help my f 150 5.4 wont start symtoms are turn key dash lights up turn the key and all u here is a click .checked battery and jumped it .nothing can i get a scanner?cheap from napa,auto zone.to find out why it wont start. is there a way i can self check my batt,alt ect with a digital engine analyzer volt and ohm meter?

 

It could be several things. When you say click, is it a single click or a fast clicking noise.

If it is a single click then you probably have loose wires to or from the starter or a bad starter. I would check the voltage going to the starter and see if you have good votage ( of course this is dangerous considering somone must be turning the key while you check for voltage under the truck). If you do then I would take a wire from the battery + and run it down to the starter and see if you can make the starter jump any. If you cannot then make sure the ground wires are all conneted to the starter correctly. If that does not make the starter turn then you have a bad starter.

If it is a fast clicking noise then I would check the battery cables for corrsion or loose fitting. Then make sure the battery is up. I have seen cases where the battery is so dead ( or shot) that I couldn't even jump it off with another vehicle.

This is based upon my experience and I could be missing somthing. if someone would check behind me I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Hope this helps ya.

 

at what setting do i set the volt meter2,20,200 right now i disconected the batt,to reset the computer. ITS A SINGLE CLICK

 

give the starter a good whack with a hammer...if it starts you need to check the wiring at the starter or the starter itself

 

Tex is on to it. Do what he said.

 

nvr,

I can not tell what year your 5.4 is. However, the easiest way to check your problem is to borrow another battery that you know, functions properly and hook it and try it. If it works, then you need a new battery and maybe a new belt and new altenator. If it works, but your "battery guage" needle arm seems to set at a lower level or it starts to move too much with the accessories on at idle, then you need a new belt or new altenator or both.

If your truck does the same thing with the other battery, you have corrosion or a loose cable at the battery or starter and or a bad starter.

Forget having a local parts store check your battery out. Of the last 5 -10 times I have had a local auto chain check my battery, they all said it was good. It was not.

The last time our CAR did this, I borrowed a friends battery. It started with that battery. So I went a got a new battery and a new belt. It still started but the "volts where low". So, I wnt back and got a new altenator. No more problems.

 

even if the connections look good they might not be. there is a ton of voltage/amperage required to throw a starter that even the slightest little corrosion can cause resistance.

one click could mean it is the pats system

try this test, turn on the headlights then have a friend try and start the truck while you watch the lights. if they go out or dim bigtime when you hear the "click" your battery is toast.

good luck-

 

Do you have any mods like a computer chip or something? If you do then you might have a bad connection which will prevent your truck from starting, but if you don't then I would do what everyone else is suggesting.

 

nvrl8ontim, your battery puts out 12 DC volts so set you meter to 20 DC volts. I like hcmq's suggestion it's a straight forward way to tell if your battery is toast. listen to iron horse also that is a good suggestion. Let us know what happens.

 

I had to replace my OE battery back in the summer. I came home and wanted to take off a couple hours later. Got in and turned the key... barely a click, interior light turned off, dash went bananas. Checked fuses, relays, etc. Turns out one of the series connections in the battery must have went up in smoke. Showed over 12v with a voltmeter but couldn't deliver any amperage.

I bought an Optima red top. No more ****ty liquid acid batteries for me thanks. 10yr warrantee.

 

nvrl8ontim,
Hey, I posted an almost identical post just about a week ago about my '98 F150 not starting. Sometimes I'd crank the ignition and she'd fire right up, and other times all I'd get is the ole' clack-clack. I got under it and checked and cleaned all the connections on the starter, and popped it a few times with a hammer. It still would just come and go. Today I finally took the sucker off and took it to AutoZone, where they checked it and showed me that the starter gear was only sometimes even engaging, and even when it was, did it very slowly. I let them have my $113 and the old starter ($35 core charge) and got it back on there as fast as possible (nothing's more fun than working on your truck when it's 30 degrees outside with no heater). So, if you haven't already solved your problem, you may want to do the same. I guess it's worth my piece of mind to know that my truck will crank every time I ask it to. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions, though. Be prepared to cuss a lot over the dumb hidden bolt that you can't see whatsoever on the top of the starter (to be honest, I didn't even put it back in for the time being, my fingers were getting numb, but I snugged up the other 2 plenty well). Anyway, good luck.

P.S. If there's anybody in the west Tennessee area who knows about a job opening for a mechanical engineer, please contact me ASAP at eric-karen@onemain.com. I seem to have come home yesterday without a job due to 'downsizing'. I sure would appreciate it.