I have a 02 ford f-350 with a 5.4 motor. We had a couple feet of snow the other day, I just drove my truck up and down the driveway a few times to pack the snow down. In the morning I went to start it and all I got was a click sound from the starter every time I turned the key. I put a hair blower next to the starter for about 5 minutes got 2 clicks and then it started, it started all day. Yesterday I plowed the driveway, parked it for the night and this morning got that clicking again. I put the blower next to the starter again waited 5 minutes and it started, can my starter be freezing? I never had this problem in the winter before, the starter about 3 yrs old....

 

Anything is possible, but I would have my doubts. It may be corrosion in the starter motor, bendix, ground or power connections.

 

How hard is it getting at that top bolt on the starter? Any little tips on getting at that one?

 

The real question I believe that needs to be asked.......How old is your battery?

The cold weather will kill a battery on the verge of being bad.

 

Charge the battery Fully.. have an auto parts store do a LOAD TEST on it..

ask for the 100 amp load test... all others are worthless.

the heater trick may warm starter.. but also the engine block.. at lease part of it.

if starter was going bad.. most times. it will not work better warm.. and unless you went deep under water.. no, started did not freeze...

 

I would suspect battery, battery cables, and connections, to include the connections at the starter itself, first, before I suspected the starter was freezing.

It's possible that the windings in the starter motor are breaking down. You can always have it tested to be sure.

 

The battery is about 2 yrs old, connections are clean. Just had a fuel pump put in 3 days ago, battery was a little low from trying to start it, the shop said they also put a full charge on the battery for me. I was just curious about the starter because when I plow light snow it gets all up around my starter. After I park the truck afterwards for the night the snow melts around the starter from the heat of the motor. Having high winds here below 0 I thought maybe it froze my starter. I started it this morning but didn't move the truck so nothing would get wet or snow packed around the starter, I'll check to see if it starts in the morning. If not I'll clean the connections on the starter and see what happens. I get good cranking power once I get the starter to engage but I'll have that check too. I'll keep you posted, thanks....

 

Parked my truck for a day to keep every thing dry underneath, no freezing winds, temps in the 20s. Turned the key this morning and my truck started right up, now it has me confused. Going to do some plowing today and get every thing wet underneath, I'll see what happens in the morning. Another quick question, right under the passengers door I have a braided ground strap from my frame to my chassis, I noticed it was broke this morning, how important is this strap?

 

I plowed for years.. Never froze a starter.

the starter could be going bad.. or have a DEAD spot...

have it tested as well...

strap... for lights on body attached power devices.. but have it fixed.

 

Gonna put a new starter in, no sense screwing around with it, thought maybe it was an easy fix. I rather put in a new one than worrying all the time it may not start. Thanks for all the help

 

They are all important, some more than others. Frame to chassis, or frame to firewall is broke? Bad grounds can do some wacky stuff. Some of it gets pretty spendy. A starter draws 150 amps say, if it can't get it, will decide to get it through something else not designed to conduct electricity. Throttle linkages, brake lines, wheel bearings, transmission.. Personally I'd rather reconnect a ground strap versus replace a starter any day of the week! Very common problem when engines and trans have been R&Rd, missing or loose grounding straps. Check all of them, frame to body ground strap wouldn't cause the problems you're experiencing afaik, but.