Rodeo won't Start! HELP!!!!!!

sweetbonbon0780 · #1 11-27-2006, 01:05 AM

Hello everyone, I jsut registered w/ this forum looking for some answers to my exsisting problem. This started back in July when randomly (in the middle of the day) I went to leave and my car would not start. I thought it was the battery. It eventually started with a couple trys and it was fine for a couple days then started doing it again. I thought it could have been the starter or the alternator but i had both tested and they came out fine. I had the battery tested (which was a brand new battery in March) and it was giving off lower voltage (or something like that) then it was suppose to. I brought the battery back and got a new one thinking i was all set w/ the problem. Now every morning when i go to start my car it takes about 10-15 minutes to actually start. Now, sometimes when I turn it off and run in somewhere, when i go to start it, it doesnt start. the problem is getting worse and I don't want to go to the dealership and pay $89 an hour JUST for them to tell me whats wrong, let alone pay for whatever the problem is. I heard that there was a recall on the ground wire for the battery on the 98 rodeos. there is something electrical that is either draining my battery (2 new batteries since march) or it's something not connected right, i am thinking. Please someone help me. I do not know much about cars, but my boyfriend works on cars and can probably fix it, if he jsut knew what was wrong. HELP!!!!

sages · #2 11-27-2006, 04:31 PM

do you know if you are losing spark or fuel. That would help if you know
Paul

surferfletch · #3 11-27-2006, 06:15 PM

What happens when you try to start it? Do you get anything? Clicking? Cranking? When it does start, does it fire right up as if nothing was ever wrong? Has it had any running problems? Stall out? Do you have the original alternator?

From what you described the first thing that comes to mind is a short in the wiring harness. Also check your grounds and battery cables. If it was your starter, I would have expected it to have completely died by now.

surferfletch · #4 11-27-2006, 06:16 PM

And how many miles on the truck?

sweetbonbon0780 · #5 11-27-2006, 07:12 PM

Thank you everyone for responding. To answer some of your questions: When i turn my key, it makes a clicking noise, not an on-going clicking, but just a click everytime i turn the key. I had a bad coil pack? (i think thats what its called, the thing that goes over where you put the spark plug in) and i had the dealership replace it. I can't remember if this started before or after i had that replaced. I have everything original in the car, and the car has almost 90,000 miles and it's a 99. I'm from CT and it's getting cold outside now and i jsut hate not being able to have my car start right away. It's annoying but i don't want to go straight to the dealership and have them charge me an arm and a leg for something my boyfriend can do. He thinks it's the ground wire from my battery. I am thinking there is something that is draining my battery, as in, not turning off completely, and is making my car not start. but then again, sometimes it'll eventually start in the morning and be fine the rest of the day, and other times it'll start in the morning and then won't start again during the day after sitting for awhile. Do you think i should go ahead and put a new ground wire in?!

sages · #6 11-28-2006, 12:29 AM

You have a problem with one of the following Battery, terminals, wire to starter, ground wire or starter itself. put a load test on the wires at the starter that will tell you if the starter is good are not

good luck

Ramblin Fever · #7 11-28-2006, 01:00 AM

Sounds like the starter to me. Mine was half alive/half dead for almost 6mnths before it completely died.

At first, I didn't think it was the starter in mine cause it would only give 1 click, followed by nothing - this would go on for about 10 minutes or so, then finally it fire up. Other times, it would turn over on the 1st try.

I completely sucked the last living breath out of that starter - I wanted to make sure that's what it was.

FWIW - when your testing the volts on the starter, alternator and battery, make sure it's under a load at the time. These trucks require constant high/strong voltage, if there's a weakness, the whole system will be effected. Your battery may be weakened by having to take up slack for the starter.

Usually when an alternator goes out in these trucks, they'll start showing weird signs - other then starting issues; i.e. transmission slippage, weird idiot lights appearing on the dash, radio/hvac controls not working, etc.

If the battery is at fault, generally you'll have the battery idiot light on the dash with low volts on your volt gauge.

trooperbc · #8 11-28-2006, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetbonbon0780

... something my boyfriend can do. He thinks it's the ground wire from my battery. ...

it could be anything that's been proposed here, including that ground wire. so keep your boyfriend and start there -- it might not actually need to be replaced, just the connections completely cleaned and tightened.

surferfletch · #9 11-28-2006, 01:33 PM

When my starter failed I would only get that single click. Only lasted a week or so like that, though. Ramblin' got 6 months, though, so maybe it is the starter. Do you have 4 wheel drive?

sweetbonbon0780 · #10 11-28-2006, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by surferfletch

When my starter failed I would only get that single click. Only lasted a week or so like that, though. Ramblin' got 6 months, though, so maybe it is the starter. Do you have 4 wheel drive?

Thank you again everyone ...yes i have 4 wheel drive to answer your question. And i had the starter and alternator tested and they came out fine, but what another person was talking about how the "truck" (i call it a SUV

) needs to be under load?! what does that mean?! ...i may just have to go to the STEALership

surferfletch · #11 11-28-2006, 07:16 PM

I asked about 4WD because there is more stuff (exhaust) to move to access the starter. On the 2WD SUV (truck sounds better to me!), like mine, it's a very easy job.

sweetbonbon0780 · #12 11-29-2006, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by surferfletch

I asked about 4WD because there is more stuff (exhaust) to move to access the starter. On the 2WD SUV (truck sounds better to me!), like mine, it's a very easy job.

when we first were going to change the starter (what we thought was the initial problem) we then encountered the next problem of not being able to find the starter! which is when we went to go and have the starter tested before taking it out ...i read online, that with my rodeo (assuming the 4wd model) it is suggested to take the engine out. Am i wrong?! i was going to do the starter myself (well my boyfreind at least) rather then go to the dealership and have them charge me a MINIMUM $600!!!!! ...i just want this problem to be over with! I am planning on getting rid of the car May or June and i just need it to last me these next couple months!!!

trooperbc · #13 11-29-2006, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetbonbon0780

...have the starter tested before taking it out ...i read online, that with my rodeo (assuming the 4wd model) it is suggested to take the engine out. Am i wrong?!...

yikes, yes you are wrong. the most you will have to do, extra-wise, is remove part of the exhaust, probably just the exhaust pipe at the exhaust manifold flange, maybe that whole pipe. this will give you enough room to manuever the starter out of that cramped area.

just be sure you get a quality rebuilt unit, not some cheapo bigbox parts store rebuild, even if you are intending to sell it, imo.

//bc

Paul A · #14 11-29-2006, 08:31 AM

Hi,
Here's something you might want to try!
I had EXACTLY the same problem, eventually traced it to a fuse for the starter circuit.
Located in the fusebox INSIDE the car (side of dashboard - under the cover) last fuse top row if I remember rightly.
The fuse hadn't blown but the connections were pretty oxidised from all the current going through.
Quick clean up with some glass paper sorted it.
Good Luck!

Paul

sweetbonbon0780 · #15 12-06-2006, 10:16 AM

I think we may have found the problem but i won't know that it's fixed for a couple days when it starts every single time with no hesitation. We thought that it may have been the wire going to the starter and we went to replace it and my friend went to disconnect my battery and the terminals were able to come right off, with no force. my boyfriend bought these caps that go over the terminals on the battery to make it a tighter fit and i've had no problem since. I dont want to jinx myself but this may have been the problem. Ford Dealership put the new battery in and it's a Ford Battery, but you would think that they would have noticed that the terminals were smaller ...

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