What is killing my pickup's starters...?

[DandyDon]

This is silly, but my mechanic and I are both stumped. I'm not very vehicle savy for an old farm boy, but I think he is, yet - he keeps having to replace the starters. Not rebuilt, either - gave up on those and paid for a NEW one, but something is killing one after another.

I know I should buy a new pickup sometime to replace this '95 F-150 with lots of miles, but I have kept it up well, and otherwise, it just keeps running well. Just such a drag to have to crawl under the engine, beat the starter with a hammer, then drive it to my mechanic again and again for free replacements. I heard that flywheels can do this, but he is confident that's not the problem. Any other old F-150 people have any ideas?

Uh, how about good ideas...?

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Don't know about the starter but my mom's '87 F-150 kept dying for no reason and it was a corroded wiring harness causing some sort of short. Might be worth checking any wiring in the general vicinity.

The parts guy at my husband's Chevy dealership figured out the problem. The Ford dealership she had taken it to had simply jury rigged a solution, the Chevy dealership got the correct part and fixed it right.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[dherbman]

Too many smileys.

Seriously, what do you mean by "kill"? Solenoid, brushes, teeth.... You question is way to broad to answer.

 

[DandyDon]

Too many smileys.

Seriously, what do you mean by "kill"? Solenoid, brushes, teeth.... You question is way to broad to answer.

I'm not very vehicle savy for an old farm boy....

I dunno'...?

But thanks for asking. Maybe I'll ask him to go over the wiring better...?

 

[cool_hardware52]

This is silly, but my mechanic and I are both stumped. I'm not very vehicle savy for an old farm boy, but I think he is, yet - he keeps having to replace the starters. Not rebuilt, either - gave up on those and paid for a NEW one, but something is killing one after another.

I know I should buy a new pickup sometime to replace this '95 F-150 with lots of miles, but I have kept it up well, and otherwise, it just keeps running well. Just such a drag to have to crawl under the engine, beat the starter with a hammer, then drive it to my mechanic again and again for free replacements. I heard that flywheels can do this, but he is confident that's not the problem. Any other old F-150 people have any ideas?

Uh, how about good ideas...?

Need more info. What's the nature of the failure?


Tobin

BTW

F ound
O n
R oad
D ead

Could be worse, could be an International Harvester PU.

 

[redacted]

How many have you killed? How often do they die? What are the symptom? Are you as good at making car noises as my wife is? (Just the click of the key, solenoid clicking, klunk & whirl?) If the BFH fixes it, how long can you go before it fails again?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Low voltage will kill a starter and that can happen if the cable is badly corroded under the insulation.

 

[D_B]

If your banging on the starter has any effect, then It may be because the starter solenoid is not sending enough current to the starter, and your hitting it causes it to engage ...
Check starter solenoid ... that it is ok and capable of sending enough current to starter(if typical ford one, It's not mounted on starter)
Check if there is a starter relay that sends current to starter sol. ... that it is ok and capable of sending enough current to energize starter sol.
Check pos. cables at battery and at sol. ... clean, no corrosion, tight
Check ground cable at battery and at block, for same

All I can think of without more info ... Hope this helps

 

[Cacia]

Don, when you turn the key, don't hold it over there so long. ...wow.. D...B..

 

[hdtran]

This is silly, but my mechanic and I are both stumped. I'm not very vehicle savy for an old farm boy, but I think he is, yet - he keeps having to replace the starters. Not rebuilt, either - gave up on those and paid for a NEW one, but something is killing one after another.

I know I should buy a new pickup sometime to replace this '95 F-150 with lots of miles, but I have kept it up well, and otherwise, it just keeps running well. Just such a drag to have to crawl under the engine, beat the starter with a hammer, then drive it to my mechanic again and again for free replacements. I heard that flywheels can do this, but he is confident that's not the problem. Any other old F-150 people have any ideas?

Uh, how about good ideas...?

I don't have a F150. I did have a Dodge Grand Caravan, which began to have the "intermittent will not start" problem. Turns out that it was the starter solenoid, not the starter motor. The starter solenoid kick-starts the starter motor. The "beating the starter with a hammer" solution seems to indicate that this is where your problem resides.

If your mechanic replaced only the starter motor and not the solenoid, there's your answer (probably). If your mechanic has (multiple times) replaced both starter motor and starter solenoid, then I'm stumped...

The other posters re cable resistance & contact resistance are all spot-on.

Good luck! If it keeps dying, maybe you can sink the F150 and turn it into an artificial reef