No Crank, no start, clicking relays and other electrical nasty stuff
#1
05-21-2015, 02:04 PM
No Crank, no start, clicking relays and other electrical nasty stuff
So I've read a lot of related topics regarding this issue of clicking behind the dash and PATS and PCM and so on ... I'm kind of baffled.
Here is my situation - I have a 2001 Supercrew Lariat - 5.4 4x4 about 200k on the odometer. I've had an issue the past number of years with my battery and alternator being I get a no crank no start situation. Bad alternator, dead battery kind of thing.
This winter I had my truck parked for a few months. Went to start it, nothing, charged up battery. Wouldn't hold charge so itook it in the local auto store tested it and comfirmed battery was dead. Bought and installed new battery, installed new terminals, checked cables etc . I also installed an inline lithium charger\conditioner and bought one of those cheap battery and alternator condition things that you plug into the cigarette lighter. It would indicate I have a drop in charge from the battery but not alot and starting was no issue. Drove it for about a month or two. Had to go out of town for a week but my wife moved the truck during that time on a couple of occasions.
Came back yesterday and everything is dead. I plug in the inline charger, charge it up over overnight. Test the battery voltage and it's all good, like 12.65. Test the voltage at starter relay on the firewall same voltage. Put the key in the ignition, get lights, door chime etc. I turn to key half way and gauges come on for about 10 secs and then everything dies. I sometimes get very dim flashing from the security light, or dim flashing from the overhead interior lights and a rapid clicking coming from relay 1 from the fuse box under the driver side dash fuse box. I believe that's the audio relay. I take the key out and it continues to click without the key. I have to disconnect the battery to stop it.
The battery voltage still reads around 12.65 or so maybe small drop but at the starter relay it's dropped to 10.55. Once i disconnect the battery for a few min, everything returns to before until I turn the key and i get the same, no crank, guages light up and turn then dies and clicking from Relay one until I disconnect the battery again.
I don't want to start replacing expensive parts as I'm already in a few hundred for the battery and charger. Any input where I should start my diagnoses?
Here is my situation - I have a 2001 Supercrew Lariat - 5.4 4x4 about 200k on the odometer. I've had an issue the past number of years with my battery and alternator being I get a no crank no start situation. Bad alternator, dead battery kind of thing.
This winter I had my truck parked for a few months. Went to start it, nothing, charged up battery. Wouldn't hold charge so itook it in the local auto store tested it and comfirmed battery was dead. Bought and installed new battery, installed new terminals, checked cables etc . I also installed an inline lithium charger\conditioner and bought one of those cheap battery and alternator condition things that you plug into the cigarette lighter. It would indicate I have a drop in charge from the battery but not alot and starting was no issue. Drove it for about a month or two. Had to go out of town for a week but my wife moved the truck during that time on a couple of occasions.
Came back yesterday and everything is dead. I plug in the inline charger, charge it up over overnight. Test the battery voltage and it's all good, like 12.65. Test the voltage at starter relay on the firewall same voltage. Put the key in the ignition, get lights, door chime etc. I turn to key half way and gauges come on for about 10 secs and then everything dies. I sometimes get very dim flashing from the security light, or dim flashing from the overhead interior lights and a rapid clicking coming from relay 1 from the fuse box under the driver side dash fuse box. I believe that's the audio relay. I take the key out and it continues to click without the key. I have to disconnect the battery to stop it.
The battery voltage still reads around 12.65 or so maybe small drop but at the starter relay it's dropped to 10.55. Once i disconnect the battery for a few min, everything returns to before until I turn the key and i get the same, no crank, guages light up and turn then dies and clicking from Relay one until I disconnect the battery again.
I don't want to start replacing expensive parts as I'm already in a few hundred for the battery and charger. Any input where I should start my diagnoses?
#3
05-21-2015, 08:25 PM
Sounds like loose or corroded connections somewhere.
