Okay, is it a bad starter when you try to crank your engine but all you hear is a click? If it is, I've been having this problem for a few weeks now, but it would eventually crank, until last night. It happened once last night, but I got under my truck and beat the living crud out of it with a hammer, and that got it to crank. But then once I had driven a good 20 miles from my house, I couldn't get it to crank again even when i beat it with a hammer. I was stuck. So now I have a question. How can I get it home and replace this starter? I don't have the kind of money to pay a tow truck to bring it home, and I barely have enough money to fix it. From what I have seen, starters cost around $100 to $300, and I am a little on the broke side. Someone please help I dont know what to do.

Drew

 

Is it a 5-speed or automatic? You can push start a 5-speed.
Have you checked all of the cable connections (top and bottom) to make sure none are loose or corroded? Have you tried jumping it? Maybe more voltage will get it started to get it home.

 

Drew, it sounds like your battery is dead. You said that when you try to crank the motor that all it does is click? Thats a dead battery. When a starter fails it makes like a high pitch noise, and the truck doesn't turn over at all. Starters aren't too expensive, plus you can get rebuilt ones for like half the price of a new one, and batteries aren't really that expensive. I think you could pick one up for like 40-50 bucks maybe, depending upon where you go.

Hope that helps and good luck,
Garrett

 

I just got back from my truck and I tried everything from jump starting it to trying a new battery and beating my starter. Nothing is working so it must be the starter. gman150, where could I find one of these starter for 50 bucks? My budget is low and I need to save all the money I can right now. Thanks for your help

Drew

 

I replaced my starter last summer on my 1997 F-150 S/C 4X4. I went to a gas station last, shut it off and when I went to start it all it did was "click" too. I went to a parts store with my old starter and got a remanufactured one with a 3 year warrenty. While I was there they tested my old one and it worked. It turned out to be the silinoid that is atached to the starter that was broken. However you can't get the two seperately. It is about 125 for the starter/silinoid I got. Another place I went to had the same one with the same warrenty for 250, so shop around. It is fairly easy to do. You need to disconnect the battery, dissconect the wire to the starter/silinoid and remove the three bolts the hold the starter in place. It can be a little hard to get at one or two of the bolts but with a good socket set and some 3'' and 6'' extentions it can be done in less than 1 hour. It was the first one I ever did.

Also, the wire that connects tho the starter has been known to be the problem for corroding. Replacement starters usually cone with a wire splice to replace the bad wire which I went ahead and did too.

 

That "solenoid" on the starter is actually called a "bendix" which engages the starter gear. Beating it with a hammer is a way of freeing it up and will only work one, maybe two times. Although I've never seen it work the second time.

As far as getting it home, go to wallmart and buy a tow rope.

Autozone shows a starter for $129 plus $10 core charge. They also show a starter repair kit $24.99, but I don't know what this is.

autozone.com

 

Don't forget the starter relay hiding under the plastic shield at the passenger side rear of the engine compartment. They can go.

 

hey Bliath, how did u get the middle bolt out of the starter? i had a 98 and the starter went bad and my only option since i didnt have a garage was to take it out on the street in 10* weather. it was cold. i couldnt even touch that bolt with my finger. then i said to myself " id give someone 50 bucks to do this". turns out thats what the ford garage wanted so i pop started it and took it over. just wanted to know for future reference.

 

It turned out to be the starter solenoid. I had my truck towed home with AAA. I got the solenoid at autozone and put it on in about 1n hour and a half. It took longer than i expected because i was working out on the street where the tow truck dropped it off and also dirt and dust kept falling in my eyes and i had to re-splice a wire that had broken. Wasnt too bad of a swap, it got my truck running again.

Drew

 

Glad you fixed your problem. For what it is worth--

I was in freezing weather and went into a meeting, came out and my 120,000 mile 1999 F-150 wouldn't start. I had lights and inside power but clicking. I had a friend take me to Autozone 2 times before a parts guy told me to hammer and try to jump start the starter. I did and it started and got me home!-luckily.

When I got home and in some light, I looked at the starter wires an noticed the main lead was corroded! I had to take the whole wiring harness off and was ready to spend big bucks to replace this until my (electrical neighbor) saw me with the harness. He took it from me and brought it back that afternoon after splicing a new lead on the end.

The truck now has 180,000 miles on it. The tie rods are another story!

 

When I first looked at the starter, I too thought it was impossible to remove the starter myself whith the tight space to work with. However, my dad showed me that with the right combination of tools, it is not impossible. Just put the correct size socket on the right length of extention(s) and "feed" it in toward the bolt until it seats on the bolt. Then connect the lengthy piece(s) of extention(s) to the wrench and carefully remove the bolt. To reincert the bolt just reverse the process. Place the bolt in the socket and put the socket on the extention and "feed" it all to the bolt hole and attach it all to the wrench for tightening.

For me, I have very small hands and long yet clumsy fingers so I was able (just barely) to hand tight on the bolt with my fingers when placing the new starter on.

 

Yeah i didnt get too much into it since it was so cold. thanx

 

97 4x4offroad 4.6 175k miles

I have noticed a common factor... COLD
On a 16* morning down here in SC all i got was a click, no turn over. I just keep tyrin to crank it, tried jumpin, and it finaly cranked, drove to school, came home, drove to work, came home, next mornin same temp, same problem, cept this time no Loud rumble, she wouldnt start. Had her toed to Pit stop, they found "open diode" on the altenator, they replaced the alt. i brought her home, and it was about 2 weeks before we had another 16* mornin, but it wouldnt start at all that mornin same problem, so they replaced the starter. Apparently the bushin on the appendix arm was kinda missing, for the last 6 months (this explained a noise i had been hearin for about 6 months) And alls good in the south now.