When I turn the key to start the truck 1 time out of 4 it will just click like the battery is dead. I can turn it off and then try it again and most of the time it just starts right up. I havent owned the truck very long so I didn't want to start throwing parts at it until I am relatively sure what the issue is.

I am leaning toward starter or solenoid but I guess it could be a corroded cable too. I read on the forums how the corrosion can creep down the cable and not appear to be corroded at the ends.

It is for my 98 LSE Discovery

Any thoughts?

 

Check an clean all your battery connections and all grounds. Make sure they are all clean and tight. But it sounds like the starter is on its way out.

 

What I found on mine was the started ground to frame connection was so badly corroded that the only option was to cut the cable off near the terminal. My cable was still good, so I crimped on a large terminal I had in my toolbox from years of electrical repairs. I picked an easily accessable spot on the side of the frame, took a Dremel deburring tool and abraded the frame to bare metal and used a self-drilling bolt to reattach to the frame. Has worked great ever since, and the used starter I bought is sitting on the shelf until needed.

Tom Rowe had offered a good deal on new cables constructed from welding cable and milspec connectors at an attractive price a while back. Tom, you got any more of those cables? Sounds like he could use a set.