I was having starting issues. Battery, alternater and starting solenoid checked out OK. I crawled underneath to check the starter and the positive terminal was coroded and the wire broke off in my hand. I replaced the connection tab and thought I was set, until today. As I was driving, pulling a pontoon boat trailer, it felt like I was losing power. I figured it was because of the trailer and the strong winds we had. As I continued to pick up my boat, the motor stuttered, the speedometer and tach both went all the way to the right, momentarily lost power but it never died. This happened twice, but it never died. I picked up the boat and headed home and it did it once again. Also I have an external satelite radio I listen to, and 4 times the power to it went out. Not sure if thats related, but it's never happened before. It seems strange too, that when I started the truck, the speedometer needle maxed out as it started, I can't remember if that usually happens, I don't drive the truck much. So do I have a short somewhere? Is it related to the work on the starter cable? How can I troubleshoot this? I have an ohm meter, but I am still learning how to use it. 2000 F150, 90,000 miles

 

It might be a battery cable or connection, but it sounds more like either your battery or alternator is failing.

Most auto parts stores can test them. Do so.

 

From you other thread's post ( https://www.f150online.com/forums/el...ml#post4831920 ) how did Autozone test the battery ?

- Autozone will usually run out to the parking lot with the 'one size fits all' hand held battery load tester, and run a load test on the battery, regardless of charged state.

When you were checking ring terminals, did you check the ground side as well as the battery side of both pos & ground ?
- could be those are in just as bad of shape as the other end, need to disconnect them and move them to find out.

The symptoms ( loosing power to the sat radio & the gauge sweep ) generally point to a battery on the way out, but after starting.

Did you put a meter on the battery to see what the charge is ?

 

New piece to the puzzle? The truck sat for a day and I went to move it tonight and nothing, dead. The headlights wouldn't even go on, battery connections were clean and tight. The puzzling thing is before I put the battery on the charger, it read 11.7 on my ohm meter. Wouldn't this be enough to enough have the headlights go on? Battery is new, autozone said alt. was Ok, but beginning to think not. Am I missing something? SScully, I will check the grounds. What would cause this?

 

11.7 volts is either a discharged battery or a defective meter. Did you try switching on the headlights with the charger connected?

Connect the volt meter to the battery posts (not the cable clamps). Switch on the headlight switch and see if the battery voltage drops by more than a few tenths. If so, the battery is dead or defective.

One step at a time, move one, then the other meter lead from the post to points further from the battery and repeat the test with the headlamp switch off then on. For example, move the negative lead from the post to the cable clamp to the engine block. Move the positive meter lead from the post to the clamp to the other end of the cable to both sides of the megafuse.

In each case, a good connection will show a minimal change in voltage. When you get to point where the voltage disappears, you've just identified the portion of the circuit that is bad. That is, between that point and the prior point where readings were normal.

 

The battery was out when I got the reading of 11.7, it's a new battery, but I understand that it is dead. Do I still need to check further down the line? So after I check at the posts, then move to the clamps?, then further down in a parrallel fashion, to check readings? And at each point turn the headlights on and compare voltage changes? I was a little confused on how to do that. Or because it is dead, does this mean my alternater is failing? I'll wait to hear before I tear the alternater out this afternoon.

 

SOLVED, for now.. when I repaired the battery/starter cable, there were areas missing the flame retardant covering. Well one of those areas adhered itself to the exhaust manifold. Repaired the wire, recovered it and zip tied it away from the exhaust. I did kind of screw up the starter, which will be my next post, but if it holds a charge I should be good to go. Thanks for the help.