Those with hard start issues read this.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,372
Likes: 108
From: Northern Indiana
Those with hard start issues read this.
Okay. I have owned my truck for 9 years. It's has always kinda started hard, especially in the winter. To the point that I always have the block heater plugged in. Anyways so far this year the truck has given me lots of issues. So up to this point I had replaced injector o rings, new glow plugs, new UVCH. It still started hard. I have been through two sets of batteries in the past 4 years, on my 3 set currently.
On to lastest events. Yesterday morning I wake up and take my kid to school. Truck starts right up and off we go. I come back to go back to sleep for a while due to me out plowing all night. Plug the truck in and off to bed. Come out about 3 hours later to go do some running. Let the glow plugs warm up and start to crank. Cranks with no start, happens to me sometimes so I cycle the glow plugs again. Cranks slower this time. So I put it on the charger and head back in for 20 mins. Figure I will get her started up and go get the batteries load tested. Come out and try again with no success. So 40 min on the charger this time. Come out to find the one battery over charged and leaked a little fluid. Wasn't happy about that but tried to start again. Turns over like twice and then nothing. So I pull the batteries and wait for my dad. He takes me to the auto care place I bought the batteries from. They both tested good, one at like 744 cca and 770 on the other. Batteries are 2 years old. Bummed that wasn't the issue I head back hone, reading up on hard starts on the way. So I get home and clean all connections including block grounds. I took the starter off to get that tested. (By the way ford great location on that top bolt
). If you take and trim up you wheel well liner a little you can get access to the top starter bolt pretty easily. Take the starter in and it just hums, that's it. So I am suck at this point to buy a starter as we had snow coming in last night. So I bought the Duralast Gold brand new starter, paid the core charge and gonna keep the stock starter to get rebuilt. I didn't want to go with the Duralast starter but it was brand new and has a life time warranty. Plus autozone is very close to my house. Go home put it back together. Reinstall the batteries and wish for the best. Let the glow plugs cycle and crank. The engine cranked so fast that I thought the truck was gonna fly away!!!! Holy cow what a difference. I still can't believe how fast this truck cranks and fires right up.
So my point is all these years I have had cold starting issues, battery issues, etc, how many of them were possibly caused by a bad starter pulling too much juice or having to much resistance. The truck always normally started so I never thought to look closer at the starter.
So all those experiencing cold start don't rule out the starter. It may still be working but causing too much of a drain. I honestly think I used mine to the last second since it it's totally dead right now, and will not do nothing anymore.
Hope somebody gets something valuable out of this.
On to lastest events. Yesterday morning I wake up and take my kid to school. Truck starts right up and off we go. I come back to go back to sleep for a while due to me out plowing all night. Plug the truck in and off to bed. Come out about 3 hours later to go do some running. Let the glow plugs warm up and start to crank. Cranks with no start, happens to me sometimes so I cycle the glow plugs again. Cranks slower this time. So I put it on the charger and head back in for 20 mins. Figure I will get her started up and go get the batteries load tested. Come out and try again with no success. So 40 min on the charger this time. Come out to find the one battery over charged and leaked a little fluid. Wasn't happy about that but tried to start again. Turns over like twice and then nothing. So I pull the batteries and wait for my dad. He takes me to the auto care place I bought the batteries from. They both tested good, one at like 744 cca and 770 on the other. Batteries are 2 years old. Bummed that wasn't the issue I head back hone, reading up on hard starts on the way. So I get home and clean all connections including block grounds. I took the starter off to get that tested. (By the way ford great location on that top bolt
). If you take and trim up you wheel well liner a little you can get access to the top starter bolt pretty easily. Take the starter in and it just hums, that's it. So I am suck at this point to buy a starter as we had snow coming in last night. So I bought the Duralast Gold brand new starter, paid the core charge and gonna keep the stock starter to get rebuilt. I didn't want to go with the Duralast starter but it was brand new and has a life time warranty. Plus autozone is very close to my house. Go home put it back together. Reinstall the batteries and wish for the best. Let the glow plugs cycle and crank. The engine cranked so fast that I thought the truck was gonna fly away!!!! Holy cow what a difference. I still can't believe how fast this truck cranks and fires right up.So my point is all these years I have had cold starting issues, battery issues, etc, how many of them were possibly caused by a bad starter pulling too much juice or having to much resistance. The truck always normally started so I never thought to look closer at the starter.
