Click click

[JamieR]

I have had a couple of non starts in the last few days. 3.0 V6 SR5, i've read a lot of threads from this site and others and i think the only thing it could be is an older battery. When I turn the key on all I get is a click from the passenger fender area. I have headlights, dash lights, stereo, everything even the rear window switch works. The posts are clean and good copper connectors to all wires. Fuses (30 and 80) have been replaced under the hood recently. All the fuses on the drivers side fender box are good. I have recently replaced the starter, timing belt, cranks, water pump a few weeks ago. The distributer cap, rotor, spark plugs and wires were done a year ago. My battery is a few years old but is a good one, sat unhooked for a two years, never had a problem with it. Does the battery just go bad? I've read that sometimes there is enough voltage to run everything but not enough amps to start the vehicle? What do you test for that?
Last time it happened I could not get it to turn over for 10-15 min, I left it, came back and away it went. Yesterday I jumped started it and then when I got home it started twice no worries.
The truck had come from inside heated garage to outdoors both times it did not start. Dry one day but wet evening the next time. Distributer?
I also heard a low pitch squeel like noice coming from inside the truck somewhere. Could this be a bad fuse or loose wire?
Could it be I got a bad starter? It is a bosch rebuild.
I'll try get the battery tested tomorrow, start there unless anyone has a better idea?

Thanks

[fourwd1]

I also heard a low pitch squeel like noice coming from inside the truck somewhere. Could this be a bad fuse or loose wire?

No, but loose belts or bad bearings (like idler pulley, alt, H2O pump etc) do.

Having the battery checked is a good place to start, esp if it has been sitting for a while.
First check your pos and neg battery cables (both ends), make sure they are clean and tight.

[JamieR]

Just before I did the timing belt, water pump, crank seals and water pump I removed the battery and put in new wires, grounds, new copper ends. Cleaned it all up. I still get some corrosion build up on the front of the post clamps and don't know why this happens. Will the battery being faulty cause it not to start once and then start some time later?

[Brian R.]

There is a good chance that your starter has bad contacts, rebuilt or no rebuilt. Pull the starter and change the contacts if they are suspect. The symptoms you describe are classic for bad solenoid contacts.

[Scrapper]

does it billed up on your + post? if so your alt. it putting out more juice than the battery can handle.

[JamieR]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

does it billed up on your + post? if so your alt. it putting out more juice than the battery can handle.

Yeah actually it is usually on the positive post. Alternator.... okay, can I adjust that or do I just replace the alt or a different battery that can handle the "juice"?

[Brian R.]

Batteries that corrode always build up corrosion on the positive post. A positive potential is an oxidizing potential. That is totally normal. Negative terminals corrode very little relative to the positive terminal.

[Scrapper]

well i was told wrong when i ask that quistion excide said good one and said it was the alt. putting out to much the battrey. let me know what you find out by a company...maybe changed since the eary 80's.

[Brian R.]

If you want to find out if your voltage regulator is bad, test the voltage from the alternator B terminal to chassis or engine ground (not battery negative terminal) under normal charging conditions (not a dead or poorly charged battery, idle to 2000 rpm). The voltage should be 13.9 - 15.1 V with the engine cold and 13.5 - 14.3 V hot.

Deposit build-up is no measure of alternator output, although if the build-up suddenly goes crazy and starts dumping all over your battery holder, probably something is wrong.

Covering the terminals of your battery with corrosion preventative when you first install the battery new will pretty much prevent corrosion of the terminals.

[fourwd1]

If the alternator output voltage is too high it can cause the electrolyte (aka battery acid) to boil off. Usually there would be evidence at the vent.
It can't put out too much current (amps).

Also don't go by the volt meter in the dash, they're not too accurate.

[JamieR]

So after a bunch of checking and diagnostic tests turns out it was the battery not having the amps to turn over the vehicle. Also my positive clamp was grounding out and needed replacement. Luckily the starter and the ground were fine. $200, a cheap fix since the battery was $160 but it's a bigger better one than I had. Now I have to figure a custom mount for top of the rear door to keep rain and snow getting into and dripping over the sensor when the window is up. Any link suggestions?
Thanks for the help guys, hopefully this is it for a while.