2005 XLT starter issue, makes a "ding" noise when trying to crank!

[zoldos]

So my 2005 XLT no longer cranks. I was told the battery is fine (it's a top of the line Motocraft, tested by at least 3 independent techs), and the alternator also tested as good. I've been having issues with it starting for a couple of months. I always managed to get it going, but now, when I turn the key, I just hear a metallic "ding", and that's all. All the electronics cut on, CD player works, dashboard lights up, but just a ding. When I *did* get it to crank, it ran great, no issues.

I was told this is probably the starter. Can anyone please confirm?

I was quoted $300-$350 for parts and labor.

Thanks!

 

[whtbronco]

To me it kinda sounds like the bendix(gear) may be hitting the flex plate. Which could be caused by the starter wearing out. Could also be a wiring issue though, corroded wire connections can cause low voltage to reach the motor and have a similar result.

I guess that's about the right price for a starter replacement. It's 1hr of labor plus the starter cost.

 

[zoldos]

To me it kinda sounds like the bendix(gear) may be hitting the flex plate. Which could be caused by the starter wearing out. Could also be a wiring issue though, corroded wire connections can cause low voltage to reach the motor and have a similar result.

I guess that's about the right price for a starter replacement. It's 1hr of labor plus the starter cost.

Okay, thanks! It's at the shop. The service person was a bit ambiguous. He said he put a new starter in and it still wouldn't crank. So further testing revealed a bad battery. He replaced that and got it cranking. But he never specifically stated the old starter was bad. lol

It's also had a drain for quite a while. If I don't unhook the battery when the truck isn't being driven, within a day, the battery is dead. What could this be? He's checking that too.

Does unhooking the battery all the time affect anything?

 

[S20Workstation4]

Unhooking the battery constantly just resets the computer, as well as your MPG and radio presets.
Not really an issue until you bring it for emissions inspection, unhooking the battery resets the codes and makes you drive the car 50 miles or so until it's ready for inspection.

 

[whtbronco]

S20Workstation4 answered the unhooked battery question well.

What could cause the parasitic draw, well lots of things. Anything electrical and pretty much any wire. There's multiple ways to isolate the draw, but since you have it with a mechanic no need to go into detail. A voltage drop test would be a good start to isolate on your own if you have any interest in looking further into it.

FWIW, had we known about the parasitic draw we could have noted the potential of low voltage supplied to the starter causing the noise.

 

[zoldos]

Unhooking the battery constantly just resets the computer, as well as your MPG and radio presets.
Not really an issue until you bring it for emissions inspection, unhooking the battery resets the codes and makes you drive the car 50 miles or so until it's ready for inspection.

There's no inspection in my state. Thanks for the info!

What could cause the parasitic draw, well lots of things. Anything electrical and pretty much any wire. There's multiple ways to isolate the draw, but since you have it with a mechanic no need to go into detail. A voltage drop test would be a good start to isolate on your own if you have any interest in looking further into it.

FWIW, had we known about the parasitic draw we could have noted the potential of low voltage supplied to the starter causing the noise.

The mechanic said it was a bad starter AND a bad battery. He replaced both, and said it works fine now. He also monitored the drain all afternoon, overnight, and up until around 2pm today, and stated that it was NOT draining at all.

The total price was a bit more than expected, but he might have replaced the battery with the same one I brought it in with, a $200 Motocraft. No worries. We already budgeted for the expense.

Thanks!