine for a little while to let the alternator charge the batteries, just in case. The motor turned over very slowly, and wouldn't start. I told my father about the problem and he told me he'd jump me when school was over for the day (I still had a couple of classes left before I was done at 5:00).

So, he brought his vehicle, and we tried to jump the truck, but it wouldn't turn over any more quickly, even after 5-10 minutes of having the battery on the other vehicle hooked up to mine while the other vehicle was running. We tried a couple of times, each time letting the batteries charge for 5-10 minute intervals. One time it turned over pretty quickly, almost normal pace, but it wasn't for a long enough time to start the truck. The very next attempt a few seconds later, it turned over at the same very slow rate as before.

We figured the batteries were bad, so we left to go get tools, came back, and removed the batteries. We took them to Autozone to have them tested, and they both tested bad. So, I bought two new Duralast Gold batteries with 3-year free replacement. We took the batteries back to the truck and replaced them, but the motor still turned over at the same agonizingly slow pace. I tried it a second time, and the motor turned over at the slow pace, but instead of the rate declining over the time the starter was engaged, it retained the same, slow pace. At that time, I could smell a burning smell that seemed to emanate from the starter. Upon further attempts, there was only a click, no rotation.

So now I figure I've got a bad starter. I removed the starter, took it to Autozone, and got a new starter with a lifetime warranty. I installed the new starter, and it just makes a whirring spinning noise, as if it's not engaging the motor. I removed the new starter, took it back and had it tested. It tested good. The guy there said that either the teeth on the ring gear were too worn to engage with the starter, or the ring gear was slipping around the flywheel.

We went home, looked in the hole where the starter fits in, and the teeth look slightly worn, but still good. We were able to rotate the motor with leverage on the ring gear from a screwdriver.

And that's where we're at right now.

I figure the slowly applied torque from the screwdriver maybe would turn the flywheel, but the sudden torque from the starter may cause the slippage.

But I'm still not sure the problem isn't with the starter, because the guy mentioned that it could be the one-way clutch in the starter. Is there some sort of flywheel observation window where I can see if the starter is turning the ring gear or not? If so, how do I access and open it?

Thanks in advance.

 

I would frist try a 2nd starter and check all the batt cables

 

We checked the battery cables and power is getting to the starter and the solenoid.

 

try a different starter when they test them all it does is engauge it and spin it it does not put a load on it so a starter can do good on the test but not be able to spin the engine

 

iam with mike on this one. get a differnt starter, ive had them bad out of the box. besides, if the ring gear was slipping, you would be getting a horrible noise. if you have an auto, i think the ring gear and flywheel are all in one

 

x3, my starter tested good, it wasn't good. After testing good I just said give me a new starter. Problem solved!

 

I'll try a new starter, but I can hear the starter spin, so it's not like it's even trying to turn the engine. It sounds like it's spinning without a load on the starter. I'll go back to Autozone tomorrow and get them to replace it.

If the problem was with the teeth or the ring gear, I would hear a horrible grinding noise, right? That's not what I'm hearing. It just sounds like the starter is spinning and not contacting the ring gear at all. The starter is just revving, it sounds like.

Thanks for the help so far, guys.

 

the solinoid on the starter is not pushing the gear foward to engage it to the flywheel

 

I'm going to get a new starter now.

 

dont get autozone. mine did the same thing and 4 starters later i finally got the right one. the first worked then just spun. it tested ok but i told them they dont know what its doin in the truck. the second would just engage but not spin. the third wasnt even the right one and the fourth worked but i have a feeling that after only 6 months its on its way out cause yesterday it made a terrible noise when i tried to start it. let off the key then it was normal again. just a thought to try ans stay away from autozone

 

Got a new starter. I put a chalk mark across the flywheel and ring gear so I can see if it's even trying to engage or spin it, but I doubt it, because the starter just revved. I installed the new one, and the starter just revs. I'll take it off tomorrow to see if it's even trying to engage.

 

Did you check both wire to the starter to see if there good

 

I checked and they're both getting power, but I haven't checked specific levels of power or anything. I guess that's my next stop.

 

I'm really starting to think the problem is with the electrical system in my truck. Could a bad starter relay be causing this problem? How about a bad ground? I'm going to check the level of power the starter is getting tomorrow. I figure if it's getting a sufficient amount of power, then the problem is either my ring gear or the starter. If it's not getting enough power, then I need to fix my electrical system before I assume it's the starter.

This issue is driving me crazy.

 

Jump the starter relay with a screwdriver. That is a quick way to rule out the relay.