Please help, starting problems

This will be a long story

I've about had it with this Bronco. It's a 1995 Ford Bronco Eddie 5.8L I bought as a "project". For the past two weeks I've been having problems with it starting, and by that I mean, it's not starting at all. Alright, here's the story. Two weeks ago after an eight hour shift at work, I went to go home but the Bronco wouldn't start, it would make a single click from the fender relay but it wouldn't start (all the cars interior electrical stuff worked). I tried jumping it that same night but no go. So I came back the next morning and bam, it started perfectly and I was able to drive it home. Once I parked it and shut it off, I tried to start it again but the problem came back, no start, just a single click from the relay. I went out and bought an Actron remote starter, hooked it up, went under the car and started clicking the remote starter while smacking the starter... No go. Let it go for about 2 days, then I went ahead and tried to remove the starter, after removing the starter from the transmission and removing the cables, I immediately installed it back on due to sudden rain, and the car started, but of course, after driving it and turning it off, it stopped working. After the rain, I was getting pretty frustrated so I hooked up the remote starter and just clicked it non stop till it started and got it to the back yard so I could work on it. This time while I was removing the starter, I forgot to remove the small 12G wire that connects to the starter by female-male connectors and it snapped at the connection, making my starter trigger switch useless. I decided to ignore this for the time and went to work replacing the radiator core support and bushings. After all that was done, I went back to my starter problems, I ordered some new positive battery cables and a new motorcraft starter relay from RockAuto, got some 12G wire from Home Depot along with some crimp connectors and went to put everything back together. And what happens? Click. Just a single click from the starter, nothing else. All connections were tight. Well, the next day I went to check the battery and see if it would start. Car was dead, battery is now shot. I don't remember leaving anything on. Battery measured at 0.15V, yeah, not kidding. 

And now here I am. 

I can't think of why my car wouldn't start. I thought the new connections would be fine. 

By the way, my relay bolts on to the fender and has 3 post. The top post is for a cable from the ignition, the post closer to the battery is for the cable that goes from the relay to starter (this is the one I made my self using 12G cable and two crimp connectors, the side that connects to the relay is a ring terminal that is crimped and has heat shrink on, and the end that connects to that started has a crimp female connector on, everything on this wire is rated to 600 amps), the other post is for the battery cable and the alternator. 

Could it be of my home made wire? Or is the starter shot? I'm pretty sure without a doubt that my engine did not seize because it will run occasionally. 

After reading your entire post, I don't see that you replaced or serviced the ground cable from the battery to the engine.

This ground is the cause of many electrical problems.  I myself was left with a non-cranking Beast when I neglected the ground cable.

I cleaned both ends and still had the occasional  hesitant cranking.  New ground cable ended all those issues.

Good Luck. 

The battery won't hold a charge either, I had it on a heavy duty charger and while it was on the charger, all lights worked, but after 2 hours the voltage dropped from 12.73 to 8.54, still not starting either. Just a click. 

yo,

Parasitic Current Drain Test; http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/charging-articles/testing-your-battery-for-parasitic-load.html

you should be able to trace the "parasitic draw" on the battery in the normal way. Pull the (-) cable off & put an ammeter inline set to the 10A range (or higher if possible) to see how much current is being pulled out of the battery with the key OFF, the doors SHUT, & the hood light bulb REMOVED. Make sure absolutely NOTHING is turned on anywhere on the truck. If it registers 0 or below the meter's next range, switch it down a range until it shows some useful numbers. If it ends up being below 0.5A (500mA), then replace the battery. If it's above that, start by disconnecting all the alternator wires & see if the reading drops under 0.5A. Then move to the fuse block & pull them 1 at a time until there's a significant drop in the reading. That's the circuit that's draining the battery. Follow it to find the problem..."

as Ron advised. check all batty grounds;

