Starter not starting
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Tuned
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 363
Likes: 121
From: Montana
Starter not starting
I have been getting a loud click and no crank when I try to start my 2001 f250 with the 5.4 l.
I jumped the starter from the positive lug on the starter to the s wire and it just clicks, does not start the engine. So not the ignition switch or clutch switch.
I pulled the starter out and bench tested it. It worked fine. It's only about 6 months old. Also put in a new solenoid on the inner fender to make sure it is good.
I put the starter back in and ran jumper cables from positive and negative on the battery, hooked up the jumper cables to the starter and jumped the S wire and still just a click from the starter. So, not bad ground or corroded cables.
Battery is good, new AGM yellow top, even pulled it out and put it on a trickle charger overnight. It tests good with my battery tester. I also hooked up to another rig with jumper cables just out of curiosity, still no start.
I think I basically ruled out everything that could cause a no start but still not getting the engine to turn over.
Any other ideas? What am I missing?
I jumped the starter from the positive lug on the starter to the s wire and it just clicks, does not start the engine. So not the ignition switch or clutch switch.
I pulled the starter out and bench tested it. It worked fine. It's only about 6 months old. Also put in a new solenoid on the inner fender to make sure it is good.
I put the starter back in and ran jumper cables from positive and negative on the battery, hooked up the jumper cables to the starter and jumped the S wire and still just a click from the starter. So, not bad ground or corroded cables.
Battery is good, new AGM yellow top, even pulled it out and put it on a trickle charger overnight. It tests good with my battery tester. I also hooked up to another rig with jumper cables just out of curiosity, still no start.
I think I basically ruled out everything that could cause a no start but still not getting the engine to turn over.
Any other ideas? What am I missing?
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 363
Likes: 121
From: Montana
I think I ruled that out when I ran jumper cables from battery directly to the starter when in the truck, both positive and negative. Positive to the large lug on the starter and negative to the starter body.
I'm missing some failure point, just not sure what. I'm wondering if the starter works when bench testing but doesn't have the cojones to actually crank the engine. It's cold here, high today was below zero, low was pushing negative 30.
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Tuned
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 363
Likes: 121
From: Montana
I'll check accessories, crossed my mind that the engine could be locked up. Ran fine when I shut it off last time. I've had this click no start before, though it would usually fire up.
I'm stumped.
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Tuned
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 363
Likes: 121
From: Montana
Pulled serpentine and everything moved freely.
Was hoping that was going to turn something up.
Will turn the engine over by hand tomorrow and see what it does. Might throw a new starter at it I guess tomorrow if the engine turns over fine. No idea why it would bench fine but not work in the truck.
This is my plow truck and we're due for 12" to 24" in the next few days. Got to get it to fire up.
Was hoping that was going to turn something up.
Will turn the engine over by hand tomorrow and see what it does. Might throw a new starter at it I guess tomorrow if the engine turns over fine. No idea why it would bench fine but not work in the truck.
This is my plow truck and we're due for 12" to 24" in the next few days. Got to get it to fire up.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 19,768
Likes: 1,082
From: St Louis
Try cranking with the belt still removed and verify the condition still exists.
Could easily be a corrode connection or cable (internal to insulation). Your jumper cable test may not have been sufficient to properly test.
Use your meter to check the voltage at both the large and small terminals on the starter while trying to crank to make sure you're not dropping your supply voltage.
No idea why it would bench fine but not work in the truck.
Use your meter to check the voltage at both the large and small terminals on the starter while trying to crank to make sure you're not dropping your supply voltage.
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Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 363
Likes: 121
From: Montana
Try cranking with the belt still removed and verify the condition still exists.
Could easily be a corrode connection or cable (internal to insulation). Your jumper cable test may not have been sufficient to properly test.
Use your meter to check the voltage at both the large and small terminals on the starter while trying to crank to make sure you're not dropping your supply voltage.
Could easily be a corrode connection or cable (internal to insulation). Your jumper cable test may not have been sufficient to properly test.
Use your meter to check the voltage at both the large and small terminals on the starter while trying to crank to make sure you're not dropping your supply voltage.
I took apart the cable end that hooks to the battery and soldered on a new end, attached it to a new side post on the battery and tried to start it, it just clicked again, then hooked a jumper cable from my other truck to that lead and it fired up, so you were right, running a jumper cable from the battery to the starter in the truck was not helpful info. Seems like the cable is not carrying juice like it should and that coupled with a cold battery was the problem..
Probably need to replace the cables, might be corroded under the insulation (no real corrosion visible at cable ends).
Thanks again.
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Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 363
Likes: 121
From: Montana
I did check voltage, got 12v at starter, but kind of hard to check the voltage drop when cranking by yourself. That was the idea behind jumper cables to the starter to take cables out of the equation. Apparently didn't work.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 19,768
Likes: 1,082
From: St Louis
I did check voltage, got 12v at starter
but kind of hard to check the voltage drop when cranking by yourself.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 19,768
Likes: 1,082
From: St Louis
I did check voltage, got 12v at starter
but kind of hard to check the voltage drop when cranking by yourself.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 19,768
Likes: 1,082
From: St Louis
You can connect it between the battery's positive post and the small terminal on the starter relay then drop it down so you can activate it while under the truck with your meter connected between ground and the two circuits to be tested. Also test between the battery's negative post and the starter's case so you can test the ground circuit's integrity. You'd be looking for little or no voltage to be measured across the ground circuit under load.
If the voltages don't drop too much, then it's likely a failed starter.
If the voltages don't drop too much, then it's likely a failed starter.
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