Trouble starting after long rides

[dakurz]

Hey guys. So my truck is giving me a very weird issue with starting. But only on long drives. For instance, if I drive an hour, no problems. But if I drive for 3 hours and stop for gas, when I try to turn the car on to leave - it wont start. it makes the sounds of a dead battery, but the battery is perfect. I can either jump it or I can wait 15-20 min for the truck to cool down and then it will start.
This is driving me insane. we did a trip up and down the east coast and I could not turn that truck off until we were dont for the day. Otherwise, we would be stuck waiting or looking for a jump.
Again, this only happens if I drive for more than 2-3 hours. And turn off the truck and try to start it again within a few minutes (about the time it takes to fill up and buy snacks) - its a 2020 F-150

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[gagliano7]

Sounds like a weak battery.

 

[dakurz]

Sounds like a weak battery.

Def not the battery. already replaced. I found another thread saying this is an issue and people are changing the starters for performance starters and it is solving the issue

 

[Kanuck]

Oh WOW......back in the late 60's and early 70's, Dodge starters would stop working because they got to hot. This problem is resurfacing again with the Fords? Ridiculous....

 

[Eighthtry]

Well, that was not unusual in any car back in the old days. I had a 74 455 Cutlass that did the exact same thing. It was fixed when I replaced the starter. The heat was brutal coming off of that motor. The exhaust was brutal running next to the starter. The summers were brutal with overheated concrete and asphalt.

In the old days when the alternator, or heaven forbid the generator began to fail, it the engine would start drawing current to fire the plugs from the battery, then the battery would be discharged and would not start. All of that may seem stupid, but it was a problem.

The point here is that was the good old days. Today, there are too many things going on electronically that can discharge a battery. Brand new or old. You are probably going to hear from the dealer that they cannot repeat the condition. They are probably right. But you must start there.

One of the more maddening problems getting something to repeat is the fact that the contacts in these connectors may not, in fact, be making good contact. As you go down the road things begin to heat up and contacts can separate. I had a contact problem on a 1990 Taurus SHO. Absolutely random. Going down the road it would quit running. Right in the middle of the freeway. No one could diagnose it. I called a mechanic friend of mine, took it over, and he fixed it in 90 seconds. He straightened a pin in the harness that tied into the computer inside the car. Never happened again.

All of that to say it could well be a connector problem. It is not uncommon to need to trace wires down to connectors to fix an intermittent problem. It is probably wise to start with a battery load test to absolutely clear it from being the problem. Then work backwards from there working on connectors, starting with the battery.

If I am a dealer and have a good old boy that cannot spell his name but can follow wire harnesses, then that my be the solution. Start with the dealer and be very clear about the problem. I find that service writers may understand how to do eyelashes and tighten belts, but may not understand how to write a ticket describing the problem. I always read what mine has written to make sure I communicated the problem correctly to her/him. If I can understand it a tech should be able to understand it.

Good luck. It may be a long journey. If it continues, then buy an electric car. If you need to wait anyway, it might as well be on the charger, assuming it works and you have the correct plug.

Keep us posted.

 

[dakurz]

I changed the starter and I have to now try a long ride before I know if it worked or now. we will see.

 

[Kanuck]

Did you install a performance starter or regular one? I have a shop in town that rebuilds starters and alternators and a very good. I would have taken it to them and see what they can find. Might have been a cheaper way to go....?‍

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