Hi Guys! I really hope someone here can help me. I have a 1998 Ford E-350 with 175k miles on the 5.4 L.

I have had it several years and have had no problems with it. I had my van parked at school during a Christmas concert the other night. I went to start my vehicle and it started and died immediately. I tried to start it again, but it would only crank very, very slowly a couple of times and then stop. I thought the battery must be dead because of the way it was acting. So, I get my jumper cables out and proceed to hook them up. Trying to juggle my cell-phone light and the cables, I accidentally touched them together and realized my battery was not very dead, if at all. I hook the cable up to the other car - still turns over super slow, if it turns over at all, it only turns once.

I start looking around my vehicle and notice oily fingerprints on my front bumper and oil on the ground under the engine. I look closer and it appears that someone had taken my oil filter off and drained whatever oil would come out and put it back on. And it looks like they must have had a towel to soak up the oil and wipe it up. I check the oil and see that it is barely showing on the dipstick and add 2 quarts to bring it up to full.

Still. Same issue. I take the battery out and bring it home to put on the charger. It said it was 85% charged. I left it on for a few hours then put it back in the van. Still, same thing. I tow my van home and look around some more. It does not appear that the person messed with anything other than the oil filter. I decide I will take my battery in to have a diagnostic check on it. I end up with a new battery because that one tested bad. I put that battery in and try to start it. Same thing the first few times I turn the key. The it decided to turn over a little faster for about 10 seconds and I could smell the starter heating up.

What else could this vandal have done to cause this, or is it just coincidence? It acts/sounds like there is just too much friction for the starter to overcome and turn the engine over.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Did someone steal your good starter and put their worn out starter back on your van?

 

No, nothing looks touched other than the oil filter. I know who did it and whatever they did, they did in less than 20 minutes in the dark.

 

Taking off the filter can only drain about a quart. Probably need to get your starter checked. Drain and check your oil and the filter. I don't know of anything they could have put in the filter to lock up a motor.

 

check the exhaust and make sure nothing is stuffed in the pipe..

 

This sounds logical, maybe someone wants to fool you into thinking your engine is locked up.