I had to call triple A today and get a jump because the truck would not start when hot, the truck lights right off with a jump when it does this. I had the batteries and charging system checked out last week and all is good but when the truck is hot it needs a jump or it will not start. STARTER???? I have had problems in past with weak starters. Is this common ?


Any input would be great and I was thinking should I keep a 3rd battery on the truck or invest in a jump box which would be better overall ?


Thanks!

 

Won't start as in will not crank over or cranks and cranks and won't start?

 

It does not seem to spin the engine fast enough until you put a jump of some type on it, it does this when hot. When cold it does not need assistance. AAA guy said charging system was right and the batteries test good but it seems to slow down when hot.

 

Starter imo

 

Sounds like the starter

 

I was thinking the same thing but with a jump it starts like lickitty split. It just seems like I eat a lot of starters.

 

the starter is an electric motor as well, more juice= more power, they (aaa) are probably using a higher amps (like the200 amp insta-start on my charger cart) to spin it, that would burn a starter eventually

 

Thanks Stone master, I need to take the truck to a professional and get it looked at and evaluated. I do not mind sticking cash in it if the motor is tight but the motor has a weird sound out of it that it did not used to have. It is like a low thud knock and it's like one cylinder.

 

How many have you replaced?
Make sure all your battery connections and the ground connections on the engine are clean and tight.

Starters, like all electric motors, don't like heat. While a hot engine is easier to spin and start, a hot starter has more resistance and takes more energy to spin.

Another battery/jump box only fixes the symptoms, not the actual problem. Much like putting on 3 coats will keep you warm driving down the highway in the winter, but closing the windows and turning on the heat is the real solution.

 

My old 6.9 ate a few because I had a air leak and was to lazy to fix it so I paid the price for being a idiot!


Thanks for the help.

 

hold your foot down when starting hot if this helps, start saving for a IP.

 

Take the screws out of the back cap of the starter, and replace with allen head bolts of the same length. The entire current the starter uses passes through the brushes, which are grounded through this plate, secured by those two screws. I went around in circles one this with my truck, finally replaced the screws with the allens, tightened them good and tight, and haven't had a single issue since.
I still have a spare starter that I may document this fix on once I get a bit of time.

 

Thanks a million.


I have had a hard time figuring a few issues with this truck. I finally found a IDI expert who is real reasonable to help with this rig in the future. He is a diesel mechanic and owns a 93 IDI turbo but he installed the Cummins six in it and runs it on all kinds of waste oil only.

 

What state is he in ?

 

Gainesville FL, he races those slider cars.