What's Happening? (Starting Issue)

[John Haggerty]

When cold the starter seems to spin slow. I go thru the routine of letting the WTS light go out and it spins slow. WTS light time is 8 seconds and I get good firm "clicky". I turn the key off and go thru the WTS and cranking routine several times. About the forth attempt the starter gets a very noticable different speed and she starts right up. After she starts I notice the plugs cycling. Temperature doesn't seem to be a big culprit since I've seen this happen at 15-50 deg. F. When I check the specific gravity of the batteries, one cell is showing that it's going bad. All connections are clean and tight. GPs are new.

Is it that something happens to the batteries after several heavy draws that make the starter speed increase?

 

[soulpatchfr]

YEP - sounds like a 'starter bug' is making it's rounds to us IDIers... you're what - the fourth or fifth guy now? in a month or so!

if'n you're sure the batteries are good and you have nice, clean connections EVERYWHERE, then this sounds like the exact same symptoms my starter was exhibiting. R&R'd it last monthish & the Mitsu re-man works wonederfully.

go back a page or two - i started a thread named (aptly) "starter"

i think with good batts, what you're seeing is actually some quirk in the tired starter... when mine would spin slowly, i'd just turn the key back & try again. sometimes it tok 3 tries or so, but after a few tries it'd spin faster, or even pick up speed...

 

[highest_vision]

I have had this happen to me, but one time it was a fluke. I kept milking the starter along and one time came along that I had to really crank it, and that starter really started flying! Ever after it was fine. I had rebuilt the front end and the truck sat for like 2 weeks, so maybe something built a nest in the stater. I don't know. But all was well
James