starter or what

[Elmo]

Hi Yall, I have been haveing this problem with the Bronco. It started about two or three weeks after i replaced the engine, went back with the same size and all. It will start up cold just fine drive ten miles to store go in come out 15 min later engine will not turn over, starter engages turns engine slowly maybe one revolution then just stops turning. If i let off the key and hit it again it may turn a little more or it may not, the starter is three months old or less. when i turn the key and starter engages engine turns some the volt meter/gauge is dropping to like 8. went to orileys they said starter and battery check out good. they tried to tell me that my timeing is off well i just put all that in so i knew it wasnt but i checked it anyway, dead on 14 just like it is supposed to be. Last night before leaving for work i put my amp clamp on the positive battery cable and jumped the starter relay with my buton and the clamp showed 240 amps when the starter spinning the engine. So i swapped it over to the Neg and hit it again clamp showed 15 amps. Is these numbers about right for a cold engine? i will check them again when i get home and she is hot All of this amp checking the engine had not been started in a few days, so it was cold but turned over nice and when I turned the key it fired right up. Now i have some suspisions 1)my battery may be too small, although it has been working for a couple of months, it is only 600cca, 2)my three month old reman starter from orieleys is crapping out, 3)grounds??? i have starting at the battery neg post grounds going to.... rad support,engine,frame...three wires each going to its own spot, now i also have one from back of intake to firewall, firewall to hood. Am seriously considering add one from the starter bolt to the same spot that the frame ground is attached to. now when i get her to spin over she starts and runns sweet and strong. every time that i have hit the key and she not spin over i got someone to jump me and she fires off quick and runs great untill i cut her off and want to restart before she is cold.

OK i think i babbled enuf to give all the details, any ideas

 

[miesk5]

yo ELMO,

Slow Cranking; Take it or battery to a parts store for a free starting & charging sys test or the battery or alt check; such as most NAPA stores; "...Free Alternator, Starter, Battery, and charging system testing".

re, "600cca..." Should be 850 cca; try the Walmart Everstart Maxx 65N; 850 CCA, 1000 CA (manufactured by Johnson Controls)

Here is my review of that battery

or DIY for the most part, as you have done well so far!

bad battery;

Dead Cell; "... Sometimes, a battery will have just one cell go bad or short out. When this happens, the battery will seem fully charged, but fail to start the car, or it may start the car right after charging, but then fail to start the car an hour or more later. If this happens measure the S.G. in each cell. If one cell has a lower S.G. than the rest by a significant amount, replace the battery - there is no way to fix this problem. This condition most often happens to batteries subjected to lots of vibration, and sometimes to new and almost new batteries that have a bad cell from the factory..." I had this happen.. same symtoms as your 90. No starter turnover; held key in start, then, it would turn over enuf for engine to start.

Source: by Gordon via miesk5

corroded cables and corrosion within terminal/connector between wire strands or a bad starter motor. A bad battery will be detected by a low voltage at the battery terminals (notn the cables) while cranking.

I have heard of others adding that grnd cable from the starter bolt to the same spot that the frame ground

Corroded cable connections will be detected by low voltage at the cable ends.

Check relay on inner fender; it's ground path is thru it's body to inner fender; make sure it is tight' and no corrosion or rust between it & fender

A bad starter motor will draw a high current and the battery cables will get warm to the touch. While it's cranking measure the voltages across the battery terminals. It should be somewhere around 12 volts or just below. If it is much lower than that, say 10 volts, then the battery is bad and should be replaced.

If it is around 12 volts then leave the negative voltmeter lead on the battery and probe the starter. The voltage there should be 12 volts or so, not much lower.

If it still hasn't started and the battery runs down again then feel the cables to the starter, are they hot? As my Bro-in-Grease and Parts Joe mentioned; If so then the starter motor may be shot and is drawing too much current. If you can get a clamp-on ammeter then use it to measure the current draw of the starter motor. 300 amps is typical - 400 means that the armature is dragging on the stator and drawing too much current.

 

[Traveler]

Sounds like a heat soaked starter. Resistance goes up with heat.

The only accurate way to test the start is pull it and take it in to bench test it.

Test if 4 or 5 times to heat it up.

IF it still tests good then check cables, but battery should be good enough.

 

[Bully Bob]

What battery...???

We've had bad luck (I've tried 3 with NO luck) with the "6-pac" batteries (yellow-red-& blue)

We've all gone back to the "wet-cells" --- Prob. gone/solved..!!!!