2006 Super Duty 5.4L No Start

We've had up and down temps here recently.  The other morning, I turned the key on the F250 and got one weak turn.  The truck weakly went Rrrrr and nothing more.  When I turn the key forward there is no click-click-click.  

Fast forward a few days.  I've put the battery on the charger as well as tried it with a jumper pack.  No start and 12.8V at the battery.

When I turn the key forward, the radio and the lights and everything seems strong.  Turn of the key results in nothing.  There was no ceremonious failure.  Just came out one morning ( a 30 degree morning) and truck wouldn't start.  The last time I drove the truck was just the day before trying to start and that was probably 30 minutes worth of driving....it ran fine.

Starter?

Ignition?

Help me diagnose?  

Additional frustration because just 2 weekends ago I dropped a couple hundred in redoing the rear brakes.  

I've eliminated the idea of the truck not being fully in park.  The truck will not start in neutral either.  It seems to be acting like it would if you tried to start it in a gear.  

Can you bypass the neutral safety switch?

Possible fuse popped?

I just went through the fuses.  Found nothing. 

I've seen the main current carrying wire on the started oxidize through on a few mod motors from age. Check for current at the starter during cranking by using a test light or horn if you're working solo. I slather all my replacements with some dielectric grease to extend their life, but most of the ones that get replaced are 12-15 years old which seems OK as the life span on a starter. (That last bolt is a pain)

You say 12.8 but have a pic at 12.18.  Clarify?  That is potentially a big difference, if the battery just came off the charger and settles quickly to only 12.1 v, it's suspect.  Should be high 12/low 13.

12.1 would still turn it over. Wonder if the power is making it to the starter. 

Oops on the typo but my thought was 12 is 12.  But the truck is not even cranking weakly. 

Radio plays strong. Headlights look strong, etc.  

I did...turn the key forward then crawl under with long screw driver.  With that long driver I touched the two red terminals together and got the starter to spark. 

Yes, I have also tapped about the starter with a hammer. 

It's raining now. Probably no more until tomorrow. 

I have not had typically symptoms like a dead spot on the starter that might require a few turn of the key to get something to happen. Never any clicking. 

Generally, the truck is a strong starter. No long cranking times, etc. 

Pop the belt off and see if it'll start.  I've run into a handful of 5.4s that have locked up their AC clutches and the truck acts like the motor's locked up.

Ive had them fail with no warning whatsoever. And no hammer hitting ir anything else would get them to go.

Im assuming the two red terminal test you are referring to is jumping the solenoid, correct? Hiw ba is the starter to pull to bench test?

I noticed on my battery that the sticker says the battery was made in April 2019.  These Walmart batteries are 3 yr replace and then another 2 year prorated.  If made in April 2019 and this is April 2021 then I probably bought it in May 2021 at the earliest.  So it is still under full replace warranty.  So, since it is easy and nearby, I pulled the battery and dropped at Walmart in the morning.  In the afternoon they called me and said it tested fine so I picked it up at the end of the day.  So, I think I have ruled that out.  

In the late afternoon, when I got back I put a jumper wire on the Starter Relay, following the guidance of this video.  When I use the jumper wire on the starter relay, I get nothing, yet the starter fuse(s) are still good.  I think I am agreeing, this is a bad starter.  

So, with the idea of now needing a starter, I ask the hive, "which starter should I buy?"  

2006 Ford F-250 Super Duty 5.4L engine.  This link should take you to all the starters listed on Rock Auto.  New or Reman?  Don't worry about core charges, I have a branch of Parts Authority just a couple miles from my house and as I detailed here about brakes, I can pick up parts for RockAuto prices and just take back the cores; no shipping charges.  

Prices seem to run $36- $150

Amazon's cheapest offer is a Lucas Brand starter for only $35.99.  With the name of Lucas...I think I can pass on that one.  

Ive used the dbelectrical brand from Amazon a few times with resounding success. But that's chevy stuff. 

Db electric has their own website (in fact i just bought direct for my rx8 recently) and is indeed good stuff.

Amazon DB 62.99

DB direct $57

Advance house brand Driveworks $99 then net $75 after 25% off. Reman 

In reply to John Welsh :

Fair price compared to the flaps 

I'd finish troubleshooting before I bought a new starter.   Do you have power on the big stud on the starter and does it stay there when you try and crank?  Do you have power on the terminal when you try and crank? Use the block as your ground reference for both of those tests.  If the answer to both those questions is yes then you need a starter and frankly I'd suck it up and buy from Ford.  I hate to pay the price but I hate changing starters more and I've been really disappointed by aftermarket and reman starters in recent years.

Sounds like it wants a 6.0 LS swap. 

So, my car just had something similar happen this morning. Had been sitting at work for a week while I was commuting in my truck. Decided to take my 97 Accord home last night. Started up and drove fine. Went to start this morning and got maybe half a turn and maybe a couple clicks but basically no power. Lights, radio, etc all seemed normal. It's an 8yr old battery. Put it on charger for a few mins and it jumped up from 30% to 70+%. Tried to start and same thing. Swapped a new battery in and car started fine. I'd be skeptical that the place warranty-ing the battery would actually say that it's bad, but I can be overly cynical. I'd stick a known good battery from another car in it and see if same symptoms occur.

In reply to APEowner :

I agree, I'd like to hear the solenoid click or something else to tell me power is getting there before condemning the starter.

Solenoid could be the issue, meaning no click, but then I'd want to see voltage at the signal wire in 'start' ign switch position.

John do you have multiple keys? Tried them all? Maybe a weak key and immobilizer issue?

What is the battery voltage when cranking?

you may have a bad battery...

You can usually see through the wheelwell if the positive cable's terminal at the starter corroded in half.

Really, really, REALLY common on any truck with a Mod motor.  I've been known to crawl under and manually hold the cable to the starter and have someone else crank it, because Pete don't push trucks.

You'll probably want to replace the starter anyway, because when the cable gets that bad the stud on the starter only has ghosts of threads past, and vice-versa.  It's common enough that I bought a tool for crimping a new cable end on in-chassis.

The Gov't Mule has a repair shop appointment for Monday.  Knowing that Sunday mornings are slow times for AAA, I had it hauled out this morning.  

I contacted two good shops, they were both about a week out for an appointment.  Stimulus money seems to have sent people in to deal with some deferred maint.  Probably true for me too since this truck has not started in 2 weeks.   

A bit late to the party here but voltage at the battery is not that good an indicator of battery health. You need to do a load test to truly know the battery's condition.
 

Noted previously the 12.18. Versus 12.8 is moot. You can have an ok battery at 12.18 and a useless battery at 12.81.  To many variables to use that as a determining factor.  A load test will sort out things giving you a proper answer as to the battery condition. 

In reply to dean1484 :

Realizing that the battery still had just a few months on its 3yr full replacement, I walked the battery into Walmart (where I bought it.)  Their load testing claimed it to not be the battery's fault still putting out 700+ cca.  Sure, it's Walmart and a Walmart tech but I don't think it was the battery.  

In the time/money paradigm, I'm paying the man on this one.  I need the truck for hauling off brush of a landscape project that I am 2 weeks behind on now with a non starting truck.