Ford 4x4

my buddy has a 94 and he went through 4 starters with it, just kept eating them up. He replaced it for a a high torque one. he also had to replace the cable from the solonoid to the starter. seemed to solve the problem

Ford 4x4

not 100% sure im more of an engine guy myself, but it should still start, maybe the started IS bad and is sucking more amps than usual. too bad you didnt live in southern MN. in my town there is this family business that deals with this stuff, they rebuild and test starters ect. try napa they will test the starter for ya

LobstahClaw

Boy ... that's a good question. When you think about it like that it sounds like the problem is with the solonoid.

I hate to possibly get you chasing your tail, but i ran into a situation last year where an older battery that tested good ruined a couple of new solonoids in my truck.

Of course ... you don't want to go out and buy a new battery and NOT have it fix the problem.

Is there some way you could temporarily throw in a different battery to see if that makes a difference in the way the solonoid behaves ?

Moose_God

I'll vouch for the crappy starting system in general on these trucks...I've had to go with Delco starters on both of the 5.0s I've owned. Solenoids are suspect as well, but a fairly easy and inexpensive fix.

Welder7018

I've replaced my entire starting system. From the starter to the battery cables. No problems since. Cost was around $200 if I guessed right. Including cables, relay, and starter.

Sean Steele

I meant to get on here earlier but never had time. But I would like to thank you all for your help and suggestions. I ended up taking the new starter off and had it tested and it failed, so I replaced it with a premium reman. Installed that one and it still didn't fire up. So, I took off the new solenoid and reinstalled the original solenoid and after that it fired right up. I have no idea why the the first starter went bad but so far so good on the newest one! Thanks again!

rikard

The fender mounted after market relays are known for failing. I had several fail that came from the "zone". I usually try to get brand name electrical parts from Napa like Echlin or Standard. Check the battery cables and grounds. The Ford cables are known to corrode over time. Replace with the same gauge or bigger.
YMMV
rikard

Hooter95

Check your connections at the starter.

I had the same exact problem for the past couple of weeks. There is 2 wires, your positive cable and a smaller gauge wire that slips on a male connector. This smaller wire had worked its way loose and was causing a no start or very weak starting condition.

Nitehawkjr

There also should be a ground strap from the frame to the starter.

qdeezie

As others have eluded to, the electrical connections on our trucks are awful at best. I upgraded all of my connections due to starter issues with either multiple connection points or multiple grounds and don't have it to worry with anymore.