Locations & Components in a 96; G101 front of engine compartment, front of fender apron (D1) - RH = Passenger side mine has 2 small black wires between starter relay & headlight; this is #5 in the diagram; G100 & G104 (tied together in diagram); G100 @ LH front of engine compartment on upper radiator support; G104 @ Rear of LH fender apron near hood hinge and 4WABS Test Connector (RED); G100 Serves Component, LH Oxygen Sensor, Fuel Pump Module, Inertia Fuel Shutoff, Misfire Sensor, Misfire Sensor Shield, Output Shaft Speed (OSS) Sensor, Powertrain Control Module (PCM) 5.0L; G101 Serves, RH Oxygen Sensor; G104 Serves Component: 4WABS Control Module, 4WABS Data Link Connector, 4WABS Relay #1, Instrument Cluster, Powertrain Control Module (PCM) 5.8L, Powertrain Control Module (PCM) 5.8L, Programmable Speedometer/Odometer Module (PSOM), Trailer Relay Box; G103 (battery to engine) Lower RH front of engine serves Component, 4WABS Pump Motor, Battery, Data Link Connector (DLC), Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor, Powertrain Control Module (PCM) 5.0L, Powertrain Control Module (PCM) 5.8L, Right Front Park/Turn Lamp, Right Front Side Marker Lamp Right Headlamp; G201 Behind bottom of LH cowl panel (driver's side kick panel) Component, Compass/Outside Temperature Module, Day/Night Mirror, Inside Cargo Lamp, Left Power Lumbar Compressor Motor, Outside Cargo/High Mount Stop Lamps, Right Power Lumbar Compressor Motor, Seat Belt Switch, Door Lock Actuator (PDL & Probably Power Window Motor); G200 Behind bottom of RH cowl panel serves Component, Air Bag Diagnostic Monitor, Electronic Shift Control Module, Instrument Cluster, Programmable Speedometer/Odometer Module (PSOM), Remote/Keyless Entry Module, Speed Control Servo/Amplifier Assembly; G103 (battery to engine) Lower RH front of engine serves Component, 4WABS Pump Motor, Battery, Data Link Connector (DLC), Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor, Powertrain Control Module (PCM) 5.0L, Powertrain Control Module (PCM) 5.8L, Right Front Park/Turn Lamp, Right Front Side Marker Lamp, Right Headlamp; G400 Rear Window Defroster @ LH rear corner of cargo area, near rear lamp assembly; Engine Block pic in a 94 5.8; "...The black battery wire goes from the front bolt of the engine mount (on the block) to this tab & up to the battery post, where a smaller black wire goes to the core support, providing a continuous ground path between the engine, frame, battery, & body; Frame & Battery pic in a 93; "...With the wheelwell gone, it's easy to inspect the frame ground, just inboard of the spring tower on top of the frame rail. The battery ground cable is stripped ~3/4" and a tab is soldered on so it can be bolted to the frame; Intake Manifold to Block Strap Location in a 96 5.0 is between 2nd & 3rd plugs on passenger side; SEE DIAGRAMS

Source: by miesk5 at Ford Bronco Zone Forums http://broncozone.com/topic/20952-loose-ground/page__pid__109954__st__0&

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96 Bronco-F-Series Workshop Manual (PARTIAL)

http://www.diesel-dave.com/vehic/manual/stj/stjleft.htm

Section 14-00:

Battery and Charging System, Service

http://www.diesel-dave.com/vehic/manual/stj/stjse00l.htm

•Battery Does Not Hold a Charge

•Battery drain.

•Open or high resistance in wiring.

•Damaged regulator.

•Generator.

GO to Pinpoint Test L.

http://www.diesel-dave.com/vehic/manual/stj/stje0006.htm#l

Drain Testing

Check for current drains on the battery in excess of 50 mA with all the electrical accessories off and the vehicle at rest. Current drains can be tested with the following procedure.

WARNING: DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS TEST ON A LEAD-ACID BATTERY THAT HAS RECENTLY BEEN RECHARGED.

CAUTION: Do not crank the engine or operate accessories that draw more than 10A. You could blow the fuse in the meter.

NOTE: Many computers draw 10 mA or more continuously.

NOTE: Use Rotunda 88 Multimeter 105-R0053 or equivalent between the battery positive or negative post and its respective cable

1.NOTE: Steps 1-5 correspond to the numbers in the following illustration.

Insert the test leads in the input terminals shown.

http://www.diesel-dave.com/vehic/manual/stj/stje0007.htm#extract_1398

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Section 03-06A:

Starting System, Gasoline Engines

http://www.diesel-dave.com/vehic/manual/stj/stjs36al.htm

Symptom Chart — Starting System

http://www.diesel-dave.com/vehic/manual/stj/stj36005.htm

•Starter Motor Does Not Crank Engine

•Loose or corroded battery cable connections.

•Undercharged battery.

•Malfunctioning starter relay.

•Faulty starter motor ground circuit.

•Malfunctioning starter motor.

GO to Pinpoint Test B. http://www.diesel-dave.com/vehic/manual/stj/stj36006.htm#b

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Dead Cell; "... Sometimes, a battery will have just one cell go bad or short out. When this happens, the battery will seem fully charged, but fail to start the car, or it may start the car right after charging, but then fail to start the car an hour or more later. If this happens measure the S.G. in each cell. If one cell has a lower S.G. than the rest by a significant amount, replace the battery - there is no way to fix this problem. This condition most often happens to batteries subjected to lots of vibration, and sometimes to new and almost new batteries that have a bad cell from the factory..."

Source: by Gordon via miesk5

My 96's starter would barely turn engine over; tried a few times; waited 20 seconds and strart turned over @ normal speed and ran; next attempt to start, was same..replaced battery after tests showed dead cell.

Voltage; "...a normal battery that is fully charged produces 12.6 volts, not just 12.0 V. (Remember, when measuring battery voltage, everything in the car should be off, or the battery should be disconnected. Voltage measurements are always "no load" measurements unless the battery is being tested for it's performance under load)..."

Source: by Gordon via miesk5



Starter Relay Connections '92-96

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