slow cranking when cold

[strokin_early_99]

Batteries tested good, fully charged. Normal cranking when warmed up. I had the batteries tested and charged because I thought it was the batteries. The driver side ground is good. I have not checked the passenger side ground or starter yet.

Do I start there? Or should I look somewhere else?

I can't figure this out

[alabamafrog]

A few months ago mine was cranking slow right after I built the engine I thought it was just because the compression was higher but it got worse, acted just like the batteries were weak. They were 3 years old so I replaced them with 1000+ CCA and it seemed to fix it for a day or two then it came back, wound up being the starter. But if I remember right it did it both cold and warm. Also a month or so later at a buddies house it would not turn over, new starter died and had to replace it again.

[Banshee34]

Mine starts very hard when it's cold..... Have you tried plugging it in?

[strokin_early_99]

Originally Posted by Banshee34

Mine starts very hard when it's cold..... Have you tried plugging it in?

When you say hard do you mean like you crank it a lot? Mine fires right up but it cranks slow when cold. 40* this morning, cranked slow but fired up. I fired it up to see what it would do. Turned it off, took kids to school in moms Expedition. Came back and it cranked fast and normal.


I guess I need to put a meter in it tomorrow to see what the voltage is in the cold and what it drops to when starting.

[mschn99]

check the resistance of all your cables to be safe....but ive seen starters do this. If you have any way of testing amp draw by the starter that would help. Generally speaking when a starter cranks slow it should be drawing more amperage than when it cranks normal.......and there just insnt enough amperage even at peak draw to allow it to crank full speed.......problem is you need to be able to measure a pretty big amp draw to test this.....

If you want to test overall amp draw the easiest way would be to unplug the CPS.....crank it......then fire it up and get it to where it would crank normal and then do the same thing again and compare the readings.....

If it is the starter doing it moreso cold than warm makes sence....cause what you would be dealing with would be the brushes not making good contact. Since they expand warm.....even though they are worn they will make better contact warm than cold....

Just one possibility

[strokin_early_99]

Resistance I can check, amperage I can not. I will test resistance and see what I come up with.

[Cj Ford]

Originally Posted by Marc

check the resistance of all your cables to be safe....but ive seen starters do this. If you have any way of testing amp draw by the starter that would help. Generally speaking when a starter cranks slow it should be drawing more amperage than when it cranks normal.......and there just insnt enough amperage even at peak draw to allow it to crank full speed.......problem is you need to be able to measure a pretty big amp draw to test this.....

If you want to test overall amp draw the easiest way would be to unplug the CPS.....crank it......then fire it up and get it to where it would crank normal and then do the same thing again and compare the readings.....

If it is the starter doing it moreso cold than warm makes sence....cause what you would be dealing with would be the brushes not making good contact. Since they expand warm.....even though they are worn they will make better contact warm than cold....

Just one possibility

as usual I'm late to reply.. but I agree with Marc
My guess would be the starter pulling to much amperage

[red73psd]

do you guys know what size fuse your multi meter has. and where can i find specs on my truck i would like to test some things as well. but i have a multi meter i use on motor cycles and im not sure if there is a difference between automotive and motor cycle

[lawman349]

[QUOTE=alabamafrog;424089]A few months ago mine was cranking slow was ... it got worse, acted just like the batteries were weak....wound up being the starter.[/ QUOTE]

+1

I figured mine out AFTER putting 2 new Duralast Golds in it. Still cranked slow. Bought a new starter from db electrical for $95 ... no more problems! Its been 2 years now and still goin' strong.


link:

DB Electrical Starter-Alternator