Slow Starter 3rd one installed
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 358
Likes: 1
From: Florida
Slow Starter 3rd one installed
I installed a reman starter in Feb of this Year. Worked pretty good then this weekend It started barely turning over. Had the batteries checked and they were good. I installed another remanufactured starter and was better but still not nearly as fast as it should be. So I brought that one back and got another. Installed that one and it will start the truck but its still not as fast turn over spped as it should be and causes a longer start then usual. I also changed the starter relay again and it was no different. Im on my 3rd reman starter in less than a year. Im wondering if anyone else has had this problem with a reman starter. I bought the starter at advance and did notice MADE IN CHINA right on the starter. Im wondering if I should bring it back and get a Ford or another brand of starter or are they all made in China now. I totally cleaned the posts on the battery and the inside and outside of cables. Also has anyone seen a drop in Amps caused by a bad battery cable. I checked the red and black cables and see nothing wrong with them. Any input will help.
Thanks
Thanks
all alone in the world
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,038
Likes: 1
From: oklahoma
bad battery cables can cause starter problems like yours. new starters are tight for a little while, might need to run it for a little while and see if it loosens up. have some one check the cranking amp draw on your truck, that way you will know. also check batt. voltage while cranking. sometimes the batts get weak and dont have enough juice to crank these things over right.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2004
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assuming, and i hate to assume, you had the batteries checked correctly...i perfer to load test them with a carbon pile load tester. then, if they are up to par, proceed to the cables and connections. just because a cable looks good on the outside, that doesn't mean it's GOOD. run a voltage drop test while cranking the engine, no more than .5 voltage drop at the starter ( compared to the drop measured at the battery). a connection that is overlooked is where the neg cable connects to the engine, remove it and clean it GOOD! these checks should locate your problem. have a ford day!
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Florida
ONe battery is brand new and the other one was changed in Feb. I had them checked at autozone and advance just to make sure. Both are totally fine. I am going to pull both Negative cables and clean them real good. Then see the current draw on the battery. When I check the voltage drop which battery should I use to see the drop on? I just want to make sure its the cable since there not cheap from Ford. Does anyone know where I can get an aftermarket postive battery cable or has anyone ever made there own?
Tuned
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 275
Likes: 9
From: San Antonio
if you have the opportunity pick up a tube of conductive grease (aka dielectric grease) and smear it on the posts and teminal ends before you re-attach the cables... this fills any small pitts between the post and terminal with a conductor, then smear some all over the post/terminal once connected to prevent corrosion. I've been doing this for years and have never had corrosion/conductive problems.
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 50
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From: Ohio
Hey!
Sounds like you may not be clear on voltage drop testing (definately should be done in your case). A inexpensive volt meter, set on the lowest dc volt scale, attach leads on both ends of ONE cable at a time, crank engine and observe. It should stay locked on 0 volts, if it does go over .5 volts, there is serious resistance (problem) with that cable. This sounds like a weird test at first, but as a Master (auto) tech over 20 years it has made me a hero several tmes.
Thanks, Tony D.
Sounds like you may not be clear on voltage drop testing (definately should be done in your case). A inexpensive volt meter, set on the lowest dc volt scale, attach leads on both ends of ONE cable at a time, crank engine and observe. It should stay locked on 0 volts, if it does go over .5 volts, there is serious resistance (problem) with that cable. This sounds like a weird test at first, but as a Master (auto) tech over 20 years it has made me a hero several tmes.
Thanks, Tony D.
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 358
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From: Florida
So lets make sure I have this correct.
Take the positive cable on the right or left hand battery and attach the red lead from my volt meter to it. Then put the black volt meter wire to the positive cable on the starter. Turn it over and see if I have voltage of .5 or higher. If this is the way to do it Im not sure if the leads are long enough on my volt meter. I can make up my own wire for my volt meter but will that added resistance cause a bad test.
OR
Attach the red lead on the volt meter to one of the batteries positive cables then attach the black lead on the volt meter to the other positive battery cable. Then start and see if I have .5 or higher voltage.
ALSO:
Can I do this same test with the negative battery cables.
Take the positive cable on the right or left hand battery and attach the red lead from my volt meter to it. Then put the black volt meter wire to the positive cable on the starter. Turn it over and see if I have voltage of .5 or higher. If this is the way to do it Im not sure if the leads are long enough on my volt meter. I can make up my own wire for my volt meter but will that added resistance cause a bad test.
OR
Attach the red lead on the volt meter to one of the batteries positive cables then attach the black lead on the volt meter to the other positive battery cable. Then start and see if I have .5 or higher voltage.
ALSO:
Can I do this same test with the negative battery cables.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 25,090
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From: Rio Rico, AZ.
You have the right idea. Just test at each end of the cable in question. Tony's technique is one that I use a lot too. I could tell you many stories about people coming in after having thier alternator replaced at a different shop and still having thier battery go dead. And it is easy to find the tired alternator wiring harness or internally corroded battery cables using this method.
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From: Baltimore
Were the batteries tested with the cables disconnected or hooked up? If the cables were hooked up you are testing combined voltage and not individual voltage. Are both batteries the proper size for the application?