E-250 cargo van

Tiny
MRCU
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 FORD E250
  • 75,000 MILES
E-250 cargo van. Engine will not crank after sitting overnight. 13 volts at battery. Cleaned battery terminals (were not corroded). Dome lights on dimly. Absolutely no headlights, no radio. Starter or solenoid or what? Have never had any starting problems before. Van ran great the previous day.
Friday, November 2nd, 2012 AT 11:32 PM

4 Replies

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,796 POSTS
Bad connections at battery or you have a shorted battery.

Fully charged battery should only be 12.6 volts. 13 seems very high for not running

Roy
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Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 AT 12:44 AM
Tiny
MRCU
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Roy: The battery connections look like new. I've cleaned the terminals with sandpaper even though they did not appear corroded. Battery is only 2 years old. Checked its voltage this morning after sitting all night and it was 12.5. Still does not crank, no lights, no flashers, no dash lights, now no dome lights, just totally dead. Have checked as many connections as I could find and everything looks tight. Would a "shorted" battery still have voltage when checked with a voltmeter? Thanks.
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Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 AT 3:30 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Ok, try wiggling wire harnesses to see if you get power back. Start at the battery and work out.

Yes, you could still have a bad battery

Roy
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Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 AT 4:47 PM
Tiny
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Thanks Roy. You were right, the battery was bad. Had it load tested after charging and the volts dropped off instantly. Replaced battery and van starts fine now. Thanks again. Jon
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Monday, November 5th, 2012 AT 2:49 PM

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