starting

Asked by John Oct 21, 2018 at 09:10 PM about the 1997 Ford F-150 XLT Extended Cab SB

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

1997 would not start only click, changed starter motor and battery cable
positive. turns over slowly but wont fire. drains battery quickly

1 Answer

Well, a couple possibilities. 1) Can you check battery voltage? a bad cell might give only around 10 volts, not 12+...and a battery near end of life may also drain quickly. 2) A very heavy rotational load can cause starter motor to draw more current, so measuring cranking amps could tell you "either stiff load or bad starter," though latter less probable since you changed. 3) Why engine hard to crank? Well, um...bad main bearings. Or water in cylinders from badhead gasket (though that's usually a dead stop... good hunting, hope others can help.

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