Hello. I have an intermittent starting problem here. Truck is a 2005 Ranger XLT, 3.0 six and first thing every morning, the starter is reluctant to turn over. After a few attempts, it will start and will not give any trouble the remainder of the day. When it fails to start, the starter relay will click once but the starter will not operate. Once I have been driving a while and the engine is warm, it will start easily. However, if it sits long enough during the day and the engine is allowed to cool down, the problem returns. Thoughts?

 

Welcome to the forum

If you hear the starter relay in engine bay fuse box click every time then no crank is not related to PATS or Neutral switch, replace starter motor
You can try cleaning starter motor's 2 wire connections(DISCONNECT BATTERY FIRST) but most likely its an internal issue, especially with the warm and cold reference

 

Now, for the third day in a row, I have had no trouble with starting at all. None. I am more perplexed than ever and it becomes much harder to troubleshoot a problem that is no longer occurring.

 

Yes, intermittent vehicle issues are very hard to diagnose

 

problem has returned. No longer intermittent. If I crawl under the truck and wiggle the 2 wires on the starter, it cranks. If I turn on the key, crawl under the truck and short the two connections on the starter, starts right up. Connections look good and are clean. Should I disconnect the battery, remove the 2 connections at the starter, clean them then reconnect and see what happens? By the way, WHEN it cranks, the starter sounds very healthy.

 

Yes, bad wire or bad connection

 

I disconnected the battery pos, then removed the connection at the starter that is from the starter relay, cleaned it real good, reconnected and this thing now starts like it is new. Oh, and thank you for the guidance.