New battery, solenoid and starter still no crank

[mattyates12]

I have a 01’ expedition XLT 4WD with a 5.4, and it’s given me nothing but problems. AC went out so a couple weeks ago I put in a new compressor and accumulator and flushed the system. I work a lot so took ma a day or 2 but I got it all done, ran a new belt and hooked all the electrical back up and went to start it, and it cranked right up and sounded good. Ran for a few minutes then shut it off and connected the lines to add some coolant to new compressor, went to go turn the truck back on and wouldn’t start. Just a click. Over a week or 2 I cut all the main lines and added new connectors, put in a new solenoid, got a new battery, new relays and changed all the fuses. Still, nothing. Yesterday I went a bought a starter. Put it in, turned the key, started right up with no trouble. Ran it a second, turned it off for a couple minutes, tried again and started right up a second time. Now I haven’t gotten it to start again. Right back to the clicking. Can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?

 

[Yupster Dog]

Can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?

Check your ground cables (battery and Ground for starter.)
Do a Voltage Drop Test. It will take you right to the problem.

(corrosion can be hidden inside the wire insulation)

 

[mattyates12]

Do you mind explaining the voltage drop test? Every time I search it nothing really pops up.

I just crimped in an in-line fuse on the B+ cable that goes directly from the battery to the solenoid and it fried the 30 amp fuse on the first try.

Also, Do you know why there is corrosion around my terminals? Battery is just now week old, and I just put all new connectors on every cable and they're already caked in corrosion?

 

[Yupster Dog]

Do you mind explaining the voltage drop test?

youtube has many video's on the subject

they're already caked in corrosion?

i just pour some coke a cola on it.

 

[studabaker]

That is fast to have corrosion. The voltage drop test measures CCA. You need two people. Hold a volt meter on the battery and start the car. Monitoring the amount the voltage drops will approximate the CCA. If it goes below a certain voltage your low if it stays above 9v (not sure exactly) your ok but if it drops to 5v then the battery needs deep cycle charge to replacement. Take the battery to some place that will charge it up with a good charger. Also new batteries require more that tricle charge from a tender. A tricle charge may help but they have fancy chargers that restore the CCA to the battery.

Deal with contact points as well.

 

[Yupster Dog]

The voltage drop test measures CCA.

The voltage drop test checks all connections and wires for voltage drop. You do not need to start vehicle to test.

Voltage Drop Test is testing the connections without having to take them apart and you can work your way right to the problem.
So you have a digital volt meter($15@walmart) and you put the red on the positive battery post and the black on the negative post you will get how many volts your battery is putting out. (12.v)
now that you know your digital volt meter is on and working,



The goal is to read 0 volts.(means all good connections) the more volts you read the worse the connection. (Ex 1.5v it's a little dirty all the way to 11.3v means almost no connection.)

(notice i dont say black and red colors here, that is because it doesnt matter what colors where)

Put one wire on negative post then put the other wire on the clamp that is on the negative post. If you read any volts at all those volts are being lost in the connection from the post to the clamp. (Ex if you read 1.5v you need to clean the battery terminal). put back together and move on to the next connection on the wire and one still on the battery post.
This can be done on both positive and negative sides the exact same way.

Look up (Voltage Drop Test) You tube vids get a little techy but my explanation should help a little.

 

[studabaker]

Ok valid test of course from the moderator and I am going to apply that to my own vehicle however CCA is a thing also, in order to start. You could measure 12v and have low CCA because of a short the "vdt" will help you find. Find short circuits first, yes.

Technically if you have 11.3v that's a strong short. That is backwards. 11.3v would be an after market stereo cable flopping around, like a 0 gauge wire connected to your battery and contacting the frame somewhere. That will be blowing fuses and sparking. 3v may not be noticeable and drain your battery down and then you tricle charge it back up and your CCA are gone. Clean up any short circuits and get a deep cycle agm battery if you haven't already. Or not just get what you can afford but those batteries a worth it... it doesn't have to be optima. The battery stores have good options.

CCA is the power to start, the length it holds voltage. How long does it take to discharge at a certain voltage. If you turn the key and you hear the clicking noise you need a jump. A jump from another battery is taxes the other battery. Preferably from a jumper box or get the battery charged or something which will not cause your other vehicle to loose CCA. If your hearing clicking that's kinda good unless you have a major draw of course. Then starting it might not be a great idea, your just gonna be sparking and blowing fuses.

If you contact your negative terminal to the chassis exposed metal somewhere ( with your volt meter) and you have near 0 then it's OK to start the engine. If something is short to the chasis it will show on your volt meter, as in the voltage drop test describe by the moderator.

 

[Yupster Dog]

Ok valid test of course from the moderator and I am going to apply that to my own vehicle however CCA is a thing also, in order to start.

NO, it's a test that has nothing to do with cca as you stated it did.

however CCA is a thing also, in order to start.

The OP bought a new battery so......

Technically if you have 11.3v that's a strong short. That is backwards. 11.3v would be an after market stereo cable flopping around, like a 0 gauge wire connected to your battery and contacting the frame somewhere.

Not a short to get the 11.3v in a voltage drop test, It is obvious you have no clue even when it is explained in the post you replied to.

If you contact your negative terminal to the chassis exposed metal somewhere ( with your volt meter) and you have near 0 then it's OK to start the engine. If something is short to the chasis it will show on your volt meter, as in the voltage drop test describe by the moderator.

Why do you make everything difficult to understand? Let me explain my own posts in the future.

 

[Motorcity muscle]

That is fast to have corrosion. The voltage drop test measures CCA. You need two people. Hold a volt meter on the battery and start the car. Monitoring the amount the voltage drops will approximate the CCA. If it goes below a certain voltage your low if it stays above 9v (not sure exactly) your ok but if it drops to 5v then the battery needs deep cycle charge to replacement. Take the battery to some place that will charge it up with a good charger. Also new batteries require more that tricle charge from a tender. A tricle charge may help but they have fancy chargers that restore the CCA to the battery.

Deal with contact points as well.

Not sure about several of your statements. Explain why a trickle charger will not charge up a new/old battery? Yupster dog explained how to do a voltage drop test correctly. OP hasn't been back to his post since July 13, he must have figured out the problem, hopefully he will follow up with the fix.

 

[studabaker]

Explain how 11.3 volts is no connection?
I did not mean his test was for cca.

I learn on my own through researching stuff. Sorry this test is not familiar to me, Or the op and went unexplained since July (moderator). My bad for trying. The op probably junked it. Maybe someone else will read it.

I approximate CCA by watching the change in voltage.

Maybe the moderator can explain it better.
Once a battery gets drained below some certain level the CCA drop. ( Search amperage.) Some new batteries can drain lower than old batteries. Both are effected by low drainage. Both can benefit for a good charger which hits it with higher than 5v. I did not mean to say that his test had anything to do with CCA. It obviously does not. If the op or anyone else is getting a clicking noise, in my experience it's low CCA, and this could also indicate a short and would benefit from the moderators test. They should call it something different like the "short circuit test" maybe, I think is a more accurate name.

A trickle charger is literally called a maintainer on the box. So it is specifically intended for sitting vehicles. If you want to charge up your battery, which in this case is not turning over the engine due to low CCA, then the battery should be put on a good charger.

I admit I am not familiar with this test. I understand electronics.

How do you read 11.v with no connection. I'm confused.

I have come a long way on my own but I won't claim to be perfect.