slow crank..more so cold

[n20]

Sorry in advance for the long post.

So little bit of info to start. Had some slow cranking issues when cold, truck wouldn't start till about the 4th try. Had the batteries tested and one was shot. So i replaced both. With the truck not plugged in, the next morning it was 29 degrees, i let the Gp's cycle, waited for the GPR to click off and she fired right up like it was 80 degrees out. Drove the truck again saturday and come monday morning it was slow to crank and rough to start, no white smoke at all, appeared to be voltage related again. The rest of the day it starts fine. Also I replaced all Gp's and Gpr last March.

I stopped by a diesel shop after work and they did a battery load test on both of the NEW batteries and he said the passenger batt tested out really good but the driver batt showed only a little over 10 volts. He said that with that being the case, when it gets cold at night it might kill it enough to make it weak.

So that being said, i took that battery to Checker where i bought it and they did a load test on it for the warranty exchange but the battery tested perfectly fine. So they can't replace it if it tests good. What the heck?!

So once i got home i borrowed a friends Midtronics Battery/Starting/Charging System Analyzer and did the tests with it. Testing it with the batteries hooked up to the truck i got these results:

Batteries are spec'd at 850cca and 1000 ca

Passenger-
980cca
10.92 cranking volts
14.25 v from alternator
Overall test was GOOD

Driver-
900cca
11.15 cranking volts
14.25v from alternator
Overall test was GOOD

Both batts hold a charge of around 12.75 volts if i remember right.

So it tests out that everything is working fine. So i started to check for a constant draw off the batteries when the truck is off and couldn't find anything. I tested that by hooking the meter up between the postive batt terminal and the postive cable to test for a draw and got nothing. Did this with both batteries. So everything seems to be fine.

Anything else i am missing? Thought about the starter starting to lose power but other than the first start of the day, you can't notice any lag from the starter at all.Starts strong the rest of the day. Replaced it not to long ago either.

So one question, with the truck sitting since Saturday afternoon to monday morning, with low temps at around 34 degrees be enough to make it a little slow starting? I wouldn't think so?

I run 15-40 oil but there are a ton of guys out here that run that all winter long and have no issues whatsover. Doesn't really get cold enough to go lower.

Would like to get this resolved before it starts to hang around the 20's and teens at night. And i shouldn't have to plug it in yet. Guys i've talked to around here don't start pluggin em in til it gets in the teens.

[djh]

I just went through the same thing and at one point my wife got stranded somewhere because the truck wouldn't start...I thought for sure the batteries were bad, but they both tested fine. My battery cables were tight with no corrosion, but I pulled them off and wire brushed the terminals and used a small flap disc in a drill to clean the insides of the cable terminals....I was shocked at the difference this made.

This is my first Powerstroke and have only owned it for about 4 months so I was not real familiar with how fast it should crank over...it must have been cranking off of one battery since we bought it. It has been 30 degrees in the morning here and it still fires right up.

[n20]

Ya i cleaned the battery post and terminals really good. And made sure they are tight so i think i should have that covered.

[adamrich33]

back to the top

[ridiculously_necessary]

at that point i would think your starter is going out.

my friend had this happen to his 02. one battery was bad and the other was ok, but he replaced both and still had a problem. he ended up replacing the starter. he got one from an auto parts store which i think was over $200. you can get a gear reduction starter that cranks a crap ton faster and will last longer for less than that.

thats just some info though. if you want a link to a gear reduction/denso starter heres one: NEW Ford 7.3L Diesel Starter POWERSTROKE Truck 01 02 03 SND0355 17802: SND0355 --- DB Electrical Starter-Alternator

[adamrich33]

thanks for the input

[mrnecsteve]

When you tested for drain,were both batteries disconnected before you tested each one.( Hopefully you didnt test one at a time while the second was still connected.)

[n20]

they were both disconnected