Well last night I used my 92 f150 to jump start my roommates jeep and it worked, but after about 2 minutes on the cables I heard a weird wine and then a weird smell come form my engine compartment. I took the cables off and all things were working fine and the truck drove fine. Turned it off and went to bed. This morning I wake up and the lights are dim and has symptoms of a weak battery. I pop the hood and see this weird red jelly crap under the terminals. I get my roommate to jumop my truck but he has a car and it is not enough to start it. It just has one single click. No starter turnover. Does this sound liek a dead battery, coroded cables, or other?

 

Very good possiblity it's the battery. Drag it down the nearest auto parts store/shop and get it tested.

 

Yea, I cleaned the terminals and just set them back on the battery and still the same thign just one click. You thinking battery and not soemthing lieka starter switch or selonoid. thanks

 

Well if your headlights are strong and your accessories work, then it's not your battery.. but if your accessories are weak/not working... well, elementry my dear Watson. Process of elimination... now get out there and start troubleshooting!

 

If you hear a "click", that means that everything up to the starter relay (from the ignition switch) is working properly. From your description, it sounds like a dead battery. Try starting it with the headlights on. Do they get really dull when you try to start it? Charge the battery and go from there.

 

Alright well I went and got a new battery and a new starter selonoid and nothing. The same damm thing just one click and nothing. Any ideas? Could the battery i bought be bad? HELP

 

Did you try what I suggested with the headlights? What happened?

 

Yea I did but I am by myslef and cant see both. Here is an update took the battery abck and its good. I took a screwdriver and jumped the selonoid posts togetehr and it just clicked. Waht does that mean? bad starter?

 

First, try cranking the engine over by hand with a breakerbar and the right socket on the center bolt in the crank, just to make sure there isn't a problem with the engine. Then, inspect the cable to the starter, and if it looks good, pull the starter and have it bench tested.

 

def not an engine problem. So you think it amy be the starter?

 

alright well i found out what it was. the smell was the starter. i am taking it off now and have the bolts off but was wondering how to get the red connector off?

 

Sorry, I had to run to the store.

If I were you, I would replace the cable going to the starter as well.

Red connector? The cable should be held in place with a small hex head screw.

 

Don't over look the obvious too, clean your battery and chassis grounds really well. I see this kind of thing everyday at work and about 50% of the time it's just a poor or broken ground on the frame. It can cause all kinds of wierd things to happen. I had to temporarily repair a Freightliner at the loading rack at our local refinery one day last fall. Billy hit the key and sparks were shooting from under the cab....The refinery staff frowns on sparks near a tri-axle loaded with 50,000L of gasoline....LOL....Nothing a pair of vice grips couldn't fix...LOL

 

Yea I did that first checked grounds and terminals and cleaned them all. I am pretty sure the last thign is the starter but I will ahve to wait until tomm to egta new one. This has pissed me off greatly. Any other possible ideas of what it could be?

 

Those pussies!

Honestly, I'm trying to understand how jump starting someone else could fry his starter. The circuit between the battery and the starter would have been open while jumping someone else, so how did the starter get fried??? It really sounds more like a cable or connection issue to me, too.