Hi everyone, great website!

Anyway, yesterday I was experiencing a single "click" everytime I tried to turn the engine over. I figured there was some sort of problem with the starter, as I had just put a brand new battery in. After trying to start the engine multiple times (sometimes 20-30 times), it will eventually turn over and run fine.

I got some great advice from another board and it sounds like the problem has been narrowed down to the starter solenoid. I made sure that my battery connections were all good and tight and that the terminals were clean. I also checked out the connections on the solenoid this morning (cleaned them as well) and they look okay. The only thing I noticed is that the bottom terminal of the solenoid appears broken . . . I can actually move it back and forth a fair bit on the plate that it is attached to. I almost get the sense that this piece is moving around on the inside of the solenoid as well and that it may not be providing a proper connection. I'm guessing that sometimes I fluke out and get a good connection when it moves to the right spot (which would result in the engine turning over) but more often than not, the connection is bad and I just get the "click".

I'm going to pick up a new starter solenoid and see if that is indeed the problem. Is there anything I should keep an eye out for with this particular job? It looks like it should be pretty straightforward. Any advice you could throw my way would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Oops, I forgot to mention that it is on a 97 F-150 4X4 with the 4.6 Auto

 

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I had the same problem with the same truck. All I got was a single click noise too. I came to find it was a stater issue. I went to remove it and the Silinoid plastic piece crumbled apart when I tried to remove a wire lead that was secured by a screw on it. I think that was the source of the prob. I put juice to the stater after removing it and it still worked. I decided to replace the Starter unit all together. It was my fisrt time replacing a starter, my dad made me do it myself. All is needed is a socket set and several extentions (a couple of 6''s). Replacement starters come with a small wire piece to splice in to the silinoid because the ford staters had corostion form on the wire that connects to the silinoid, whick can also cause the starter not to opperate.

 

Thanks for the reply Bliath and for the welcome Tim.

Funny story, I had to order a solenoid in as they didn't have one in stock and the weather has warmed up quite a bit here. Anyway, the truck now turns over on the first crank every single time I'm going to change the solenoid out when it gets here as the one terminal does appear busted, but the truck is sure starting and running fine for the time being.

I suspect it is entirely possible that only the colder weather brings out the problem . . . which would mean that the clicking will probably return soon enough.

Fun stuff

 

It doesn't get cold in PG does it?

 

Have had the starter cable replaced about 3 times on my truck because one terminal kept corroding and breaking off. Also had the starter replaced once because water would get in it and freeze messing up the solenoid.

 

Thanks for the info f-150 hot rod. I'm keeping all of these other things in the back of my mind just in case it isn't the solenoid itself.

Racerguy, I assume by your post that you know it doesn't get cold here at all