wink182000

Good morning,
I have a 2006 screw 5.4L
Have had it for around 2 years. I've already had the FPMD issue and had it replaced. I also replaced the fuel filter after i got it and the starter (with a new duralast) while changing out the passenger manifold.

I had noticed (since i've had the truck) that if i left the radio on with the engine off for over a half an hour I'd need a jump to start, but it started fine all winter even with the cold temps.
Two weeks ago i left for Florida in a different vehicle and the truck worked fine up until i got back this past Sunday.

When I turend the key you hear the fuel pump prime (and tiny little squeak from the tank/pump area) and i hear the relay at the fuse panel click (sounds like one click on and a second click off? right after the first. That is all.

I got a new motor craft battery (knew i needed anyway-gave ford my vin and got the higher cranking battery of the two they offered) and had the same result. I waited 10-20minutes with no battery connected before installing the new.

I checked the fuses and relays (swapped with others from the panel). No go.

Tried starting in Neutral.

The anti-theft light has the normal blink until you put the key in then it goes off.

I tried a different (spare) key i had made last summer and know worked.
The battery connectors are clean/no corrosion.

I looked at the starter solenoid that is near the battery and that looks clean/new and it had some dielectric grease on it.

I got under the truck and checked the connections on the newer starter and they were tight.

What are your thoughts? bad starter? I saw a video where a guy took a 10gauge wire to the male end of the starter solenoid wire and tapped the positive on the battery to test the starter/got the engine to crank. Is that my next step/do you suggest trying this?

Thank you in advance...

brad.fx4

I'm going with bad starter, everything seems to work until the starter solenoid has to do its job. If it was working it would at least make clicking sounds.

uzikaduzi

I'm with brad.fx4 on this... I once bought 3 starters from autozone until i found one that worked... i love my trucks but these 04-08 f150 starters are one of the worst I've had to change... all my extensions and a wobble just to get that top bolt

bigrigtech

You need to do a live circuit test, put your ground lead of a DMM on battery ground, get your source voltage from the battery (SV), with the key in the crank position check to see voltage on the GROUND side terminal on the starter, yes it's possible to see voltage on ground side. If you see more than .2 of a volt on ground side you have a bad ground, next with key in crank position see what voltage is on starter positive, if you have more than .5 volt difference you have high resistance (bad connection or corrosion) on starter positive circuit). If this checks out, with key in crank position check your s or signal terminal. If you don't see SV or close to it there is something else not allowing the truck to tell the starter to crank, or again you have high resistance between starter s-terminal and wherever it comes from (likely a firewall connector)

homer

I know this sounds stupid but my fusion starter is going (brushes). If you can get someone to hold the key in the start position and lightly bump the starter a few times with something not too hard, see if it'll suddenly start cranking. If it does, your brushes are likely done in the starter. I've been doing this with my fusion for now until I get time to put the new starter in .

Otherwise like bigrigtech wrote, start checking the starter. I would get a voltmeter and check for +12V during start at the starter relay output wire and obviously at the main battery cable input to the starter (although I doubt there'll be anything wrong with that). If you see +12V at the main battery cable, and +12V at the starter relay output terminal at the starter during crank only (start position), then it's likely in the starter.

trapshooter

Same thing exactly happened to me with my 06. It spent 2 weeks at ford only for the problem to be the ground to chassis connection. Follow the main ground cable from your battery to your firewall and take the bolt off. Sand away any corrosison and then tighten the bolt up tight.

wink182000

Last evening after work i cleaned off all of the connections (battery, grounds, starter connections, ect. Still a no go. Have to borrow a volt meter from my brother... Part of me wants to just take it off and take it back to Auto Zone. I did try the 10gauge wire from the male end of the solenoid cable to the power of the battery after cleaning the connections, no sound from the starter.

homer

It's likely in the starter then. Did you try tapping it? Seriously, I've done it on a few starters on different vehicles (it was actually a common issue on the older Explorers). Have someone hold the key in start, bump the starter a few times. Hit it a few times, don't dent it LOL, but hit it about 5-6 times with something. If it's the brushes it might shake it enough to get it to start. I've done this with other cars and I've been doing it with my fusion for about a month (till I get around to changing the starter). Usually a sign the brushes are almost done. Just a thought... If it works, then it means it'll get worse and worse eventually.

wink182000

I did bump it (thank you for the suggestion) with a rubber mallet but didn't want to hit it to hard as I could see them not honoring the warranty because of it.

uzikaduzi

that's good thinking... the bumping he was suggesting is light anyways... some people hear "tab the starter" and beat it to death. if the starter was easy to remove (which it isn't as you already know) I'd just remove it and take it to autozone to test... since it's not, check with a volt meter like suggested above... you can get a cheap volt meter (like $15) and it will work fine for this