Diesel Down Again!

[firemedicmonkey]

Guys, Before anyone gets mad I know I could prolly search for a while and find the answers to my questions, but I got a big Paramedic Class Test coming up tomorrow and I got to get my Truck going again before next week or its gonna be walking 15 miles to schoool and 25 to work next week. Heres the story.

I got the truck- 1993 F-250 4x4 Reg Cab Long Bed, Western Plow set up, ebay purchase, that has come back to haunt me most days, but has not stopped running since I brought it home a few months ago.

When I first got it the the main power wire to the starter was loose and it was causing starting problems. I tightened it up and have not had any problems for a while. Then last week the little wire running from the soleniod to the starter broke off and I could not get my truck started when I needed to respond to a car accident. I replaced the wire completle from solenoid to starter. In the process of disconnecting and reconnecting the wires and batteries the main starter wire ended up loose again with starting problems soon ensuing. So I finally got that tightened up the other day and the terminal end at the starter (main wire) broke but I was still able to get it tight. I have not had any problems since, except it seems to be taking a lot more cranks to get it started.

Then this morning it cranked 4 times and quit, and started acting like the batteries which are like 2 months old were dead. The wait to start light was dim and it wouldnt crank. So I put it on slow charge all day, and when I got home I went to try it and when I put the key in the on position the starter clicked a bunch and then everything went dim. Now it wont do nothing like back when the wire was broke. I have not investigated it too much like I said I got to study for a big test tomorrow, so any quick ideas,

Also where can I get all new battery cables, The dealer wants $180 for the main positive wire, and who knows for the rest. I can prolly get the majority of the smaller ones, from autozone on discount, but I have to order the main one, and it is $105, plus it says its only 2 gauge and the one on the truck looks a hell of a lot bigger. I was thinking all new wires was going to be one of my first projects but, at that price it might be my first and last.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

Do a search for Battery cables, there's a guy that'll sell you both +/- for $110

 

[Mr_Roboto]

For the cable end, go to Home Depot and get what is called a "ground lug connector". They are in the electrical section. They have a hole in one end and a screw down on the other end that clamps the cable into it. They are sold by hole and cable size, get a brass one.

It's also possible that from the nut being repeatedly tightened has damaged the (starter mounted) starter solenoid. It doesn't hurt to change it as preventative maintenance.

 

[snatchal]

Check the the pigtail that connects to the voltage regulator for corrosion or loose wires. Mine was all bunged up and caused hard/no starts AND problems with my E4OD.

 

[TLBREWER]

Do a search for Battery cables, there's a guy that'll sell you both +/- for $110

Try www.custombatterycables.com. I have to replace a set on my daughter's truck and this is what I'm going to get. I think he charges less than $110 for a complete set made from #2 cable.

Tom

 

[Diesel JD]

You can also go to NAPA or a good alternator/starter shop and they will make you new ones. I think you probably fried your starter from too much heat going to it, but I can't be sure. I would take it to autozone or some similar shop and have those batteries and alternator load tested and check the alt's output. Make sure whoever makes your Positive cable uses big enough wire, it's pulling about 2200 amps. Why I am worried that you may have killed your starter is this...voltage and amperrage are inversely proportional, so when you crank a bunch especially with a loose wire, you make a lot of heat as the amperrgae goes down and voltage increases. I have just about started small electrical fires when my negative cables were loose and I did have a little one when my positive cable was makinga ground to the engine block. Good luck.

 

[firemedicmonkey]

Thanks for all the help guys. I got on the phone with Mr. Roboto, and he said it sounded like a wiring problem. So instead of studying I went out there to take a look at what I could do. After 3 hours, 9 stainless steal washers, a bunch of engine degreaser, carb and choke cleaner and electrical contact cleaner. I got it fixed.

I first began by removing all the drywall screws in the battery terminals and removed all the cables at the battery ends. I got under it and removed all the other cable ends. I inspected the ends for damage and found none. I used engine degreaser to clean th block where the ground cables attach, then wire brushed it, and cleaned it with carb cleaner and a rag, finally hitting it with some electrical contact cleaner and letting it dry. I removed the main positive wire from the starter, I had to repair / rebend the end the cable end to ensure a more secure fit and then cleaned it up. I cleaned the contact on the soleniod with carb cleaner and with electric parts cleaner. I took all of he bolts and nuts that contacted the cable ends and used a wire brush on the grinder to clean them up. I removed the corossion and various screw pieces and chunck of metal from the battery terminal sides of the cables, and cleaned them up with the carb / electrical cleaner combo, and cleaned the battery tops and terminals up.

I used two stainless washers cause they were easy to find, one on eiter side of the cable end. I put the wire back on the starter using some loctite on the nut this time. I put the grounds back on the block again with some loctite for safety. Then it took some considerable time to sort out the battery terminals, but after using various stainless washers to space the nuts from the terminals, I was able to get all the connections tight with out using and screws in the posts. I also cleaned the connections, on the soleniod up top, and I decided to leave the plow wiring disconected since I am going to be removing it and rebuilding it eventually, (before snow comes again).

Finally I put the batteries on slow charge while I decided to check the air cleaner, since I had the ducting apart to work on the D-side batt. Much to my disgust I found a rediculously filthy air filter, with all kinds of crazy crap in the air-filter housing. So after cleaning the housing and shop vac-ing the filter till I can get a new one tomorrow. I hoped in and it after about 4 cranks it fired right over, better than it ever has since I owned the truck.

Moral of the story, in my other electrical adventures I disturbed the hill-billied dry-wall screw fix for old worn out battery cable ends. That one of the main problems and the direct cause for my latest problems. This like the air-cleaner and a laundry list of other items, would have been caught, if I would have been able to thourally go through and work on the truck after purchasing it, but instead it had to go into immediate service. So I will add, all new battery wires to the laundry list of things todo.

The positive note, while I was under the truck, I was plesently surprised that the frame is not nearly as rusty as I thought, or expected. The traditional trouble spots on the body seem to be solid. And further inspection of the top of the motor with the air cleaner off showed it to be cleaner and more than likely in better shape than I had expected. Clean Air Filter = Better Mileage? I hope so.

Thanks for all the suggestions, and I think I will be getting a set of cables from the internet guy. So I will be keeping that link handy.