Bad Starter?

[Majisto]

What are the signs of a bad starter?

The reason I ask is because lately I have been having a hard time getting the Explorer to fire. It will crank up, but it feels like something is "slipping" and the motor will not fully turn over. When this happens, the lights will all flash and dim a bit, and then it quits trying to crank.

I was thinking perhaps the battery, but the voltage guage is showing enough power, and the battery is not very old. I am reading a good amount of voltage from the terminals, so it is must be something else...could this also be a fuel problem? The motor runs fine once started. It just feels like it gives up trying to start. Usuallly trying again will start in about 1/2 second. When it starts, it starts fast.

 

[Alec]

bad cables?

 

[Majisto]

Originally posted by Alec
bad cables?

I haven't checked those yet. The positive cable may not be grounding properly...

Either way, what happens when a starter is going out?

 

[Blee1099]

Originally posted by Majisto
What are the signs of a bad starter?

The reason I ask is because lately I have been having a hard time getting the Explorer to fire. It will crank up, but it feels like something is "slipping" and the motor will not fully turn over. When this happens, the lights will all flash and dim a bit, and then it quits trying to crank.

I was thinking perhaps the battery, but the voltage guage is showing enough power, and the battery is not very old. I am reading a good amount of voltage from the terminals, so it is must be something else...could this also be a fuel problem? The motor runs fine once started. It just feels like it gives up trying to start. Usuallly trying again will start in about 1/2 second. When it starts, it starts fast.

It could be a number of culprits. I suggest getting the battery checked and possibly getting the starter checked at a local auto parts store. The battery should be atleast 12.3 volts.. If its any lower the battery is probably not fully charged. When the truck is started the battery should put out 13.5 volts or higher. You could also have a problem with your fuel system. See if turning the key to on and off a few times will help with the starting. If it does I suspect something is wrong with your fuel system.

 

[Majisto]

The problem is that I can't "control" when it hard starts, because it's very very rare, and only seems to happen when cold (Although that's not always the case). How do you test a starter?