My 90, 3.0 has a intermitent starting problem. Once in awhile I will shut it off and come back a couple minutes later and it cranks like the battery is dead. It will barely turn over. If I let it sit for a few minutes and try again alot of times it will start. I checked the alternator and it is putting out 13.56 volts. Went to the part store today where I bought the battery 8 months ago to have them check it and they said it was fine. A few months ago I was having a problem with my starter sticking when I would start it. Turn the key off and the gear in the starter would continue to spin. I would have to pull the battery cable off a few times to get it to stop. Replaced the solenoid and that solved that problem. My question now is could the starter be this intermitent problem that I am having?

 

13.5 volts is kind of weak for an alternator, even though it should still be OK. On all the cars I have owned, the alternators put out 14.5 volts with very little diferences from car to car. Did you try to clean the battery terminals? A lot of times people will clean the posts on the battery and forget to clean the inside of the cables.

However, I kind of suspect that your starter is bad if it has been spinning like that before. If the solenoid got stuck and the starter is spinning while the engine is running, that'll kill the starter.

Good luck

 

Thanks for the reply. The battery terminals are brand new. I don't know what else could cause this problem other than the starter.

 

As far as replacements go the starter is the easiest way easier then the spark plugs.

Simply disconnect the Negative terminal from the battery then disconnect the wires from the starter loosen the 3 bolts holding it down twist it counter clockwise and pull it out.

Just be sure to put the ground wire back on the top bolt when you reinstall the new starter let it hang rather then tuck it away so you remember to put it back.

 

No kidding it is easier than spark plugs. According to the Haynes guide, you can remove the rearmost passenger side plug (#3) through the passenger compartment. Ha ha. There isn't enough room there. I had to do it from underneath the van. I have never replaced our starter, but it looks easy.

 

Yes I read that too in the manual I opened the cover and said they're nuts unless I could crush my hands to the size of an ordinary household spounge and bend them 3 ways .

I personally had no problem with this plug the drivers gave me a pain since my socket would fit over the plug but the exhaust manifold pipes prevented me from turning my ratchet so I took another socket to put on top of the spark plug socket which gave me clearance and I finally got it out.

 

Replace your entire negative cable. Chances are, it's the original, and shot. The clue was in your post, you said if you wait a little, the van will start. Heat, and the "heat soak" issue will cause this. (GM starters were famous for refusing to start when hot, on an older vehicle. You had to either shield the starter from heat, or wait until it cooled) I replaced my Aerostar (3.0V6 1987) neg. 4 guage stock cable with a 1 guage cable, with a pintail ground to the body. Now the van starts effortlessly, and the lights, all are very bright (especially when you have all electrical acc. on, lights, turn signals, heater, wipers, rear window defogger, etc.) That was 6+ years ago. Also, your negative cable might look fine, appearence wise. But when they get old, from a high heat enviorment, the copper wire gets brittle, cracks, causing weak or poor electric conductivity. On my old neg. cable, I cut of the insulation with a straight edge razor. The copper wire almost crumbled in my hands. Slightly bending the wire, and the copper strands cracked easily from being brittle. Just my @.02 ...

 

I had similar problems last year with 1993 XLT with 140,000. We had lived with intermittent starting problems for several months, thinking the cable head was lose. I replaced both cables with cable assembly from dealer and problem went away.

 

That makes sense. I know that they a stock cables and are probably due for a changing. Thanks for all the info.