My car has been doing this silly thing like not wanting to start since March. I noticed that if I drove around alot during the day, at some point Id turn the key and just get a "click". All accessories worked fine. After a few minutes it would start up fine. This goes on for a couple weeks during starts, and then finally it wouldnt start no matter how long I let it sit or cool off.

Put a new starter in and then it would start perfectly the first turn of the key after installation.

This same situation occurs 3 times in a row. On the last I decided to use a Delco starter. Worked fine, but while driving around hot summer days, same thing would occur.

But then I noticed that after a few trys and no start, I could turn off all accessories (radio, fan relay, vents) and it would start right up.

Any ideas? Am I just frying every solenoid on each new starter I put in?

 

put a heat cover over the starter or run a ford solenoid which is shown in the tech articles.

 

You might want to upgrade your battery cables to a heavier guage or at least new, there could be some corrosion inside the insulation causing a high resistance.

 

I had the same problem with my 89 GTA. I got stuck in a guitar center parking lot for an hour with my band mates and we had a show that night! AAAARRRGGG. I got a high temp starter and wrapped it with a heat sheld wrap, They sell them for starters ither at jegs or summit. Problem solved. Good luck.

 

i know i need new cables. Sometimes Id jimmy the neg cable connection and it would start right up. Last night I turned the key a couple times after getting back in from a long drive. Nothing. Turned all acc off and she started right up.

I know that heat soak is a problem. But I just dont get it. When I had the 305, i always ran as hot as I do now. I drove it for four years (before putting in the 350) without one single start problem like this. I even ran the old starter (from the 305) on the 350 for 8 or 9 months before it crapped out. It doesnt make sense to me why heat soak would now "all of a sudden" be a problem.

Ill probably get the wrap anyway. Thanks guys'

 

It's not a "heat soak" problem, it's a "current-carrying capacity" problem. If wiggling the cables makes a difference, that a message being shouted to you that you should be listening to. Heat in the starter windings increases the need for power from the battery, and cables in poor condition limit the power that can be delivered.

4 years with no problems isn't surprising; starting to have problems after a 350 install may not be related but still isn't surprising. Starting to have problems after 4 years with no problems isn't surprising, either, because everything in this world goes from a state of higher order to a state of lower order without intervention.

With regard to cars, we normally call this intervention "preventative maintenance". Replacing the battery cables falls smack in the middle of that definition. Especially in a 16-year-old car.