Ok lets start back when this problem first started. Saturday family came down and we met them in town so they could follow us back to the house. Got to them without any problems, shut the bronco off and it wouldnt start back. All it was doing was clicking, so i fooled around with it some more and slammed the hood then it started back up. Sunday we went to town, i got a new battery and installed it. Still nothing, just clicked by the starter relay on the fender well. So i took the battery back cause mine was still good, and bought a relay. Installed the new starter relay and still does the same thing. I began to notice that after turning the key a few times everything was dead (idiot lights, dinger, dome light etc...) but i could wiggle the positive wire on the battery and everything would come back on. So today i went and bought a new positive battery cable, installed it and it still does the same thing. When you turn the key on, everything comes on with it like normal, but the voltage gauge really doesnt move, it stays in the red zone. Try starting it and it just clicks on the starter relay (or at least thats where the clicking sound is coming from). I can hook up boosters to it and it cranks on the first turn and runs fine. Drive it up and down the road, let it idle for 35 minutes and then shut it off. It doesnt start back up just sits and clicks. It doesnt sound like its coming from the starter, and ive also tapped on the starter to see if that was it. Still does the same thing.

Can anyone help me with this problem please. It will boost fine but without a boost it wont start and just sits there and clicks. Also, if i boost it and get it started would it be ok to drive as long as it doesnt get turned off?

 

Have you checked your battery to engine block grounding cable? How about the starter cable? If theres even a hint of corrosion on either the hot cable to the solenoid, to the starter, or to the ground I would change them. Theres not a whole lot else going on when starting plus cables are cheap. You can test the solenoid by bypassing it. Put a screwdriver on the relay post and arc it to the starter side. If your hearing it click though, my votes for a bad cable or ground.

 

It has a new positive cable going from battery to solenoid. Im checking the ground from battery to block tomorrow. The solenoid is new as well.

Can i still drive it though if i boost it. It idled perfect for 35 minutes today when i boosted it, it just wouldnt start back when i turned it off. So i can probably drive it without problems right?

 

Well, if you need a booster to start, its gotta be the ground or you have an alternator killing batteries. I'm leaning toward the first one though. Put a voltmeter on the battery and wiggle the negative cable. Ideally, 12.6V is what you want but you need a minimum of about 11.8V to start. If the voltage wanders when you wiggle it, its the ground cable. See what that does.

 

Well boosted the battery off last night and let it run with lights on and radio blaring for about two hours, so that ruled out the alternator. I took the battery in today to have it checked and the test came back as a bad cell. Bought a new battery, and now it starts right up. So after a new solenoid, new hot wire going from battery to solenoid and now a new battery, the truck is running great. When i get the money (yes i know its not expensive but other things are first on the list) then im going to replace the ground wires (going to block and starter). Thanks for the help and information, much appreciated.

 

Thats weird...what battery was it?

 

It was an ever start, and now i have ...... well crap i forgot what kind it was, it starts with a P. The ever start had 850 cold cranking amps, and 620 or so cranking amps. The battery i have now is 720/600.

 

I kind-of had the same problem, but not with the battery...but it had the starting problems, and it would start after 35 minutes...it was like a guessing game to figure out if it ('88 302 EFI) would work or not. Evetually, the ICM (ignition control module) on the distributor fixed it. I was even told by some guys that they actually have an extra ICM because it supposed to be pretty common.