STARTING PROBLEM.. Battery or Starter?
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: houston
STARTING PROBLEM.. Battery or Starter?
I have a 97 F250(early style body) 5.8L E4OD 4x4. Lately I have been having intermittent starting problems. What happens is that after driving for a while, the engine will not turn over when I try to restart it. I have checked the battery with a meter as well as a hydrometer and the battery shows full charge. It also passes a load test. After it cools down, as little as 15-20min. it turns over fine and fires right up. The charging system has been checked and it is working fine as well. I even tried squirting water on the starter to cool it down, but this seems to have no effect. Now the good part. It does not act this way all the time. Some days it does not give any trouble at all. Does anybody know how many AMP's the starter should draw? Let me clear one thing up. When I say it won't turn over, I mean it will turn about half a turn then stop. You can hear the solenoid click and the starter kick in. So I know that is working also. Any Ideas? Thanks.
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
If you hear the solenoid click and the starter kick-in everytime, even though it won't crank, it's going to be the starter or a problem with the engine. I would try the starter. It's the best guess, and sometimes that's all you can do. The amperage draw of the starter will depend on a lot of different things and conditions. I would expect around 80- 100 amps.
New User
Joined: Sep 2005
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I have a very similar Problem in my 87 f-150 with a 302 and auto tranny. I replaced the starter, and everything seemed good for a day or 2 then it happened again. Had the alt load tested and it showed fine. Battery also showed fine. It is so intermittent that it is frustrating. Sure hope it isn't my motor tightening up.(174000 miles)
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
A motor with 174000 miles is usually very easy to turn. Wide tolerances in the bearings and lower compression. I would not worry about that, unless it ran low on oil a couple of times.
Be very descriptive of your problem. If you turn the keyswitch, and all the warning lights come on, but when you turn the key to start, you get nothing but silence, then it may be your neutral safety switch on the clutch pedal or the one on the side of the auto tranny. If can also be the linkage in the steering column not pushing on the ignition switch enough.
One way to check to see if it's the neutral safety or the switch linkage is to turn the key to run MAKE SURE IT'S IN PARK OR NEUTRAL and go out and jump the small terminal on the starter relay to the large terminal that goes to the battery +. It should fire right up.
Be very descriptive of your problem. If you turn the keyswitch, and all the warning lights come on, but when you turn the key to start, you get nothing but silence, then it may be your neutral safety switch on the clutch pedal or the one on the side of the auto tranny. If can also be the linkage in the steering column not pushing on the ignition switch enough.
One way to check to see if it's the neutral safety or the switch linkage is to turn the key to run MAKE SURE IT'S IN PARK OR NEUTRAL and go out and jump the small terminal on the starter relay to the large terminal that goes to the battery +. It should fire right up.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Easton,Ks
Also try turning on your headlights and have some one watch them when try to start it. If they dim you have too big of a load, if they go out then you have electrical problems.
Do the dash lights go out when will not start?
Let us know.
Do the dash lights go out when will not start?
Let us know.
New User
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It was running way rich when I got it. The TPS was bad. The person I bought it from was just throwing parts at it. I bought the truck with a spare motor for $500. He suspected the bearings were washed out pretty good, so I was suppose to swap motors. Well I have other plans for that motor.
As for the starting issue, it is exactly like the first post describes. Everything will be fine and then I will shut off the motor. Sometimes it will restart, other times it will not. When it does not restart, it will crank about half a turn and stop. Just like a weak battery. If I wait awhile, it will eventually turn over like normal. I am not sure if it is building a surface charge while sitting. I am thinking that the alt may have an intermittent short (bad winding/regulator). I will be finding out more this weekend when I have time to work on it.
Thanks for the replies.
As for the starting issue, it is exactly like the first post describes. Everything will be fine and then I will shut off the motor. Sometimes it will restart, other times it will not. When it does not restart, it will crank about half a turn and stop. Just like a weak battery. If I wait awhile, it will eventually turn over like normal. I am not sure if it is building a surface charge while sitting. I am thinking that the alt may have an intermittent short (bad winding/regulator). I will be finding out more this weekend when I have time to work on it.
Thanks for the replies.
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