Hey guys,
Here's the deal. The X was starting badly a few days ago. It sounded like the battery was going dead, you know how a vehicle sounds when it has been left with the lights on all night.

So I went to Advanced Auto and had them test the battery and the test said bad battery. I waited until the next day to buy the battery because I wanted to make sure that it was still doing it.

I bought the battery and it still starts badly, like the battery is dead, after sitting for a few minutes.

What the f*ck

Check all your grounds.

As Mack said, check all your grounds, and check that your battery clamps are clean and tight.

Oh ya I forgot to mention that I already changed out the negative wire, the whole thing, I bought a universal one from pep-boys. I cleaned the hot terminal, well and the negative but then I replaced it so the negative is not the problem, when I had the first battery checked.

I am about to go back up to advanced and make them check this battery, I guess there is a small chance that I could have gotten a bad battery.

Could be the starter. Years ago after I dunked mine in in some serious mud, it sounded like that even with a new battery.

Could be the starter. Years ago after I dunked mine in in some serious mud, it sounded like that even with a new battery.


Ya I just went by Advanced and their electrical system tester gave me an all clear for my battery, alternator, running power, etc.

So the guy there suggested taking off the starter. He said he could check it inside. So I will have to go back and take off the starter tomorrow.

I am at my sister-in-laws for my nephews birthday party. So God willing it won't fail on me before I can go back by Advanced tomorrow and take of the starter so they can test it for me.

Thanks for all the input fellas. I will post back my findings...

I didn't get a chance to get by there yet but I plan on going tomorrow.

There are ground straps other than the ground from the battery...a lot of them.

:D

The plugs, the distributor, the wires, etc, could be at play.

They might have GIVEN YOU a dead battery. (It happens)

Your alternator might be going south, a bad diode, etc...and their test equipment will pass that/miss it it its bad, etc.

:D

I don't know where all the ground straps are but the two, one on left and one on right, clearly visible look solid. The two I am referring to are the one behind the battery and down about a foot and the other is on the other side of the engine in approx. the same location.

When I first tried to start it for the first time yesterday, it was bad. It almost sounded like something was seized, a little. I mean you could hear the sound of electrical potential building but nothing happened. Then the second time I turned the key, still not much but it did make more of an effort to start. The third time was the trick, it fired right up like nothing was wrong.

I will try to find some batteries for my camera and record some audio/video today so you can see what I am referring to. I still plan on going by Advance Auto to let them test the starter.

As far as the battery is concerned I did have them test it but I guess I could have my wife fire up the engine while I put an ammeter on it.
TJTJ Is there any other way to test the alternator. Will starting it up and disconnecting the ground do the trick?

you can do a quick test with the truck running take the pos cable off the battery if it stops no alt if it keeps running the alt is working .

you can do a quick test with the truck running take the pos cable off the battery if it stops no alt if it keeps running the alt is working .

I thought it was the other way around. I thought you were supposed to take off the negative terminal and if the truck stopped then the alternator was bad, if it stayed on it was good.

Do I have it backwards?

Also I am leaning toward the starter. When I went to Home Depot the X barely started and it reminded me of a starter going bad, the "clicking and
whining" sound it made sounded like the sound my old 79 Monte Carlo made when its starter went bad.

OK so I quit worrying about the problem because it quit doing it. I went to Home Depot the other day and it took 5-6 tries to get it started and it sounded like something was seized or something, it that make sense. After that time it fired right up every time, until today.

So I went to school this morning and it started a little ruff this morning. I drove to school and went to class. At lunch time I went out to the X to go to the eyeglass place to get my glasses fixed and it would not start. It would not even try to start!

I went and bought a new starter for $107 + tax (also a $32 core but it was refunded). I had to put it on in the university parking lot, not easiest place to do it. I had to get a ride to get the part and borrow some tools. Other than the location and the fact that I was not dressed for automotive work, it was pretty easy.

The truck starts better than it did the day I bought it. Once again I have a happy X...