Battery or Starter?

[LisaJohn]

The 08 exploder won't crank. It goes clickity, clickity, clickity. It has the original motorcraft battery.

[m and t's77]

Sounds like a battery.Will it make the same noise with the headlights turned on?

[LisaJohn]

BRB

[LisaJohn]

Yes.

[simpleman68]

5 year old battery, I'd guess it is toast. You can have them check it to be sure at the parts store.
Doubt your alternator is fried unless you've got very high miles.

Did you check to make sure the connection at the terminals is tight and clean?

Have you recently had a starter replaced/repaired, or exhaust work done?
Scott

[bradc6]

Does anything electrical work? Radio, lights?

[snide]

5 year old exploder? It's totaled. Go buy a new one.

Or a new battery. Which may be more than what your exploder is worth now... :leaving:

[Sea Six]

Is it going click-click-click-click-click? That would indicate a battery to me.

Clickity-clackity sounds like it wants to be a train, or at the very least, one (or more) of the cars of a train.

Have you noticed the vehicle tending to tailgate other vehicles, especially in heavy, multi-lane traffic? Any sudden, unexplained twenty-second continuous bursts of the horn, when approaching certain intersections?

[LisaJohn]

5 year old battery, I'd guess it is toast. You can have them check it to be sure at the parts store.
Doubt your alternator is fried unless you've got very high miles.

Did you check to make sure the connection at the terminals is tight and clean?

Have you recently had a starter replaced/repaired, or exhaust work done?
Scott

38k. One is a little corrided. Haven't had any work done.

[LisaJohn]

Does anything electrical work? Radio, lights?

Lights, remote door lock works

[snide]

Lights, remote door lock works

Then your battery is toast. Go buy a new one.

[LisaJohn]

5 year old exploder? It's totaled. Go buy a new one.

Or a new battery. Which may be more than what your exploder is worth now... :leaving:

:lol: I just called John at work and told him the exploder was dead and I would have to get another vehicle.

[Kerrmudgeon]

It could be something as simple as a loose fan belt. If it clicks once, it's usually something in the starter...(solenoid or drive parts of starter), but if it goes clik, clik, clik, and on, it's probably the battery, and it may not be getting charged OR it's toast.
Take the battery in for testing after you charge it up, they'll do a load test and tell you good/no good. If it's good, you'll have to get the charging system checked out. Are you confused yet?:lolsmile:

[LisaJohn]

Is it going click-click-click-click-click? That would indicate a battery to me.

Clickity-clackity sounds like it wants to be a train, or at the very least, one (or more) of the cars of a train.

Have you noticed the vehicle tending to tailgate other vehicles, especially in heavy, multi-lane traffic? Any sudden, unexplained twenty-second continuous bursts of the horn, when approaching certain intersections?

:lol: Speaking of horns... The horn doesn't work in John's f150. It makes a little tootie toot toot sound!

[simpleman68]

38k. One is a little corrided. Haven't had any work done.

You could pull both terminals and clean them before reinstalling. After 5 years, I'd replace the battery to be safe, particularly going into Winter.
Scott

[simpleman68]

:lol: Speaking of horns... The horn doesn't work in John's f150. It makes a little tootie toot toot sound!

You are a good sport given the quality of humor here.... :lol:
Scott

[LisaJohn]

It could be something as simple as a loose fan belt. If it clicks once, it's usually something in the starter, solenoid or drive, but if it goes clik, clik, clik, and on, it's probably the battery, and it may not be getting charged OR it's toast.
Take the battery in for testing after you charge it up, they'll do a load test and tell you good/no good. If it's good, you'll have to get the charging system checked out. Are you confused yet?:lolsmile:

Nope. John said he would check the battery when he gets home.

[Sea Six]

:lol: Speaking of horns... The horn doesn't work in John's f150. It makes a little tootie toot toot sound!

Replace that horn immediately. It sounds like it is entirely too effeminate to be in any truck.

Even if it is just an F150.

[LisaJohn]

Then your battery is toast. Go buy a new one.

A new battery or a new car?

[simpleman68]

A new battery or a new car?

What Alan is trying to say is that the cost basis is equal for both. Might as well go for the whole chalupa and get another Exploder. :dance:
Scott

[onedef92]

My money's on battery.

[LisaJohn]

There is a cute little 08 vette for sale at the Ford dealer....

[m and t's77]

My money's on battery.

Yup,a few cold nights will suck the life out of an older battery.

[ConstantChange]

A new battery or a new car?

Yes. :)

[onedef92]

Yup,a few cold nights will suck the life out of an older battery.

Ditto for a few hot days in extreme heat, too. :yesnod:

[Madmikeee]

there is a little indicator on the top of all motorcraft batteries, if you don't see a green light it's dead.

[LisaJohn]

there is a little indicator on the top of all motorcraft batteries, if you don't see a green light it's dead.

