We have had an unusual cold front recently...getting down to like 25 f at night. Went out the other morning to start truck, all it did was click, and the speedo and tack needles were flickering back and forth. All dash lights were lit up, cabin lights are working as well. no dimming. I tried to jump....nothing. Now it doesn't click anymore, just does nothing when I try and start. Had it towed to dealer, and they said the battery and alternator/charging system both check out just fine. They need to do further diagnostics for 97 bucks.

Any thoughts as to what could be going on... I thought for sure the cold killed my motorcraft battery which is 4 years old. But they are telling me battery is fine.

 

No ideas at all guys ?? Share your thoughts... anything will help.

 

So the dealer got it started????????

If they got it started why do they have to do more tests????? You can't say what they say with out the truck running!!!!!! The solenoid is possibly dead. But then saying that means they didn't get truck started. unless they replaced it. The clicking you heard is the solenoid clicking. It means either I am dying or the battery cant give enough power to move the solenoid.

 

no ...dealer didn't get it started.. it only clicked the one time I tried to start it. I had it towed out to another shop that specializes in electrical diagnosis. They fixed it it 2 hours. They reprogrammed the pcm, and it started. They also are led to believe the aftermarket alarm system may be causing issues and recommend I take it completely out. So for 140 bucks I'm up and running... happy camper

 

I'm having this same issue on my 2006 F150, though I think it might be something different. Here's the story:

On Christmas day, I started taking apart the interior to prep for a stereo installation. Here's what I removed:
- rear seat back
-rear trim panels
-center dash pieces
-head unit (6-disc in-dash changer)
-climate control panel

No factory wires have been cut. This morning I went out to move the truck into the garage, and it wouldn't start. All the chimes were working, but when I turned the key, all I got was the clicking sound and the speedo and tach needles fluttering. I tested the battery with a DMM, and it was reading 12 volts.

I decided to just work in the driveway installing the new stereo gear and deal with the starting problem later. Again, no factory wires were cut. All I did today was run the RCA cables and figure out the layout for my amps, distribution block, and crossovers. I haven't installed the new head unit yet.

Tonight, I set the factory alarm using the key fob and it worked fine. I came inside to research this starting issue. After reading this thread, I went back out to check the battery again. The truck wouldn't unlock with the key fob. I turned the key, got the same result as this morning. The big difference, though, is that there were no chimes. For some reason, the headlights were on, even though the headlight switch was off. I tested the battery again, and this time it read 6.8 volts. I assume that drop is because I had the doors open all day.

Is it just coincidence that the starting issue happened just after I took apart the dash? Any ideas out there?