Hi ya'll, I realized when I logged in I hadn't been here in 3 years! Our truck has been great and hadn't had much to complain about. We also went from a 5th wheel to a motorhome so the truck hasn't done much towing...

Over the past months I've been dealing with a slow initial crank. At first I thought it was old batteries. Replaced them with a cheaper set, and then again under warranty, and again with Everstart Maxx (WalMart warranty let us upgrade). Then I did what I should have done first and cleaned up the battery terminals and connections and made sure everything was tight.

So far these batteries have done well but now it's back to a slow crank like they're dying. Except now here is the pattern:
1 - Turn key on and start after I hear the GPR turn off. Try to start. Turns over slow once or twice. Key off.
2 - Wait about 20 seconds
3 - Turn key on and wait again about another 20 seconds. Try to start. Turns over faster. Sometimes it starts at this point
4 - Repeat 2 and 3, turns over quick and starts.

This is really odd to me. I'm inclined to clean terminals again but all looks tight, and I don't understand why it would turn faster with subsequent tries if it was "just" connections.

Maybe it's the starter that is draining the batteries?

 

It's more than likely the starter. I had a similar problem a few months ago, and had replaced the batteries with a different brand (Federal) from interstates and I thought that it was the new batteries being weak and that's why the slow crank. I was stranded at one point about a mile from my parents house. I had my dad come and give me a jump start with his 2002 7.3 with fully functioning batteries. As soon as I tried to start it after being hooked up to his truck, he said, "I think it's your starter, not the batteries" I got under the truck and looked at the starter, it had been replaced under warranty a few months earlier and was obviously a reman'd unit. the main bolts that held the boddy together had started to back out and there was a big gap between the front case and the body that held the windings. I decided to just bite the bullet and get a NEW starter and upped it to the 3.4KW (I believe) instead of the 2.4KW unit I had. It cranks waaay faster ever since. My batteries were fine.

 

I agree with Jason. Had a similar issue with the Ex and a new Denso gear reduction starter solved the problem. It now spins over at about 210 rpm's where before I was lucky to see 115 rpm's on a good day. 100 rpm's is what the PCM is looking for even they will crank somewhat below that.

 

Thanks you guys. I just ordered a new starter and we'll see how that goes.

BTW jhl3 I like your Location. I'm just down the road from Asheville and have seen weird there a few times!

 

 

GoCamping, Simpsonville can be a bit weird too. I was stationed at Donaldson Center/Lockheed Martin facility on the south side of town for my last assignment. Drove up there from Hartwell everyday, glad to not be doing that drive any longer.

Anyway, not sure which starter you bought, but the video below shows my results from removing the OEM starter and installing a genuine Denso. Some others have had great success with the cheaper knock off Denso, but some have not.

A rebuilt OEM starter can be a good choice too.

 

Sometimes a weak battery, and especially if it's cold, will put out more power after drawing some power from it to warm it up. One way to possibly know is to run the headlights for a minute then crank, if it cranks stronger than a normal first try cranking you know it wasn't the starter.

I don't recall ever seeing a starter get better after a crank, they usually get weaker as they heat up. A bad connection in/at the starter might do that.

 

Hey ya'll, just to follow up, I put in a new starter and it's amazing. Looking back, my starter struggled for years.... now it's super fast!