Hi all,

'95 F150/5.0L/ext.cab/4x4

I've been having an intermittent starter problem. Turn the key, I get a loud single click at the starter. It's not the thready, rapid clicking that indicates a low battery or bad connection. Just a single, solid "clunk". Sometimes the engine starts after a couple attempts. Lately, it's sometimes taking several minutes of trying before it turns over and starts. Sometimes when I hold the key for several seconds it will start. Yesterday it started just fine. Actually, I first noticed this over a year ago, but it was rare, so I never worried much about it.

Wondering what might be going on. I bought the truck in 2004, and don't know if the starter is original. I'm inclined to put a new starter in, just from a reliability standpoint. But I wouldn't mind waiting a while till I have a little more $$ on hand.

Suggestions on where to start troubleshooting? I'm not aware of any electrical problems with the truck...nothing weird going on (besides this).I figured I'd take a look to see that there's a good connection at the starter, but don't know really where to go from there.

 

Check your voltage at the relay and the starter with the key in the start position.
You should have at least 12 volts.
If you have less check your battery.... work through the cables from your battery one at a time until you reach the starter to find the problem.

If you have 12 volts at the starter you have a bad starter.

While cranking your voltage may drop as low as 9.6volts but that is as the starter is cranking.

 

sounds like the starter relay. start there first

 

The loud clunk indicates the relay is working. Most likely causes are faulty battery connections, or a starter on its way out. Next time it just clunks, tap on the starter with a hammer (don't go crazy with it), and see if it will turn over then. If so, you need a starter. Make sure the ground wires have good connections and not corroded.

 

I'll get under the truck tomorrow and check things. Someone else also told me the relay probably isn't the problem, based on what I described. Maybe I have a loose or corroded connection at the starter. I cleaned the battery terminals last week, so I doubt it's at that end.

 

I had little time today, but here's what I accomplished.

I have 12V at the relay. I didn't check it at the starter, but I will. I checked the starter connections. Everything seemed tight. I didn't see much of anything in the way of corrosion. What I did find was that the small wire that connects to the solenoid was gunked up pretty good. I pulled it off the tab it connects to, hit it with some PB Blaster and cleaned it well with toothpicks and a cloth. I hit the other connections with PB as well. Reconnected the battery...it clunked a couple times and then started. Tried several more times and it started up as normal. Got out and jumpered the relay with a screwdriver, and it started normally. Repeated this several times. Then, as has been the case lately...it goes back to the clunking sound...whether I'm turning the key or jumpering the relay.

I'm confused...if I jumper the relay and it starts, doesn't that indicate a bad relay?

 

You said it clunks whether you jump the relay or not. But sometimes, it starts. I say you have a bad starter, or a problem with the voltage getting to the starter. Just because you have 12 volts doesn't mean a thing if you don't have a good ground.

 

Thanks. Yeah, it will start by turning the key or jumpering the relay, and it will NOT start/clunk by turning the key or jumpering the relay. I guess it does look like the starter is bad. I'll check the voltage tomorrow. If I see 12V, I'll go from there. Hoping to avoid the expense of a new starter right now. Looks like it will be a pain to install as well.

 

Not a pain at all, only has two 13mm bolts holding it in, plus the wires. You can change it within 20 minutes.

 

Is that true w/ a 4x4 as well? Looks like I have very little room. I could only see a portion of the starter, and couldn't see any bolts. Maybe there are frame supports that need to come out. Doesn't look like the pictures in my Chilton manual

 

Unless something is modified from stock, it will almost fall on you after the bolts are out.

 

Check the ground wire from the (-) battery terminal to the starter flange. They tend to rot out at the intermediate ground point on the framerail. It's not always visible either, sometimes it's entirely inside the sheath.

 

Today I checked voltages again. 12V at battery, the relay/solenoid, and at the starter. I went to a junkyard and got a starter for $30. They load tested it in front of me. Fine. Get home, install it. Same thing. Clunk every time I turned the key or jumped the relay.

Went to AutoZone and bought a relay for 10 bucks. Piece of garbage. Installed, truck starts. I've started it several times...no problem so far.

 

Win some, lose some, I guess.

 

I reckon so. Just glad to have things running again. Hope that's the end of the problem. I'll replace that relay with a Motorcraft, and load test the other starter. It's probably fine, so I'll have 2 good ones that ended up costing 30 bucks. Not bad.

Thanks for the help. It was easy to swap the starter, as you said.