Hard Starting Update

[Archive]

I had listed back in December regarding my experience with hard cranking on cold days. I have some new information to present for feedback. The truck was acting as if it had a slow drain on the battery or maybe a dead cell. I started plugging in the block heater, and the truck starts fine now. I can go a whole week, and as long as it has been plugged in, the truck starts fine. The catch is, however, I can go out in the morning and start the truck and drive it to work. However after setting all day at work, the pre-heat will come on when I turn the key on because of the cold temps. like it should, but the battery will barely turn the engine over enough to start it. Once it warms up its fine. The bottom line is, if the pre-heat is needed at start up, you're in trouble. I'm thinking dead battery cell that only shows up when the extra amps for the pre-heat is factored in. Any thoughts?

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93 D250, 2wd, 3/4ton Club Cab, 5spd, LE package, 3. 54 rear, Banks Power Pack (K&N filter and Banks muffler).

 

[Archive]

I have not seen your past posts, so sorry if I waste your time here. First I'd take off the positive battery cable, and clean the connection on the starter motor real good with a wire brush and put it back on using die-electric grease to prevent corrosion. The fact is if this connection is crusty, there can be enough resistance there to reduce cranking speed no matter what battery you have. And yes, the block heater could reduce the load by warming the oil and coolant so this wouldn't happen and everything would spin normally. Next, check your ground cable and perform the same clean-up. This is just a simple problem eliminator, if you have something weird going on under the hood, it will take more work. Check you cables for abrasion and wear, I know that out of my two trucks, three of the battery connectors are shot, that could also be trouble. Also, have your starter checked, I know that everyone on here seems to have good luck in the durability department, but you don't know untill you know. I hope that I don't look like an $sshole or have wasted your time. Good luck!

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1992 W-350 Club Cab Dually (All quiet for now)
1992 W-350 8' contractors dump with 3. 5" exhaust(don't ask)

 

[Archive]

I had about the same problem. Mine would start everytime,but when it was cold, it was slow turning the engine over. Then one morning last week it would not start. Went to Advance Auto bought a 1000 cold cranking amp. battery. What a differance!

 

[Archive]

Same here on the cold starting!! Didn't have any problem until it got very cold. I had the batteries load tested and the driver side was bad. #ad
Only 200CCA out of a possible 750CCA. The other side holding 650CCA. I did a considerable amount of checking of the fuel system found # 4 delivery valve needed to be tightened a little. Removed overflow valve and adjusted the spring to . 550 cleaned an reinstalled. Cold starting not a problem any longer. I might add don't keep twisting that stater if it doesn't have enough juice. That will cause the armature to have burnt spots on it. And when a burnt spot causes loss of continuity, no starter movement begins another costly problem. If this happens you may try the old tap on the starter trick a couple of times. #ad
#ad
#ad


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D McGrady 1996 Club Cab 6BTA 5. 9 12 Valve All Stock Except K&N and Wrangler A/T 305/70/16 136 K and going strong.

 

[Archive]

Batteries, in my estimation, have become more technically sophisticated, but seemingly poorly put together. I've seen a large number of vehicles with batteries in the 2 to 4 year range that won't crank the engine more than 20 seconds without slowing down. Had a guy come in with a Cummins, who didn't even know his battery had only enough capacity to crank for about 5 to 8 seconds. His truck always started immediately, so he'd never tested it. We pulled the pump and put it back on, only to discover that when we went to start the beast, it only went around a few times and then stopped. Nowhere near enough to bleed the system. At first, he thought we'd done something bad to his truck, but after using jumper cables and battery charger, we got it running, it still started the same as it had before... but he DID buy a new battery #ad


I'd seriously reccommend you use a couple Optimas. They have really serious power for starting, and unless damaged, you can put brand new cables on at the same time, and they will never corrode at all.

 

[Archive]

... since my '92 has only one battery (and rated at less than 1000 CCA at that), what is the drill to putting 2 Optimas in place of my one aftermarket battery?
gary

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'92 W250 LE 4x4, NV4500 5spd, Borgeson steering shaft, PrimeLoc

 

[Archive]

i put in 2 optmua's a menber in sacramento made me a new tray that mounts them side ways
they will fit ,i only keep 1 for starting
can jump to other if nneded ,its mainly 4 camper use,i installed today a 80 amp continues use relay, to connect the 2

when driving so to keep 2 nd charged
if cols starting problem connect the two
together to 2x amps

bill

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1993 w350 ex cab, banks,nv 4500 in
open exaust, pw Injectors are in. Big rig flaps,tach soon to be in. Its loud and goes ok, for a 93,only beat 1 pwr strk furd. 2 optimas,
love driving it!

 

[Archive]

I do not know if you happen to have the original batteries still installed but in doing a search of the Archives, I read that even though they say 'Maintence Free', these batteries WERE NOT. I pulled the sticker off mine and sure enough, 5 cells were pretty dry. I filled them up and that got me through the winter last year until I bought a Large battery to replace it. Just a thought.

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Scott
92 Ram, Bright White, Club Cab, LE package, 4x4, 130K, 3. 54 gears, Auto, Extra transmission Cooler, 285x75x16 Cooper Discovery A/T, 16X10 American Racing rims, RS9000, Tekonsha, Running boards, Lund Sunvisor & bug shield, Marker lights, Tonneau cover, Full cap, DynoMax, 5" Chrome tip, 16 cm Turbo, Isspro Boost, 23 lbs Boost empty, Oil Pressure Gauge, Pump Adj, Sprayed in Bed-liner, Rubber mat

'SHAKES, RATTLES & GOES'