You replaced the battery terminals only, not the cables? The minute you cut the old terminals off and strip back the cable to bolt the terminals on, that's now open to corrosion which will work its way up the whole cable and make it pretty useless. I know cables ain't cheap but that's the only right way to do the job.
You replaced the battery terminals only, not the cables? The minute you cut the old terminals off and strip back the cable to bolt the terminals on, that's now open to corrosion which will work its way up the whole cable and make it pretty useless. I know cables ain't cheap but that's the only right way to do the job.
#4
05-22-2015, 01:34 PM
1. Did you have the alternator tested ?
- Search on page found test 3 time, but none of them about the alternator.
- Have you tested the output of it while running the engine ? thinking blown field fuse.
- Have you had it bench tested at a reputable place ?
2. when you drive the truck, how far do you drive it ?
- Is is more than to town and back. I am thinking short trips are not charging the battery back up.
3. What is the "inline lithium charger\conditioner" ?
- not sure what lithium has to do with an auto battery, curious what this actually is, and if it is doing good, harm or nothing.
4. What is the drop in battery ?
- " It would indicate I have a drop in charge from the battery but not a lot" does not provide any actual information to work from.
5. How many times have you killed the new battery dead ?
6. Where did you get the new battery from ?
- Make , model, size.
7. Where and why did you install new terminals ?
- curious what prompted you to replace terminal ends, and which ones you replaced.
8. Are you reading 10.55 VDC at the starter relay, as in on the firewall or is this at the starter itself ?
- Starter motor relay is on the firewall.
9. When you are getting the clicking of the relay, is this with the door open on the truck ?
- Low voltage trying to run the accessory delay circuit can case issues.
10. What modifications are done to the truck ?
- Please list all of them, not just what you think could be related.
- Search on page found test 3 time, but none of them about the alternator.
- Have you tested the output of it while running the engine ? thinking blown field fuse.
- Have you had it bench tested at a reputable place ?
2. when you drive the truck, how far do you drive it ?
- Is is more than to town and back. I am thinking short trips are not charging the battery back up.
3. What is the "inline lithium charger\conditioner" ?
- not sure what lithium has to do with an auto battery, curious what this actually is, and if it is doing good, harm or nothing.
4. What is the drop in battery ?
- " It would indicate I have a drop in charge from the battery but not a lot" does not provide any actual information to work from.
5. How many times have you killed the new battery dead ?
6. Where did you get the new battery from ?
- Make , model, size.
7. Where and why did you install new terminals ?
- curious what prompted you to replace terminal ends, and which ones you replaced.
8. Are you reading 10.55 VDC at the starter relay, as in on the firewall or is this at the starter itself ?
- Starter motor relay is on the firewall.
9. When you are getting the clicking of the relay, is this with the door open on the truck ?
- Low voltage trying to run the accessory delay circuit can case issues.
10. What modifications are done to the truck ?
- Please list all of them, not just what you think could be related.
#5
05-22-2015, 05:08 PM
1. Did you have the alternator tested ?
- Search on page found test 3 time, but none of them about the alternator.
- Have you tested the output of it while running the engine ? thinking blown field fuse.
- Have you had it bench tested at a reputable place ?
-No, it's about 3 years old purchased from Ford, I've gone thru 3 alternators in the past 7 years
-I tested the alternators output last fall it was good then, not sure what it is now
- No bench test but I'll pull it this weekend and get it bench tested
2. when you drive the truck, how far do you drive it ?
- Is is more than to town and back. I am thinking short trips are not charging the battery back up.
-I use it for work, so not really long trips, worksite to Home Depot, back, that kind of running around stuff
3. What is the "inline lithium charger\conditioner" ?
- not sure what lithium has to do with an auto battery, curious what this actually is, and if it is doing good, harm or nothing.
- It's a NOCO Genius G3500. I just say Lithium cause it's small and I bolted it to the fan shroud so it's under the hood all the time.
4. What is the drop in battery ?
- " It would indicate I have a drop in charge from the battery but not a lot" does not provide any actual information to work from.
