I recently bought a non running 82 f250 with the 460. After replacing some of the ignition wiring, the starter and the solenoid it started right up. I ran it a few time after that, then one day I went out and when I tried to start it the starter stuck on even after I turned the key back. I got it to start after removing the battery connector and reconnecting it a few minutes later. Then today I went out to start it and it cranked but didn’t start and when I went to re crank it after putting some starting fluid in it all I got was a click. Any ideas what could be causing my issue?

 

Here you go:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...i-mean-it.html

Sounds like your new starter relay (aka solenoid) is failing. Is it a Fling Dung brand?

Replace the relay with a quality unit and go from there. See if that also takes care of the no-crank situation. If not, more light reading at this link, showing how to continue troubleshooting:

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

 

Thanks for the responses. My daily broke down so I have been focused on that and honestly forgot I posted this thread so sorry for the late response. I am going to replace the solenoid but am not sure what one to get. What is your guy’s opinion on this subject? Also the no crank isn’t from the solenoid because I tried jumping it and I got nothing. I am pulling the starter to bench test it today so I will let y’all know the results. After that what should i test next?

 

Because I have seen this posted time after time of the cheap part store solenoids doing what yours did, I went with a NAPA top of the line solenoid.
It was more money and shocked the parts guy that I asked for it but I have not had any issues with it in the almost 2 years its been installed.
Dave ----

 

You didn't read either link, did you? Maybe just skimmed them?

Go back to the first link for some specific recommendations.


​​​​​​​Please clarify how you "jumped" the starter relay.

Did you connect a heavy cable between the two large terminals? This simulates the internal contacts being connected and sending battery power to the starter.

Or did you apply battery power to the small S terminal? This mimics the start command from the ignition switch. The relay should have made a big clunk, even if nothing else happened.

Big difference in how to proceed, so please provide more details.

​​​​​​​Click and read this. Well worth your time!

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Your reading comprehension level? All the answers you need are in those two links i gave earlier.

 

Yep, NAPA solenoid, installed May 24 2019, still works great.

 

okay, starter is bad even though it’s brand new so I’m going to get a replacement today. Is there any starter that you guys recommend? I know you guys say Napa has the best relay but there isn’t a Napa close to me. I’m going to try a different one from orilleys and if that doesn’t work I will clean my grounds and power wires and get one from Napa. Thank you guys for all the help, hopefully I will have it fixed by tonight.

 

Not trying to bust your behind, but how did you prove it was bad? We've seen many instances where a perfectly good starter gets replaced, often more than once. Many guys don't get suspicious until the third starter in a row.

Was this bad starter a new or remanufactured unit? Some of the new ones are junk, straight out of the box. Lifetime warranty? That's pure marketing hype. By design, a starter will wear out so run screaming from any place that tells you otherwise. A lifetime warranty doesn't mean it's a higher quality component. It just means the seller is willing to gamble you'll lose the receipt.

Given the chance to spend your time and money, I'd recommend a quality remanufactured starter with a realistic guarantee. Stay away from the newly manufactured Chinese junk.

Oy vey! Where do you live? One of the reasons I like NAPA is their broad network of stores. We take our truck all over the Northwest on long camping trips. If a small town is big enough for an auto parts store, it's almost always a NAPA.


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Sorry, but in my over-inflated opinion, they are one of the worst offenders. I'll buy brand name parts from them but will steer clear of their house brand stuff. Save yourself some aggravation and go with a quality name brand.
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Trying to save you from doing extra work. Read the guide for troubleshooting a slow or dead starter while I bang my head against the wall. A VERY common problem is corrosion inside a crimped connection. It all looks fine on the outside, but no amount of external cleaning will fix it. You'll reconnect the same bad (but clean-looking) connection and move on to changing an expensive perfectly good part in hopes of a fix. Don't fear the meter! It is your friend.

 

I tested the starter with a good battery and pair of jumper cables, when I gave it power it spun slowly and didn’t engage so I’m pretty sure it’s bad but I will also have the auto parts store check it before I return it. It is a Wilson brand that I got from orilleys, I am just flipping the truck for profit so I didn’t want to get anything too expensive. I don’t care about the warranty because I’m getting rid of the truck very soon so I think I’m just going to get the cheapest one that is in stock. There is a Napa in my region but orilleys and autozone are much closer. Also I have gift cards for orilleys that I was planning to use. If I need to I will definitely go to Napa it’s just not my first choice. The truck did sit for a while so I don’t doubt that the cables could be internally corroded. If I wanted to replace the cables what is the cheapest way to do so? Also my Coolant and oil gauge lines in the engine bay were very corroded and so my gauges don’t work. I have wire and the right connectors, can I just splice in a new wire using butt connectors or will it mess up the readings?

 

You can splice in new wire to the sending units with no harm to the readings. The parts stores carry universal battery cables, some with battery ends some with ring terminals on both ends in various lengths and red or black.

If you keep buying cheap starters, you usually will end up with a good one. That is usually one that was turned in that did not have a problem in the first place. Thank goodness for parts changers or we would not have any good "rebuilt" starters and alternators to choose from.

 

Playing devil's advocate here, but how do you know your cables are in top condition and capable of handling the massive current flow? And did you measure the battery voltage under load?

I'll say it one last time and then I'm out. Run the voltage drop test as previously suggested. I literally do this stuff for a living. I fix the problems that kick the other guys' behinds. This test will absolutely positively pinpoint the cause of the problem. It tests everything in the starter system. Battery, starter, starter relay, cables, and all connections are covered. Ten minutes tops and you will know exactly what is at fault. It breaks my heart to see guys repeatedly load the parts catapult (Pull!) in hopes of a fix.


Please see my previous comments on the value of bench testing a starter.

Keep us posted.

 

Ok, I replaced my starter and solenoid with ones from orilleys. Aswell as my positive battery terminal wire with one I had laying around and all my issues seemed to go away. I actually just traded it yesterday for a diesel so I can’t give any long term results on the parts but they both seemed like they were good quality.