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I need a recommendation on who in my area would be best to do QUALITY electrical troubleshooting or replace my wiring harness. I live in Mt. Vernon, WA.
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1979 F150 Explorer 2WD Factory 460 Lowered 3" in Front & 4" in Rear
Yahiko: Me
But I should ask what's the issue first.
Also that is a bit of a drive. But may be a good day to be out.
Starweb: Start the engine and drive for 10 or so miles. Turn it off and it won't start. as if the battery is dead. let it sit for 20 minutes and it fires right up. drive it 2 miles to the store and turn it off. come back 5 minutes later and it fires right up. drive another 5 miles and turn it off. go to start it and no go. wait 20 minutes and it fires right up. It's as if the charging system is backwards. where do you live?
FORDFETRUCK: I'm no electrical expert, but that sounds to me like the battery you have has a cell that fails after some use, let it cool down and it works again. Try another battery? my dad had a battery do exactly this in the past.
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-Matthew
Yahiko: Spanaway, Just south of Tacoma a little bit.
Does it do this if you just start and let it sit in the driveway and idle for
a short time? What about putting a charger on it? Any change?
A Thought We may want to move this to the main forum and start it's own thread.
I do have all the needed tools to checking a battery and the rest of the system. AND I
have the 1 really odd ball charging system tool.
Starweb: Yahiko, If you can move the thread that's fine with me. Yeah, Spanaway is a long way. What do you think of FORDFETRUCK's idea of a bad cell in the battery?
Starweb: Also, where exactly is the motor to body ground at?
Yahiko: I think you may see a pigtail off the (-) lug that goes to the body
or you might find a section of insulation removed that has a clamp
that is bolted to the body.
I think it could very well be a bad cell. I had an 88 Ranger that would just
up and quit and you give it a short time and all was good. Turns out one of
the cells was shorting out internally and taking every thing with it. New battery
and it was a happy truck again.
Do you have access to a Digital Multi Meter (DMM)? Check the voltage and see
where it is before starting. Then once it running and lastly when it won't start.
Also if you have a place near by that can check the battery out of the truck that
would be helpful to know that is passes a load test.
That is part of what I would do with it. I also have an AC ripple test that I do.
A DMM can do most if not all the tests.
Also when it does not start does it crank at all and is it does how does the
starter speed sound?
Starweb: Not a bad cell. Battery tested strong.
Do you have a volt meter?
If you do I want you to do what is in the Youtube video
on both cables from the battery while trying to crank it. But first just
note the voltage at the battery. This will tell you if you have a bad
cable going to the starter. You also want to do one from the battery
negative - post to the starter body where it's clean of any paint or crud
just to check the ground path to the battery.
Starweb, If the battery checks out good- and the ground wires are all good (I added additional ground wires, one from the battery to the frame rail below the battery tray, one from the rear of the manifold to the cab, one from the cab to the pass fender, and one to one of the starter mounting bolts. I went a little overboard and used either welding cable or 6 gauge marine wire). If all that is good, the next time the engine won't start, I would try bypassing the solinoid (using a wire to jump across from the positive nut to the starter wire nut on the solinoid). If that doesn't make it start, then take the starter off and take it to O'riellys or autozone and have it checked. If that checks out good, I would suspect the ignition switch- if it's still the original. Those old style switches with the round terminals short out at the terminals. If the switch is bad- buy the newer type with the spade type terminals. Changing the wiring terminals is easy.
Ok guys, well, I was convinced that it was not the starter, but, I took it out and tested it today. And... it was bad. Put a new one in and so far so good.
Ok guys, well, I was convinced that it was not the starter, but, I took it out and tested it today. And... it was bad. Put a new one in and so far so good.
Good that it's running again.
More than likely that was the POP you heard when trying to start it that last time.
