My Exp is a 2000 EB, 5.4, 2X4, 196,000 miles.

My truck has an elictrical problem. This morning when I tried to start it, it acted like it had a dead battery, but it didn't. Here's how it went.

1) Disarmed the alarm with the fob - acted fine, no sign of a weak battery.

2) Opened the door - acted fine, interior lights and running board lights were bright

3) Tried to start it - all hell broke loose

• All lights went out completely
• The alarm went off sounding like it was drunk (very low volumn and slurred)
• The ignition just clicked

For all intent and purposes it acted like the battery was bad.

I opened the hood and the hood light was even out completely. I disconnected the battery and reconnected it again. In doing that full power came back to everything instantly. It was as if disconnecting the battery had reset something in the electrical system. So I tried to start it again, and all the previously mentioned bad stuff happens again.

I go through this process four or five times and it finally starts like there was never a problem. I drove it to work and had no driveability issues. After getting to work I turned it off and started it again just to see if it was going to start and it did. The whole thing was just odd.

Does anyone have any experience with anything like this. Cars don't fix thenselves and the last thing I want to have happen is for this to leave my wife and children stranded if I'm not there.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Sounds like there might be a bad or corroded connection somewhere.

 

Yup. Most likely just a bad connection at the battery terminals. Take both cables off, clean everything with wire brush and then reconnect and make sure the connection is tight.

Should make the problem disappear.

 

Piling on.

Bad battery connection or cable.

If cleaning the connections doesn't work, the cable has probably rotted from the inside.

 

Sounds like you battery may below the require volts. Had the same thing happen on my 2004 Expy. Replaced the old battery and all is fine.

 

Ditto for me, too.

A couple of winters ago I had the same symptoms you described. Lights and everything else seemed to work but no start. Replaced the battery and the problem went away.

Check the cables to make sure nothing has come loose. Invest in a battery terminal brush and clean the terminals/connectors. If it still acts wacky, I'd bet on the battery.