When I turn the key, it’s extremely sluggishly trying to turn over. Only turning over maybe once. Pause, tries to turn another revolution. Pauses. Tries to try again..
Very much like the battery is dead.

Just had it towed back to garage where I can work on it. Because it decided not to start, this time mid errand running a cpl days ago.

Brief history:
It’s had slight intermittent starting problems since late 19’. random no start once last summer. Didn’t happen again for several months. Then suddenly dead battery.
I would charge battery to rule out battery as culprit. And it would fire up without a problem and Cary on without any form of problem whatsoever for months. Then this fall it wouldn’t start randomly. Try start it again a few days later and it would start. Figured CPS sensor failing.

ordered genuine CPS from Land Rover in October swapped/ Starts up without problem.

Now no start again..

- so that’s a new CPS
- I had put new battery in early summer.
- So I just went and had it tested. Auto parts says it’s good.
- cleaned and ensure terminals are tight
- I tried jumping it. Will not take a jump- super slow turn over. Virtually none - as if jumper cables aren’t working.
- Tried different cables.
- tried a spare deep cycle battery - hooked this up. No difference
- I just put in new starter in today. No difference
- ultra gage is reading 13.9- 14amps when running, leading me to believe alternator is not culprit.
- checked fuses, swapped relays to see if anything was blown.


This is an 04 with 135k miles I’ve been maintaining since 86k. (Family members truck)

If it didn’t run so well while running, I’d think I might have somehow an engine issue?? its like pressure isn’t allowing it to turn..

what the hell am I missing?

 

Sounds like poor cranking amps, like you get on a weak battery in the winter.

Is it only on the 1st start of the day or every start ?

 

Currently truck will not start.

When you turn key, it turns over very very slow, yet consistently sluggish. - like a very very dead battery as effect -
the odd thing is - that if your battery was dead - you’d use the amperage available for cold crank and it would die immediately after that use of storage. and then nothing
It seem to just turn “hard” & leaves me feeling like there is adequate draw/ but not enough umph to turn it over.

 

@SundayFunday

Check you battery voltage it is possible you have draw that is killing it fast.

Check the cable running to the starter for damage and try pulling the plugs. No plugs no compression so it should be easier to turn, you may need a fresh battery.

But man that sounds electrical.

 

Check your ground cable where it atraches to alternator bracket, known failure area, bolt looks good, but once you remove you will see oxidation between cable tetminal and mounting area. Usually, when this happens...(loosing main ground)...the parking brake cable starts to act as the main ground and eventually melts outer plastic housing.

 

I will inspect and report back

 

How old is the starter motor? When I finally changed my original to the amazon brand that Best Recommends I could not believe the difference. If the starter is worn, and the brushes are not making contact that could result in a groggy starter. Mine was. Admittedly I am not expert, but that was my experience. I had no idea how bad my starter was before swapping it out.

 

I replaced starter when we took in the truck on almost immediately as it seemingly had a starter issue in summer of 16’
believe it was a denso brand.

I just replaced starter again last night.

it was oil soaked from weepy valve covers- which I just recently did the pcv mod to address. I thought maybe the oil could have fouled the starter prematurely & might be causing intermittent reactions..

 

Looking at connections behind alternator- they’re nice and clean and tight.

the battery ground to the block looked okay but as I’m inspecting, the bolt broke off.

would you suggest tapping it out - or would an alternative spot to re-ground be an opportune moment here.. does it have to on the block making connection with alternator bracket?

 

Also loosen the nut on the primary terminal on the starter and scratch around or even use a little sandpaper to remove oxidation that may not be visible on the ring connector and the starter terminal. When I was a teenager my '65 Mustang was having starting problems and I traced it to a bad cable connection at the starter, and solved it as I described. Thankfully before I replaced the starter.