Please excuse the cross post from "Electrical" but I need assistance!




Sorry if this issue has been covered, I could not find a solution for the problem I am experiencing no matter what key words I've used while searching.

Here is the story . . . 1999 F150 w/ 5.4L & auto trans, 206k mostly trouble free miles.

While hauling some pavers home from the local store I decided to stop to give the truck a break after pulling a couple miles of steep road up out of a river canyon, even though it showed no indication of overheating or anything else unusual.

Stopped at an abandoned restaurant and parked in the shade turned engine off. Decided there was a better spot, started truck, relocated and shut it off. Sat about 20 minutes and was ready to move on. Keyed it and all I got was clicking from the firewall mounted starter relay.

Sat there with the hood open and let it cool more hoping it was just a heat issue. Waited a half hour and tried again, got a battery light and gauge sweep on the instrument cluster, same clicking starter relay on the firewall and no starter actuation.

Called for a tow truck since I had no jumper cables and there was nobody around to try and get a jump from anyway. Tow dude shows up, grabs his portable jump box, hooks it up, keyed it and fired right up. Let it run while filling out the paperwork and drove the last 30 miles home with no issue, parked in my driveway. Shut it off and tried to start it . . . click-click-click!

Grabbed my big Optima Blue Top Deep Cycle trolling motor battery, jumper cables and hooked up . . . vroom started right up.

What I’ve done since:

- Installed a working battery from another rig. NO GO!

- Put F150 battery in donor vehicle. WORKED FINE!

Note: Any battery connected to this pig whether in a test start or jump start configuration is rapidly pulled down from an attempted (no jump click-click) or successful (jump and starts) test.

- Installed new OEM starter/solenoid (not reman), cleaned ALL connections between it and the battery. NO GO!

- Installed new OEM firewall starter relay. NO GO!

- Replaced alternator with new OEM replacement (not reman) even though the output from the original alt read 14.7 at the battery, tossed a new serpentine belt on while I was in there. Reason being, my ’05 Mustang GT lost an alt diode, was throwing codes indicating same, still showed normal output on a VOM but was not properly charging the battery, so I figured what the heck. NO GO!

As of now the only thing I have not yet done (that comes to mind) is to disconnect the hot lead from the firewall mounted starter relay to the starter solenoid at both ends and read end-to-end continuity and end-to-chassis ground, as I suspect a short somewhere in that run.

I’d really appreciate some other suggestions at this point since my mind started to fry long ago.

Thanks . . . Bob

 

Check the starter main connection wire. It most certainly is a connection. Very low probability its the starter. Rare but they do fail. The starter connection corrodes so check it good along with every other start system connection.

 

Thank you!

The starter is NEW; all connections are clean, shiny and have silicon dielectric applied. Any corrosion was on the old starter, it has been mitigated.

Your input is greatly appreciated!!

 

theres gotta be the one your missing.. Have you tried shorting the firewall relay posts?

 

Thank you! It is new, clean and works when an additional battery is added via a jump as did the old one, it is a HIGH current draw issue.

 

The main connection to the starter can corrode internally. I thoroughly check that wire..

 

Thank you!

Now that you mention it, I think I did see a small amount of corrosion on the inside of that main power feed wire where the connector gets crimped around the wire but didn't have a magnifying glass handy to verify same or how bad it may have been.

That would sure do it and explain why I'm not blowing fuses like a short should. I'll pull both ends free and ohm the thing for a reading. I hope it's high due to corrosion, that eyelet would be easy to replace!

 

You called it dude! Thank you!!!

I got a flash light and magnifying glass on that thing when I cut it loose from the starter solenoid; it IS internally filled with corrosion.

Looks like I can free the remaining wires in the harness from the solenoid, ground point, free up the frame mounted harness support, then pull the mess over the frame rail and perhaps replace the connector but there isn't as much slop in that run as I first thought.

Have any suggestions?

Thanks again!

 

jbrew has done that wire ask him.. or maybe he will chime in.

 

Thank you, I found a decent new complete replacement run I could buy for cheap but heck, it's just a crimp connector!

Yeah, I'll crimp, solder, fill with silicon dielectric, shrink wrap and all that but it is what it is eh?

I'll figure out a way to get some slack and make it happen. Thanks again!

Workin' on card board in a gravel driveway rules!!!

 

If it's corroding up inside the jacket, replacing the cable is the proper way to fix it.

 

Thank you, I agree.

It's ALL hanging down where I can actually work it now so when I cut it back an inch or two from the terminal crimp connector, if it still shows any sign of crud creep I will replace the entire run.

Whether I do a bypass of the stock run with quality thin strand 2, 4 or 6 GA welding type stuff I have on hand or buy canned junk is up in the air right now.

Time and surgery will tell!

Although I bought it new in '99, it's just a ranch rig now so other than dump, wood runs or other local duties, I'm not pressed to get it back in service ASAP.

 

4 gauge minimum on that starter cable

 

I would strongly consider replacing the entire wire. They dont accept repairs very well. Very shortly you'll be right back doing it again.

 

Thanks! I hadn't sized it up yet, that was just me recollecting what wire/connector sizes I have around for applications like this.

That's great advice, wish I could find a replacement setup that mirrored the factory loom job but all I've come across are wires in the wild so to speak which would leave me making my own.

I've got the split loom in various sizes, tie wraps, tape and all that stuff.

What bothers me is the stuff I ran across in a real quick search looks kinda cheesy like this "STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS A366TAF" offering for example.

If memory serves me, this thing would leave me having to dump the factory "Y" molded connector on the firewall mounted starter relay which would then require more wire relocation and re-looming. That's just what I recall seeing a week or two ago while half way studying the wire routing, I may be mistaken.

It initially struck me as a real spaghetti job while snooping around under the hood and haven't revisited it for some time, been spending my quality time on the underside the last several rounds.

It's been too dang smoky in the mornings to do anything outside and if it finally clears in the mid-afternoon it's too hot! I'm about 45 miles north of the Rim fire burning around and now in Yosemite.

Thank you for the help guys, very much appreciated!!!