-The other day it was like 12.45 or something like that, I went to run it again a min ago and I got the clicking right away, no crank no gauge power at all and the cigarette lighter charge indicator was reading 8.13
5. How many times have you killed the new battery dead ?
- The first time this week but I didn't test the output before just plugged in the under hood charger, perhaps it wasn't dead at all
6. Where did you get the new battery from ?
- Make , model, size.
- It's a CanadianTire Motomaster 1933, SKU# 10-6500-, listed at 850 cold crank
7. Where and why did you install new terminals ?
- curious what prompted you to replace terminal ends, and which ones you replaced.
- the bolts on one had broke when I removed the bad battery so I replaced both and cleaned off the exposed wire with battery cleaner and then that battery terminal protectant spray
8. Are you reading 10.55 VDC at the starter relay, as in on the firewall or is this at the starter itself ?
- Starter motor relay is on the firewall.
- At the firewall, I haven't tested it at the starter itself yet
9. When you are getting the clicking of the relay, is this with the door open on the truck ?
- Low voltage trying to run the accessory delay circuit can case issues.
- When the door is open, stops when the door is closed
10. What modifications are done to the truck ?
- Please list all of them, not just what you think could be related.
- Search on page found test 3 time, but none of them about the alternator.
- Have you tested the output of it while running the engine ? thinking blown field fuse.
- Have you had it bench tested at a reputable place ?
-No, it's about 3 years old purchased from Ford, I've gone thru 3 alternators in the past 7 years
-I tested the alternators output last fall it was good then, not sure what it is now
- No bench test but I'll pull it this weekend and get it bench tested
2. when you drive the truck, how far do you drive it ?
- Is is more than to town and back. I am thinking short trips are not charging the battery back up.
-I use it for work, so not really long trips, worksite to Home Depot, back, that kind of running around stuff
3. What is the "inline lithium charger\conditioner" ?
- not sure what lithium has to do with an auto battery, curious what this actually is, and if it is doing good, harm or nothing.
- It's a NOCO Genius G3500. I just say Lithium cause it's small and I bolted it to the fan shroud so it's under the hood all the time.
4. What is the drop in battery ?
- " It would indicate I have a drop in charge from the battery but not a lot" does not provide any actual information to work from.
-The other day it was like 12.45 or something like that, I went to run it again a min ago and I got the clicking right away, no crank no gauge power at all and the cigarette lighter charge indicator was reading 8.13
5. How many times have you killed the new battery dead ?
- The first time this week but I didn't test the output before just plugged in the under hood charger, perhaps it wasn't dead at all
6. Where did you get the new battery from ?
- Make , model, size.
- It's a CanadianTire Motomaster 1933, SKU# 10-6500-, listed at 850 cold crank
7. Where and why did you install new terminals ?
- curious what prompted you to replace terminal ends, and which ones you replaced.
- the bolts on one had broke when I removed the bad battery so I replaced both and cleaned off the exposed wire with battery cleaner and then that battery terminal protectant spray
8. Are you reading 10.55 VDC at the starter relay, as in on the firewall or is this at the starter itself ?
- Starter motor relay is on the firewall.
- At the firewall, I haven't tested it at the starter itself yet
9. When you are getting the clicking of the relay, is this with the door open on the truck ?
- Low voltage trying to run the accessory delay circuit can case issues.
- When the door is open, stops when the door is closed
10. What modifications are done to the truck ?
- Please list all of them, not just what you think could be related.
BTW I retested the voltage as I mentioned. Hooked back up the battery - it read 12.59, relay at firewall - 12.54, Alternator - 12.53, The cigarette lighter indicator read 8.13 when I put in the key. I turned the key, clicking started, closed door stopped no power to gauges no interior lights, cigarette battery indicator was so low I could read the LED, opened door clicking started back up, re-ran voltage on battery it remained at 12.59, relay 12.50, Alternator 12.50