Slow crank

[Archieb89]

My truck has been intermittently cranking slow for a short time or not cranking at all and the starter will start clicking while trying to crank. I replaced both batteries and cleaned the cable ends and helped for a bit then started up with it again even though the batteries are reading good voltage and we're on charge all night. So I cleaned the cable ends again and it helped for a day so I just decided yesterday to finnally put the new battery cables in that I got from classic diesel. I meticulously scrubbed and cleaned every ground before putting new cables on. Also I broke the starter solenoid while trying to unbolt the terminals so I went ahead and replaced that with a motorcraft solenoid. After all that it was starting faster than it ever has. Just a bump of the key after the glowplugs and it fired right up. I figured that was it. We'll I just went out and tried to start it and nothing ... I hooked my jump pack up and doesn't help. Tried jumping it with the dodge same thing. I plugged the battery charger in and have it charging rn at 15 amps and voltage is reading good. Anyone know what the problem could be im lost at this point. Maybe bad glowplug relay, or batteries are not enough CCA?
Thanks for any help guys

 

[KansasIDI]

My truck has been intermittently cranking slow for a short time or not cranking at all and the starter will start clicking while trying to crank. I replaced both batteries and cleaned the cable ends and helped for a bit then started up with it again even though the batteries are reading good voltage and we're on charge all night. So I cleaned the cable ends again and it helped for a day so I just decided yesterday to finnally put the new battery cables in that I got from classic diesel. I meticulously scrubbed and cleaned every ground before putting new cables on. Also I broke the starter solenoid while trying to unbolt the terminals so I went ahead and replaced that with a motorcraft solenoid. After all that it was starting faster than it ever has. Just a bump of the key after the glowplugs and it fired right up. I figured that was it. We'll I just went out and tried to start it and nothing ... I hooked my jump pack up and doesn't help. Tried jumping it with the dodge same thing. I plugged the battery charger in and have it charging rn at 15 amps and voltage is reading good. Anyone know what the problem could be im lost at this point. Maybe bad glowplug relay, or batteries are not enough CCA?
Thanks for any help guys

So when you got nothing, does it act completely dead? Dash light up? Or could it just be the starter?

 

[DaveBen]

Did you check and clean the ground wires? If the CCA's are not high enough, you will get slow cranking.

 

[Archieb89]

So when you got nothing, does it act completely dead? Dash light up? Or could it just be the starter?

Most times all lights come on as normal until the key is turned to ign. Then the gloplug relay comes in and everything in the truck dims and when going to crank it it'll try to crank maybe turn once or twice really slow and then it just stops and starter repeatedly clicks as if its dead then eventually all light go off completely and it won't do anything till I get a jump pack on it. But the jump pack only gets it back to where I was with it cranking slow/not at all

 

[Archieb89]

Did you check and clean the ground wires? If the CCA's are not high enough, you will get slow cranking.

I replaced the battery cables yesterday and i scrubbed every ground with baking soda and wire brush then cleaned off before installing the cables. Are there any other grounds I should check other than ones on the cables that go to the block and chassis?

 

[DougBoy66]

When you say it did nothing did the starter crank and the engine didn't fire or it didn't even engage the starter?

 

[DougBoy66]

Sorry, I hadn't seen your #4 post before I posted that

 

[IDIoit]

I replaced the battery cables yesterday and i scrubbed every ground with baking soda and wire brush then cleaned off before installing the cables. Are there any other grounds I should check other than ones on the cables that go to the block and chassis?

the first time i had this issue, i scrubbed mine too without change.
then i dug into the wire insulation, the entire cable was compromised

 

[Archieb89]

When you say it did nothing did the starter crank and the engine didn't fire or it didn't even engage the starter?

The starter engages but it turns super slow for a trun or two the the starter just stops and clicks like its trying engage and spin. Basically like the batteries are not pushing enough power. The batteries are new and according to the charger the voltage is good and they are charged.

 

[Archieb89]

the first time i had this issue, i scrubbed mine too without change.
then i dug into the wire insulation, the entire cable was compromised

Mine were also. They were dry rotted, cracked and corroded on the inside. But yesterday I replaced every single battery cable with a set i bought from cdd

 

[IDIoit]

it could also be your starter.
there is a huge difference when you make the move to a gear reduced starter.
i prefer the powermaster 9050

 

[Archieb89]

it could also be your starter.
there is a huge difference when you make the move to a gear reduced starter.
i prefer the powermaster 9050

That was the next thing on my list of upgrades. I dont know the last time the starter had been replaced so it very well could be.

 

[DougBoy66]

I will second the powermaster 9050. That thing will flip the truck if the motor doesn't turn

 

[Archieb89]

Ok so maybe it is just the batteries. I left it on charge for about an hour and I went out to take a video to show and of course it starts just off the bump of the key and the first round of glow plugs... so idk maybe the batteries had good voltage but not able to push enough amps? Or like we said the starter is just on its way out.. I did notice when I was out there the batteries are rated at 650cca each which seems kind of low. They are cheaper end batteries but ive always had good luck with them in my other vehicles.

 

[KansasIDI]

Do you have a volt meter, even a test meter, that you could measure voltage at the batteries and at the starter with? You could even hook that up to the passenger side batteries, and then crank the truck over by jumping the solenoid. Make sure that your truck is not in gear.