We're now on our 2nd cold spell. For a week or so, I've noticed the battery isn't as up as it should be, or at least the start spun the engine slower than it should. Original battery lasted almost 6 years, barely 2 out of Walmart (late one Sunday night) battery. Anyway, yesterday and today, the starter engaged fine and spun a little slow, but as the truck started, the starter ground the bendix against the side of the ring gear. Or that's how it sounded anyway.

I'm assuming it is the hold-in coil not working or maybe staying engaged a second or two after it should have pulled out. Is there any chance a new battery will fix this? If not, should I just replace the starter or are there solenoid rebuild kits for it. I love my Ford truck but don't normally work on them.

 

Whoa, I can't even diagnose my own s**t. I had replaced the transmission with a used one about 54,000 miles ago. The used one had a broken off top starter bolt in the transmission. I had a pretty ugly job of getting it out, it never did break loose. I had to pick the individual threads out of the aluminum housing. I had a couple of modest to light gouges in the threads but the bolt held well enough and I didn't have a helicoil for whatever it was (M8x1?). Seemed good enough. I promised myself I'd check on it. Well I did, tonight, 54K miles later, in a little ice and snow and 11 degrees.

The top bolt on the starter was gone. The bottom bolt (the one with the ground on it) was loosened. The starter was swinging down maybe 3/4 inch. Ford did a fine job, I can't imagine it worked at all in that condition. Due to the weather, I didn't feel like making enough trips to get bolts to find the right length, plus the top one is hard to get to. I tightened the bottom bolt, dropped the truck and the starter worked like it was brand new. Hopefully I'll find the bolt size or buy several in the ballpark (anyone have a guess?) and put one on when it's at least daylight and above freezing.

My appologies to Walmart. Their battery was not at fault.