Trouble starting.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
Trouble starting.
Strange stuff going on with my truck (1980 F100 w. 460/c6). I have had it running well, but when I went to start it last week it turns over reluctantly then starts clicking at the starter relay. If I put a battery charger on it, same thing. At full charge/boost it will crank over very slow a couple turns then will not have enough juice and nothing but clicking at the relay. I wondered if maybey my starter is dragging and there is not enough power to turn it over. Other wise I guess it's the starter relay/solenoid, but it seems to work if the battery has full power. I have jumped across the posts on the relay and same result.
Any help would be great. I hate to start throwing random parts at it.
Any help would be great. I hate to start throwing random parts at it.
Last edited by 66MercMan; Jul 25, 2005 at 01:54 PM.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 592
Likes: 0
From: BC, Canada
First thing I'd check is the battery posts, make sure they are clean and tight. I've had this problem before, everything "looks" ok but when you take off the cables they're corroded and not making good contact.
If it start well with the engine cold it's probably the starter. 429/460's are hard on starters and when they get cooked by the exhaust they stop working. I don't know if it's the windings or the bushings that go but I've had more than a few do this.
Good luck
If it start well with the engine cold it's probably the starter. 429/460's are hard on starters and when they get cooked by the exhaust they stop working. I don't know if it's the windings or the bushings that go but I've had more than a few do this.
Good luck
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,997
Likes: 2,742
From: Virginia
What's the voltage reading on the battery? If it's less than 12 volts you have a dead cell. You may want to leave the charger on low overnight, and then try cranking it again in the morning. I too vote bad connections at the battery, or a dead/bad battery.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 357
Likes: 0
Thanks guys, I took this battery from another truck because I knew it worked. Same results as last battery. I should probably clean up the connections. But the battery does show 13 or 14 volts and will start to turn it over, but after a couple slow cranks it dips below 12 and just clicks. I will take another battery to my shop and try it out in the next couple days. Thanks.
