"Starting" to drive me crazy

[kevin.rehling]

:exp:I have a 1993 Eddie Bauer" explore, 4.0 MFI AT with 153K miles. I have had it 3 years and has been a good vehicle. A year a go it started having starting problems. I had to constantly change the battery clamps for corrosion in order to get it to start.. The battery was only 2 year old then. Last week it finally quit. The starter sounded like it was bogging down and then would not start. I changed the battery clamps and no luck. I replaced the battery which was 3 yr old now. It started twice and no more. The main power cable to the starter was old and corroded. Put a new one in, no luck, just clicks at the relay on the fenderwell. I changed the starter relay, no luck, I changed the starter solenoid no luck. Autozone tested the starter twice and it passes twice. Tried to bump start it with a screwdriver across the relay, nothing. we checked for chassis and electrical ground with a meter, no luck. Ran a heavy duty ground cable from the starter mount bolt to the negative battery side, nothing. Did the starter test by disconnecting the ignition sw relay and it passed. Help? I have ran out of ideas and am sure the starter is ok. We also tried to get the solenoid to kick by a direct link to the battery and ground. When the problem started I would have to constantly tighten and clean the battery terminals to get it to start. I even tried to start in in Park and Neutral to see if the Park-neutral path was good, no different, just clicking at the relay. Please help.

 

[PopRichie77]

You need to get the battery tested. Try a good battery that will start another vehicle.

 

[1992fordgreen]

Get an ohmmeter and touch the + probe and the - probe on each designated terminals on the battery. (On the ohmmeter, use the "battery test<12 volt") If the battery is good, (or at least enough to pass the test), it should read 12-13 ohms. If the battery is PERFECT, it will read exactly 12.6 ohms. None of my cars read that even with a new battery.

 

[PopRichie77]

If you connect an ohm meter to a 12 volt battery you will destroy the meter, I think you mean volts, this is not a reliable test as a battery can have a surface charge that will read 12.6 volts but will drop way below this when a load is placed on it. You need to get the battery tested with a battery tester that places a load on the battery. AutoZone can test the battery.

 

[1992fordgreen]

If you connect an ohm meter to a 12 volt battery you will destroy the meter, I think you mean volts, this is not a reliable test as a battery can have a surface charge that will read 12.6 volts but will drop way below this when a load is placed on it. You need to get the battery tested with a battery tester that places a load on the battery. AutoZone can test the battery.

No...it doesnt ruin the meter. The meter is made to do this.
Using the ohhmeter, but in volts mode, not in ohms.

OP, like richie said, if you want a definitive answer, dump the battery onto Autozone and let them test it.