Ok guys my 1995 f150 5.8l started acting up again so a few months ago you would go to start it and it would not want to start as if the battery was completely dead so you could jump it and it would start. So I had the cables replaced and a new battery put in it and its been fine until yesterday. So yesterday I get in it and go to start it and it won't start and make click sound under the hood but the radio and everything else works, so I turn the key back and forth to start it and it makes one clicking sound and after about five times of trying to start it it finally starts. So I turn it back off and it starts up right away. Today I go to start it and it takes a few times of turning the key to start it but it finally starts. So I turn it back off and a few hours later it starts on the first try. So is there a short somewhere? Is the ignition bad? If anybody has any advice I greatly appreciate it.

 

look at your starter, sounds exactly like the problem i had with my dodge.

have it bench tested, tell them what your truck is doing, you may have to have them test it several times because the no start condition will happen randomly. the starter in my dodge tested good 2 times then failed the 3rd time.

 

Could be the starter gettin weak chech you wires at the starter also or the solenoid

 

Thanks for the help. I think the starter is going bad because I have read some other threads and that seems to be my problem.

 

Make shure the nuts are tight on your start relay. A nut even a little loose there can cause an intermitant start problem. jcn

 

Starter X2 or the cable going to it could be corroded.

 

X3 on the starter. Sometimes they develop one or two dead spots so if the starter lands there after the spin you get a no-start.

You might try tapping it with a hammer next time there's a no-go. If it fires right up then it's most likely a starter going bad.

 

You said you replaced the cables and battery. Double check all the connections to ensure they are clean and tight. Then my vote is burnt contacts in the starter solenoid. The clicking you hear is the solenoid acutuating but the burt contacts are not consistantly allowing full current to the starter - sometimes it works - sometimes it doesn't.
Replace it with a good quality one: Motorcraft, Borg-Warner Selct, or Standard Ignition (NOT "T-Series) are the only ones I would recommend.

 

Thanks for the help guys I will probably just change the starter.

 

Test the starter before replacing. Double check the connections and the starter relay on the fender.
Regards
rikard