Starting/battery issue????

[2000XPLORERSPORT]

Ok, sorry kinda long, but i need some help!!!! so i own a 2000 explorer sport, 4.0l. i had belt squeal for a while the past year or so. i found my tensioner was staying stuck in the outward position. putting too much tension on the belt and squealed at startup. so i got a new tensioner. seemed to work. but now for months when i go to start it, it cranks then clicks like the battery is dead. now it is a 15 year old optima red top. but it probably only has 10 years of use because i don't drive it a whole lot. but the battery charges up fine & holds a charge. example- the battery is charged to 14.5 volts, i go to start it and when it starts to turn over about a second or two it clicks like the battery is low. i hooked up my volt meter and watched, when it goes to crank over the voltage drops to 7-8 volts!!!!! then soon as you stop trying to crank it over, the voltage climbs back up within seconds. i hook up jumper cables to my parent's car with it running my truck will start. but i could have my battery charged to 14+ volts and it drops to 7-8 then back up. i was thinking the starter might be going bad? i mean it is the original starter with about 158,000 miles on it. any ideas/suggestions? i really need to figure out what's going on!!! thank you!!!!

 

[donalds]

Starter is not your problem
When you try to start it after you changed
And the battery dies right away
It's a bad battery

 

[2000XPLORERSPORT]

yea i was thinking that. but usually a bad battery will not charge all the way or hold a charge. mine does both.

 

[donalds]

If your jumping it and it starts fine then you have eliminated the starter
That battery most likely has a shorted cell

 

[2000XPLORERSPORT]

yea probably does. i mean it's been through a lot in its 15 year life span!!! time for a new optima red top!!!

 

[fastpakr]

It's fifteen years old? Go replace it because it needs to be replaced no matter what, then confirm that the problem is resolved.

 

[2000XPLORERSPORT]

yea somewhere around that age. i had a 1992 explorer with a big stereo system and air ride so i had 3 optima red top's at one time. after i got rid of the 92 explorer i put one of the optima's in my 2000. back then a optima red top was like $120-$125.00. now at autozone there between $238.00 & $281.00!!!! WTF!!!

 

[fastpakr]

Batteries have gone way up. Last year I had to replace several, and even with coupons and shopping around I couldn't do better than $100.

 

[Spudhut]

Go to WalMart - I can get standard batteries here for around $75

 

[donalds]

Go to WalMart - I can get standard batteries here for around $75

That's what I did been in there for 3 years now

 

[2000XPLORERSPORT]

yea i mean i see regular batteries pretty cheap. but im picky,lol. pretty much gotta be an optima!

 

[donalds]

yea i mean i see regular batteries pretty cheap. but im picky,lol. pretty much gotta be an optima!

The man knows what he wants

 

[Spudhut]

The man knows what he wants

Yep...nothing wrong with that.

 

[2000XPLORERSPORT]

lol, thanks guys!!!!

 

[toypaseo]

yea i mean i see regular batteries pretty cheap. but im picky,lol. pretty much gotta be an optima!

Be warned that after Optima moved manufacturing out of country, people complained on how quality went downhill...

 

[2000XPLORERSPORT]

ok, i'll keep that in mind. do some research. thanks!!!!

 

[del mar]

Be warned that after Optima moved manufacturing out of country, people complained on how quality went downhill...

Do you have a different battery in mind? What is your experience with premium aftermarket batteries?
Thanks, Bob

 

[toypaseo]

Do you have a different battery in mind? What is your experience with premium aftermarket batteries?
Thanks, Bob

I don't really have any experience with "premium" aftermarket batteries. The only aftermarket ones I have used are Diehard Gold, and Interstate Megatron II (?)

 

[del mar]

I don't really have any experience with "premium" aftermarket batteries. The only aftermarket ones I have used are Diehard Gold, and Interstate Megatron II (?)

Thanks.