O.T. easy starter question

[Anonymous-0]

Would you think that a starter on a vehicle (94 ford ranger) that sat outside awhile, (acting like a dead battery when you turn the key clicking etc., battery is fully charged and tested with a load switch on the tester, plenty of juice) is gone bad ?

When I first got it running after sitting, the starter was locked up, then freed itself up after bumping it a few times, was not been hammered by trying to start an engine that does not run either, just wondering if it sounds like something is has shorted in there from sitting or who knows what, when I used the load switch with the battery connected to vehicle, it seemed to draw a lot more, the reading was in the "replace battery" area, so I disconnected and tested again, battery was fine.

What is kind of fogging my brain on this one is, the fact that I've replaced the dash, steering column, did a minor repair to the circuit board behind the speedo, yet all everything except the horn worked, fuel gauge read way full, but no electrical issues related, was plug and play, probably not related at all, I hope LOL !

Not good to let anything sit around that is for sure, and lately seems like the gremlins have made a pass by here, starter was working fine LOL !

 

[rustyfarmall]

Do a thorough inspection of your battery cables before you go any further. Take it from me. Those cables can appear to be perfectly good, but still be severly corroded inside the insulation.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Funny you mention those cables doing that, my 850 ford tractor seems to have that same problem, and it's in the garage, in the way of getting this little truck back in there so I can finish up with it, electrical gremlins are running rampant over here, in the midst of being busy, they just want you to throw money at em to make em go away ! LOL

 

[Walt Davies]

Turn on your lights then try to start engine if the lights go out then you need to remove battery cables and clean with a knife scape then down to clean shiny bright lead or copper which ever you have.

If light don't go out then you have a starter problem.

Walt

 

[NBAllen]

Sure is a possibility.

This summer, the starter on my p/u went out - tested just fine in the electrical shop, but no-go on the truck.

Try shorting the relay that controls the starter solenoid. If the starter tries to turn over, the problem is likely in the starter solenoid (solenoid contacts not fully engaging).

The other (likely) possibility is that the starter motor is shorted internally - need to either rebuild or replace.

Nathaniel

 

[MF#1]

Funny thing, I recently got a '94 ranger 4.0L and one day out of the blue it started "clicking". Checked the connections and battery to no avail. Reached down and grabbed the starter connections and I could slightly move the wiring harness and it would start. Went back later and snugged the battery cable and smaller wire connections and it hasn't done it since.
I had pulled the starter earlier while swapping the trany out and apparently hadn't got both connections snug. Good Luck!

 

[rrlund]

Sounds like a dead spot in the armature. Can you turn the starter around by hand at all? Then try it again after you do. My Ford 6.9 diesel starter quit all of a sudden a month ago too though. Just loose where the cable hooked to the starter.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I had a similar experience with a 94 Ford. I always thought it was the starter. After replacing it a few times I found out the battery ground wire was poorly connected to the frame. Try juming it by hooking the negative jumper cable to the engine somewhere instead of the battery. It cost me a lot of money to find out about this simple problem.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Thanks again, I'll check all the connections, and try all suggestions etc., minor setback is all %$#!.... most likely from sitting, alternator was also seized up on it when I first got it running, got it freed up but the bearings squeak, that'll get replaced. Always something LOL !

 

[Anonymous-0]

Yes, well as is many times the case, it was a bad connection.

I traced it to the positive battery cable, did as Walt suggested, tried starting it with the lights on, they went off, you could tell that this was a short after that as it killed everything.

Usually, you'll get the white/green powdery oxidation at the battery terminals, and sometimes a bad connection at least in my experiences, many times I've wedged a battery connection tight when the ends were shot, to get by temporarily, sometime you'd have to wiggle em around a bit, but it always seemed to work.

This one was a dull gray on the inside, no oxidation and I thought I gave them a decent cleaning 2 months ago, well maybe I was distracted when I did the + terminal or something, as it seemed to have a glaze coat on it, the wire brush terminal tool did not take it off, and that was the problem, so I took a somewhat coarse round file to it, there was a significant amount of dust before it was shined up.

Honest, I'm not a dunce most of the time, and I think I've always known to keep these terminals clean, well except this time, must be age, sure had me fooled.... LOL !!!

Good reminder, clean connections are important.


Thanks for the suggestions !

 

[Anonymous-0]

Good one Walt, you learn something everyday, never would have thought of trying that, found that short immediately after, the positive cable got warm after a few tries.

 

[Joe Pro]

1 Reason ITS A FORD ha ha it sould be the starter selonid, try what the others said by shorting out the solinoid and see what happens.