2015 F150 Starter Issue

[j_h_nimrod]

Hello,

I have a 2015 F150 SuperCrew that has started having some starter issues. With these trucks, unlike vehicles where you turn the key until the motor fully starts, you can turn the key and let off then there is a pause and the starter kicks in and starts the motor and disengages, kind of an auto start feature. Lately, on occasion, you turn the key and then let off and instead of just going through the start as normal, it whirs and then catches at the end, not starting the truck. Turning the key again the starter usually engages strong and starts strong. Sometimes just initially holding the key hard over to start will work fine and it starts as normal.

With an older vehicle it would be the bendix not engaging fully, is that what is happening with this new fangled starter, and is it a sign it is going out or is it something else on the starter, one of the ancillary controls?  The starter feels strong otherwise and is in no way weak in starting when it engages. @jackelope maybe has some insight?

[huntnphool]

 @jackelope

[jackelope]

The starter functions the same way as a normal old school starter. Tip start is essentially just a switch. It’s a little more complicated than that but a starter is still just a starter. With that said, I can’t think of any time I’ve seen this issue before.  Starter issues are not common at all on these trucks.

[Alchase]

The starter functions the same way as a normal old school starter. Tip start is essentially just a switch. It’s a little more complicated than that but a starter is still just a starter. With that said, I can’t think of any time I’ve seen this issue before.  Starter issues are not common at all on these trucks.

Correct me if wrong
Old school, if the bendix did not kick out far enough, the Battery or solenoid was suspect.

[CP]

I had a similar issue on an older F150.  The cause was a wire that was pinched between the starter housing parts during assembly – created a resistive short that dropped voltage to the engagement solenoid.  It worked most of time but sometimes it would just grind.  I had a couple other quality issues with those “made in Mexico” starters.  I think I went through 4 starters on that truck.

[jackelope]

So with tip start,  all you have to do is bump the key and you can let it go and it will continue to crank then start. If the pcm doesn’t see that the engine actually started, it will keep cranking till it times out. It’s not long, maybe 3-5 seconds or something like that. I guess the truck isn’t smart enough to know what the issue is...just that it got a signal to start and it doesn’t see a crank signal from the running engine so it’s going to keep on spinning. It sounds like a bad starter to me along with a normally functioning tip start.

[j_h_nimrod]

Thanks, a bad starter solenoid is the direction I was leaning at this point, so a new starter it is. The tip start is what was throwing me. Would like to do it myself but I’m out of town for a month, guess I’ll have to swallow the $400 install for piece of mind.

[jackelope]

Thanks, a bad starter solenoid is the direction I was leaning at this point, so a new starter it is. The tip start is what was throwing me. Would like to do it myself but I’m out of town for a month, guess I’ll have to swallow the $400 install for piece of mind.

If you’re going to pay someone to install it, you might have them double check your diagnosis.

[j_h_nimrod]

Thanks, a bad starter solenoid is the direction I was leaning at this point, so a new starter it is. The tip start is what was throwing me. Would like to do it myself but I’m out of town for a month, guess I’ll have to swallow the $400 install for piece of mind.

If you’re going to pay someone to install it, you might have them double check your diagnosis.

Yes    wouldn’t be the first time my diagnosis was wrong. I was going to have the local dealer take care of it. They are a bit mor expensive, but have been good to work with.