So all those experiencing cold start don't rule out the starter. It may still be working but causing too much of a drain. I honestly think I used mine to the last second since it it's totally dead right now, and will not do nothing anymore.
Hope somebody gets something valuable out of this.
Tuned
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 256
Likes: 2
From: Arizona
Firefighter, I also had to replace my starter and like you I opted for the Duralast Gold "New" starter and was amazed how fast that puppy spins up, so far very happy with it and a lifetime warranty not to mention a lot cheaper than the OEM starter.
Ed
Ed
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 18,849
Likes: 179
From: Puget Sound
My starter is cranking a little slow, and I've already done my due diligence with batteries and connections. I agree the starter should leave no question in your mind that it's healthy or it should be scrutinized. Though I have no data on this, I suspect tired starter is the leading cause of unnecessary battery purchases. Face it... would you rather replace the easy-access batteries or the knuckle-bleeding starter?
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 10,750
Likes: 1,065
From: Douglassville, PA
Similar story here, checked out everything that I could and thought that maybe my 174,000 mile injectors might be the issue. I had access to a denso style starter and had it rebuilt. The rebuilder commented that it spun fast. I installed it while I had that fender liner out for up pipes. Truck used to take a minimum of 3.5 seconds to start if it was hot out or the engine was warm. Longer at other times and only with block heater when real cold. Winter starts with the remote starter was not an option. Now it starts in less than two seconds down to about 25 or so, slightly longer when colder and remote starts work with a double shot of glow plugs. If the fender liner's bolts aren't rusted frozen it's not hard to remove and lots of words and knuckle skin are saved.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,372
Likes: 108
From: Northern Indiana
Ya I looked at taking the liner off but there were too many bolts. I only had to trim a 1" wide by 4" long piece out of the wheel liner so it wasn't to bad at all.
How long have you had the starter Arizona97?
What is a denso style starter? Is it like oem? Or a completely different style? I was wanting to go with a high torque starter but sense snow was inbound I was kinda handicapped and needed the truck running ASAP.
How long have you had the starter Arizona97?
What is a denso style starter? Is it like oem? Or a completely different style? I was wanting to go with a high torque starter but sense snow was inbound I was kinda handicapped and needed the truck running ASAP.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 7,793
Likes: 50
Read this thread this morning, and with a hard start the last week(trying to leave it plugged in thinking its just cold, but at 40* in morning, I new better), decided to remove batteries and just now had them load tested. One good, one completely dead..2.5yrs Kirkland.
Going off what you guys are saying, maybe it be a good idea to replace the starter since it is 17yrs old
Anybody want to volunteer what starter there running besides the OEM bought one and the life so far, and where you purchased it?
Going off what you guys are saying, maybe it be a good idea to replace the starter since it is 17yrs old
Anybody want to volunteer what starter there running besides the OEM bought one and the life so far, and where you purchased it?
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Lead Driver
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From: Northern Indiana
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Papa Smurf
Joined: Nov 2009
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From: Woodstock, GA
I too was shocked as how well the truck started after replacing Starter. Spins like a brand new truck ! I actually did it, as the truck is 16 years old... and its getting old & crippled up like me.
. Got 2 new Interstates with the 3yr warranty..
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,372
Likes: 108
From: Northern Indiana
I have interstates as well. They are one month shy of 2 years old. Have lasted longer the the MAXX Everstarts from Walmart. Hopefully they last a couple more years with a functioned starter.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2007
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Hey guys, just my experience with starters over the years on all 3 psd's. I got tired of buying starters from Oriellys and autozone, just to have to replace them again 1 yr later. I think many of us here know about this or have experience with this as well. Sure it's a free replacement, but personally I'm tired of replacing starters once a year. I decided to try a different route. I bought the DB 4.0kw starters off ebay for $108.00. After the install I have to say how very impressed I was at how quick this starter turns the engine over. Much quicker than the stock replacement that you buy at Orielly's or Autozone. This last August I was out to visit Matt/GH for some live tuning. When he got in the drivers seat and fired it up, he jumped back in the seat, and says. Holy Cow! What the hell yah got in this thing! He was shocked at how fast the engine turns over.. Anyhow, It's been over a year now on my son's F-250, and about 11 months now on my trk with now issues. This DB starter is also quite a bit heavier than the stock replacement, and it is a tight fit. On my son's 03, he had to run down the main lead and pull some slack to make it up at the starter. I did not have to do this on my 99.5. Other than this they went in with out a hitch.