So lately I have been having issues with the truck. One day it started it was very slow like the battery was going out. Got to the grocery store and got nothing but a click so thought it was the starter. Changed out the starter and the solenoid. Still just a click. Went and jumped the solenoid still a click. Tested all wires with a meter everything had power. The wire running from the +battery to the starter looked like crap so I replaced it. Then she fired right up. She worked good for about a week now shes getting very slow again and sometimes will be so slow she won't start. While its doing this now the ground running from the -battery to the fender wall is getting so hot its melting the casing around the wire.

The battery is good its a brand new solenoid have 3 new ones and all the same. I'm thinking bad ground some where around the starter but why would it melt around the battery? Battery is definitely good used 2 different battery's same result. I'm at a loss right now besides to start replacing ground wires.


Any thoughts that I may have missed? Thanks for the replys.

 

The ground wires on a 96 are very problematical. Look at the area around the intermediate chassis grounding point where it grounds to the top of frame right next to the wheel well and I am certain you will find that the cable is corroded almost through. That is likely to be your problem. The reduced effective area of the cable is going to have more resistance, generate more heat and allow less current to flow to the starter.

The way I solved it on mine was this:

I bought two ground cables from the AutoZoo. The first was the same overall length as the original cable and had a battery clamp on one end and an eye on the other. The second was approximately the same length as the distance from the intermediate ground point to the eye at the block end of the original cable and had an eye at both ends.

I ran the first cable from the battery (-) terminal all the way to the original block ground point at the starter mounting flange. I ran the second cable from the ground point at the starter flange up to the chassis ground. It has been quite a few years since I did this. I've seen no corrosion and had no starting issues since.

It probably would have cost Ford 50¢ more per truck to do it right in the first place.

 

Thats what I thought. The ground running from the motor to the chassis is one of those stupid braided non coated crap. Looks kinda corroded could be it. I guess I'll replace all the ground wires and start from there.

It just sucks I'm trying to get my mustang done and other **** keeps popping up and can never find time to work on it.

Thanks