I have a '95 f150 4x4 with the 300I6. this morning when I got in to go to work, it cranked over a little sluggish, and I thought thats odd because when I was driving it last night it started perfectly fine. Then today at lunch time it cranked even slower, and again the same when i was leaving work, to the point where it almost didnt start.
Get to my house, load up the 4wheeler, get it to start it, and all I hear is a single click coming from the solenoid.
* checked the battery - ok
* checked ground wires - ok (not just visual, did a continuity check too)
* checkd the positive wires - ok ( " " " ")
* removed starter to see if it was working, which it was
I threw a different battery in there just for the hell of it, and no difference.
I also tried jumping it at the solenoid across the 2 large posts(no reaction), then (if you're standing facing the pass. fender) also tried the left side post & the small upper one, and all it did was make a single click, not multiple ones as if the bat was dead.

Im out of ideas , help/ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance
_ Jeff

Also, my gauges are fine, as usual on a start
up, just no starting is happening.

 

I know you checked the ground wire, but humor me on this one. Take a jumper cable and hook it to the (-) terminal and to the block then see if it starts.

Then hook the other jumper to the starter itself and touch it to the (+) terminal. You've eliminated the entire starting system except for starter and battery. If they're both good, then it should start.

 

I'd bet that there's a rotty wire somewhere. Using a multi-tester to test for continuity will tell you if there is a way for power to get through, it doesn't say how much power. So the current from the tester's 1.5v AA battery with like 4mAfinds a way with little resistance, doesn't mean that a 12v current with like 20-25 amps will to crank the motor.

Maybe the ground wire is rotted internally? Often time a battery cable will seem fine, the connection be okay, and the wires inside are corroded to hell. Slow cranking from a good battery means there's a lot of resistance somewhere in the circuit, and on older trucks that is 99.9% of the time corrosion/rust.

If it's a standard, you can get a helper and try the old "bump" start. Otherwise, do what Ranger suggested, just short the entire system.

 

The ground wire on these trucks is a known problem area. It rots out at the mid-point chassis ground and like you said it may show continuity with a test light and allow all the low draw items like instrument lights to work but won't pass enough current current to allow the starter to run.

Jumpering out the entire system in two steps like I outlined will locate whether the problem is in the wiring and where. I've got a quarter bet on the ground wire, any takers?

 

I tried what StrangeRanger had suggested about jumping the starter right off of the battery, and nothing. but last night when i had the starter out of the truck, it worked, so i think it might be on its way out, and when I had it out of the truck , something was just in the right place at the right time.
Thanks.
_ Jeff

 

Now do a direct jump of the starter off another battery. That will tell you for absolute certain if it is the starter. Your battery may show 12v but not be cabable of producing the amperage the starter requires.

Always isolate the problem before throwing parts at it.

 

This may sound strange but mine just did the same thing. Have some one in the truck to try and start it then poke at the start with a steal rod, mine started when i did that. I still cant tell ya what the problem is, mine fixed its self after a couple of weeks.

 

My truck does the same thing every now and then. It's actually done it so many times in the past month or so that I can temp. fix the problem in a matter of minutes.
Sometimes the solenoid will click, and other times it won't even make a sound.
The post that the starter wire runs to must have a bad connection between the wires somewhere. I pretty much just have to loosen the 1/2 nut, wiggle and turn the wires around a little, then tighten it back up and she starts fine. I've tried wire brushing all the connections on the solenoid and battery, as well as applying dielectric grease on all the connections, but still does it. I'm guessing I just need to do some more wire brushing on that one side of the solenoid and I should be good.

Also sometimes when it doesn't start (when I don't hear the clicks I think) it's actually because my gear selector isn't all the way in park I think. If I don't hear the solenoid click, if I hold the shift lever up pulling it into park while I turn the key, it'll start up.