*UPDATE - RESOLVED* Anyone else have starter issues? (Multiple failures to start)

[PWillette]

Was showing 14.8V on the way in to work this morning so the alternator is doing... something.

14.8V is good. I'm leaning towards a battery issue. A good battery at rest with no draw should read 12.6V t 12.7V...12.2V to 12.4V is low needing a charge...below 12.2V would be flat. I had a Land Rover Discovery that would just not start with less than 12.4

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[AK SNO RIDER]

Usually if they make the "click" sound, but don't turn it's a starter motor. The click is the pull in solenoid forcing the gear into the flywheel. The pull in also completes the circuit to the motor armature itself. Sometimes an armature can have a "bad spot" and if it just happened to stop on that bad spot it doesn't want to spin the next time. We usually diagnose these by having someone hold the key and tapping on the starter a few times w/a small hammer. It's possible you shook the vehicle enough when you popped the hood and installed the jump box to free the starter up. My money would be on a slightly flaky starter motor!

This has been my primary thought as well. Previous experience with bad starter behavior had me leaning towards starter again here.

14.8V is good. I'm leaning towards a battery issue. A good battery at rest with no draw should read 12.6V t 12.7V...12.2V to 12.4V is low needing a charge...below 12.2V would be flat. I had a Land Rover Discovery that would just not start with less than 12.4

Interesting. Most of my other vehicles will start up fine well down in to the 11s.

 

[AKBronc49]

Sounds like a starter to me, I've had a few bad ones over the years. One new out if the box was Intermittent as you described. Hope you can get it fixed quickly. I'm still salty about my 24 day leaky valve cover saga.

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

I was finally forced to actually look at it when it wouldn't start at all after work today.

Yup....that'll do it.

 

[VIRUS]

I was finally forced to actually look at it when it wouldn't start at all after work today.

Yup....that'll do it.

WTF?

 

[VIRUS]

I was finally forced to actually look at it when it wouldn't start at all after work today.

Yup....that'll do it.

Going to check mine in the morning.

 

[Derbystud]

This has been my primary thought as well. Previous experience with bad starter behavior had me leaning towards starter again here.



Interesting. Most of my other vehicles will start up fine well down in to the 11s.

They will 12.2 is fine it will start
Modules start shutting down in around 11 but 12.2 won't keep it from starting. Sounds like bad starter. Usually you can hit the switch a few times and they will start when they start going bad.

 

[mini4mw]

Maybe gateway going bad like this user has? Drains battery which may be why yours is low too.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/2021-ford-bronco-no-dash-lights-no-start.54285/

 

[ILoveTacos]

I was finally forced to actually look at it when it wouldn't start at all after work today.

Yup....that'll do it.

What exactly am I looking at here, if you wouldn't mind explaining.

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

What exactly am I looking at here, if you wouldn't mind explaining.

Big wire on the starter is loose. Nut is cocked off sideways... can't tell if it just backed off or if it pulled the threads off the stud, no time to look further in to it tonight. Working 12s for a few more days.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

I was finally forced to actually look at it when it wouldn't start at all after work today.

Yup....that'll do it.

Hi there. Will you send us a message with your VIN and dealership info? I can look into things on my end.

 

[mike8675309]

As we see, the problem was a loose battery cable. The problem as described by the original poster indicated an issue with a loose connection. The click, click...click, click...click click.... start are telling. The click click indicates the solenoid has enough energy to drive the pinion out, but the lack of a crank indicates there is not enough energy there to turn the starter motor. Since the power for the solenoid that pushes the pinion out gets power from the same place, this indicates the cable carrying the power doesn't have good enough contact to send the needed amps for the starter motor to spin. The click click over and over will pull energy through the loose cable eventually creating a carbon trail that can carry more amperage, and the vehicle finally starts.

The engine moves, which breaks the carbon trail, and now the car won't start again.

You can't reliably check alternators with voltage sensors anymore. Nearly all alternators have computer-controlled regulation and when running may put out over 14v, but may only show battery voltage. To really identify a problem you have to get the data to see commanded voltage.

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

Threads were damaged on the stud, starter was replaced under warranty this week.

 

[kiya]

I got my 2-door 2.7L Badlands last week and I just got stuck out in a remote area for half an hour.. got into the car, pressed the ignition button and heard a click and all lights turned off. Initially I thought the battery had died, but then I realized not even the interior lights were coming on and I only left the car for 2 hours.
Eventually I got out of the car and noticed that when I opened the door I heard a click, and I slammed the door shut very hard and the interior lights came back on. Got back in and the car and it started up like nothing was wrong..
I'd love to figure out what went wrong so I don't have to deal with that again.. not great for a car that's 10 days old and has less than 300 miles on it.

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

I got my 2-door 2.7L Badlands last week and I just got stuck out in a remote area for half an hour.. got into the car, pressed the ignition button and heard a click and all lights turned off. Initially I thought the battery had died, but then I realized not even the interior lights were coming on and I only left the car for 2 hours.
Eventually I got out of the car and noticed that when I opened the door I heard a click, and I slammed the door shut very hard and the interior lights came back on. Got back in and the car and it started up like nothing was wrong..
I'd love to figure out what went wrong so I don't have to deal with that again.. not great for a car that's 10 days old and has less than 300 miles on it.

That sounds like a bad connection on the battery or in the fuse box.

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