I have 1980 Ford F100. I start the truck multiple times a week and run it about a half hour. Runs fine. Maybe takes 2 times to turn over. But, often, always at the worst time of course, I will drive it somewhere just fine, then when trying to start back up, it will not turn over and star . A jump will get it started, and will run fine after.
The battery is only 4 years old.
just looking to see if others have had this problem, and where I might start looking.
Thank you.

 

Look at the battery. Most batteries these days won't make it 4 years.

The starting and idling is very hard on engines. Just as the oil starts to heat up the engine is shut down, then sludge develops

Take it out and drive it long and hard as much as you can. Mine is not run a lot either, but I run diesel oil in it and take it to the mountains on a somewhat regular basis for a day of sight seeing and such to keep the moisture out of the oil. This is all paved roads, just some good pulls up the big hills.

I can look into the valve cover and the engine still looks like new metal.

 

Have you cleaned and securely connected your battery cables to the battery terminals?

4 years old is usually out of warranty for a battery but batteries well maintained can be serviceable for close to 20 years.

What's your battery voltage? Static and running?

 

What do I need to do to get that kind of battery life? I get more than warranty, but not anywhere near that.

 

Batteries are like wives. If you don't abuse them and treat them right they'll stay with you longer.

Proper battery maintenance. Check battery level annually. Check for shorts. Make sure your alternator is charging properly. Clean, and make sure terminals are tight and in good condition. I usually seal the terminals once cleaned and tight with grease or Fluid-Film.

If you want a long lasting battery get a quality battery properly rated. Cheap batteries don't work well or last long. I prefer Interstate batteries. There's other good ones out there too.

 

Yup second this, the original batteries in the car were finally replaced after16 years of service. 10 years of service is pretty average for most batteries nowadays and that can be extended significantly with proper care.

As for the OP's issue if you are getting a clunk when you turn the key it is probably a bad starter if no clunk it is probably cables/connections.

 

So after a few years, your battery runs off with another vehicle, but you still have to fork over half of everything you own?

And you're only allowed one battery at a time? This part is applicable to most cultures, but not all...

 

Just want to make sure I understand you correctly. When you say "turn over", you're talking about cranking the engine with the starter, right? Whether the engine actually runs on its own after releasing the starter, that's another story, and could be a problem with fuel, ignition, etc. But your starter should always engage reliably on the first try, and spin the crankshaft at a good clip. If your starter system (battery, cables, starter solenoid, starter, and control circuit) is in good condition, you should NEVER have to try the key a second time to get the starter to engage robustly.

So if I understand you correctly, you indeed have a problem with the starter system. First things first, charge your battery before any troubleshooting. Don't count on the alternator to do this. Don't waste your time with a trickle charger. You'll want an automatic charger with at least a ten amp output. If you don't have one, we'll wait. And then as your battery is charging, read this and get your meter ready:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...w-starter.html

This guide is written expressly for a slow or balky starter system. It will take about 5 minutes total, with three simple meter connections. It will find your problem. You don't even have to understand it, just read the meter and report back. For best results, try to duplicate your fault conditions, i.e. drive the truck to get everything good and warm, and then let it sit for half an hour or so with the hood closed for maximum underhood temperatures.

 

My 6.9l diesel has two batteries. I do however recommend sticking to one wife if possible.

 

What if you marry the same one twice?

 

Anything worth doing once is worth another try.

 

Been there, done that....Didn't work any better the second time....