:lol:

[onedef92]

there is a little indicator on the top of all motorcraft batteries, if you don't see a green light it's dead.

Those Delco Freedom batteries used to feature a battery life status window, too.

[Sea Six]

My money's on battery.

*bat-try.

[Fastguy]

If it started no problem every day and then suddenly goes click, that is typically a starter. Weak batteries usually let you know they are on the way out with weak starts.
I have the original battery in my 01 F-250 but its on the third starter.
However, if your car is weak starting and you ignore it, it sends too much resistance through the starter solenoid and can take the starter out with it.
Pretty easy to test. Clean the terminals and jump it. If it starts right away, most likely battery. If it just clicks again, starter.

[lspencer534]

If it started no problem every day and then suddenly goes click, that is typically a starter. Weak batteries usually let you know they are on the way out with weak starts.
I have the original battery in my 01 F-250 but its on the third starter.

In the good ole days I would have agreed about a battery giving warning. I've found that batteries nowadays fail without warning, as in strong one day, gone the next. That's been the case with the last several batteries I've had to replace.

I had one battery explode; it sounded like a shotgun. Thankfully it was in the trunk. Although the battery was in pieces, the power windows still worked. I don't know the point of that story, but it fit in somehow.

[LisaJohn]

The 08 exploder cranks. It has a new bat-try.:hurray:

[snide]

Pics of new exploder?

[Olustee bus]

38k. One is a little corrided.

well damn, there you go. If it is corrided, I wouldn't be walking near it, much less driving it!

[CP]

A new battery or a new car?

A new car comes with a new battery. :seasix:

[Cybercowboy]

If it started no problem every day and then suddenly goes click, that is typically a starter. Weak batteries usually let you know they are on the way out with weak starts.
I have the original battery in my 01 F-250 but its on the third starter.
However, if your car is weak starting and you ignore it, it sends too much resistance through the starter solenoid and can take the starter out with it.
Pretty easy to test. Clean the terminals and jump it. If it starts right away, most likely battery. If it just clicks again, starter.

I've had batteries go from seemingly fine to total duds overnight, and I've had them slowly decline over a few weeks. The other day I had to move my wife's car and noticed the battery was weak. I mentioned it to her, told her it was probably time to get it changed. She gave me this look like "What? It's fine." Went out there, started it, and it was barely cranking over but did start. She said "See? It started right up."

:banghead:

[Hoog]

Stopped to get gas in the C5 on the way to work a couple years ago, got back in and...nothing. Stone ass dead with no warning. Had to wake the old lady up at 5 am to come get me.

[Fastguy]

Stopped to get gas in the C5 on the way to work a couple years ago, got back in and...nothing. Stone ass dead with no warning. Had to wake the old lady up at 5 am to come get me.

GM did build a low battery system into the C5. It's called "SERVICE COLUMN LOCK".

[Cybercowboy]

GM did build a low battery system into the C5. It's called "SERVICE COLUMN LOCK".

Gads, it's been so long that I put in the column lock bypass that I totally forgot about that. :lol:

I learned real quick with the C5 to not let the car sit for more than a week or so without a battery tender on it. Once that gel cell battery is discharged fully you have one chance to charge it back up and use it but when it gets even a little discharged after that happens, it's done. As in completely done.

[Kerrmudgeon]

I trust you tested the old one before buying a new one? And that you tested the alternator output at the battery when running. Otherwise it'll go dead again in a short time. :yesnod:

[LisaJohn]

John had the bat-try tested. It was bad. It was the original battery and a little over 5 years old. I don't know if he checked the alternator.

[RED-85-Z51]

the old Ram I had...i cranked it up one morning...was on my way to work...realized id forgotten my phone...I turned around and came back home...turned it off, went inside, came out..turned key...nothing, no lights, no chime, no gauges.

i put the meter on it and it has like .3 volts, no amps.

[Kerrmudgeon]

the old Ram I had...i cranked it up one morning...was on my way to work...realized id forgotten my phone...I turned around and came back home...turned it off, went inside, came out..turned key...nothing, no lights, no chime, no gauges.

i put the meter on it and it has like .3 volts, no amps.

A car battery can develop a dead short where that will happen after going over a harsh bump in the road or other sudden jar. I saw that more than a few times when I was a kid working in a tire/battery store. Usually on an older or defective battery. :yesnod:

[Fastguy]

Gads, it's been so long that I put in the column lock bypass that I totally forgot about that. :lol:

I learned real quick with the C5 to not let the car sit for more than a week or so without a battery tender on it. Once that gel cell battery is discharged fully you have one chance to charge it back up and use it but when it gets even a little discharged after that happens, it's done. As in completely done.

On of that, once the battery voltage gets below 12v, it starts to fry the column lock solenoid. I bypassed mine years ago.

[Bill]

*bat-try.

Pro-tip: In South Louisiana, it's pronounced "bat-trie." ****in' French wannabes.