Trac won't start, need your thoughts!

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Rock Auto has good prices but I am always worried I am going to buy the wrong part, cause you know you can never just go to the parts store once! :)



I am getting prices from 126 to 145 at Ford plus core.....
 
^ Not to mention core or warranty shipping costs. Especially heavy parts such as starters, calipers, etc.
 
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Thoughts ...



A simple voltage check won't determine whether the battery can develop enough current to turn over the engine. A load test is the only useful test.



A jump pack of unknown charge will give unknown results, at best.



You were asked to trickle charge for 24 hours, but did it for 10 instead. That is not enough for a 2 amp charger (24 hours may not be enough).



Richard provided a simple and effective test of the battery, but that wasn't done.



Tapping the starter with a hammer may move the rotor enough that the brushes or solenoid are no longer on a bad spot, but for how long; when will it need to be tapped again? The best that can be hoped for with this is to confirm that something is wrong, but what - lose wire, solenoid, brush?



I've not seen any real diagnostics performed. You can throw parts (and money) at it and maybe get lucky. Look at the number of suggestions and potential corrections - which is correct - where does one start?



Sometimes, paying the one hour diagnostics fee at a (reputable) dealer is the least expensive and most expedient way to get to a resolution. As for not being able to get it towed because it's stuck in park, the drive shaft can be removed and it can then be pushed.



As for parts, IMO, go OEM for critical parts that are difficult or expensive to replace because you want to do this only once. As an example, your OEM starter lasted 15 years. The low cost parts alternatives are low cost due to low price labor and rebuild parts that reduce the reliability (this is how they offer lifetime warranties). If you save $80 on the part, but have to pay labor twice or have many down days, that's no bargain.
 
Yardsale,

Thus my question regarding a load test...

I was given the suggestion to try a trickle charge for 24 hours. When I had the battery tested it was at 94%. I placed the charger on it for 10 hours because the charger said it had a full charge and we were also expecting rain over night.

We tried jump starting it to no avail.....

Yes, tapping get the starter was done to see if.that might be the issue. The Trac is NOT stuck in park! It is stuck in the back yard where a tow truck can't get to it and with out power the trac.cant be steered to make the corner to get it out!

Really put out by your argumentative "thoughts"! Please keep anymore to yourself. I've owned my trac for 15 years all of which I have used this site as a awesome resource and have had nothing but positive responses from fellow users!
 
Marsha, I think you need to go back to basics for your No Crank No Start issue. I and others have suggested checking your battery cables for integrity. That means disconnecting the battery then checking the cables (both positive and ground) to make sure there's no corrosion or loose connections keeping sufficient battery voltage from the starter. I don't see that you've done that in your follow-on posts. Next I would check voltage at the starter when key is placed in Start position. You will need a helper to do this, and someone's going to have to get underneath the car. If battery and battery cables are OK but there's no power to the starter with key in Start then the ignition switch itself could be at fault.
 
The battery test the parts store did likely would not catch a battery with a bad internal connection. It would likely show a good charge, maybe operate the lights and other electrical items, but not pass enough current to start the truck. Even if they did a load test, it was probably just a quick one. A true load test can take 30 minutes or more. Not sure how long it actually takes, but the guy who did one for me said to come back in an hour. Most parts stores probably don't have the equipment to do a true load test. This type of test cycles the battery through a load, rest, load, rest,...... a number of times and WILL find a bad battery. Probably need to take the battery to someplace that does at least minimal mechanical work. I know the WalMart up the road in Ankeny can do a true load test. They've done 1 or 2 for me. You may have to really insist they do the longer load test. They won't charge anything. Just go directly into the tire & auto service area from the outside - not through the store - and ask them to do the test. Any good repair shop should have the equipment, just ask if they can do the extended load test.
 
its the Starter Solenoid https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0ahUKEwiO1Zm9qojPAhVFOyYKHZ_ZDIkQFgg5MAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fordtruckfanatics.com%2Fforum%2Fshowthread.php%3Ft%3D19714&usg=AFQjCNGwcJWlNt85LYOyhdpIy90FI6fxxw&bvm=bv.132479545,d.eWE
 

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