So last night I was filling up with gas. Got in, started the truck, cranked for a split second, then went dead. All electrical systems are fine, so battery is deffinitly not dead. we got the truck started by jumping the solonoid. Anyone got any clues as to where to start looking for my problem? Im hopin maybe its just a blown fuse for the starter? My manual lists fuse 21 (15A) as the fuse for my starter relay. THink that could be it?

Im gonna go mess with it for a bit and see what I can find out...let me know what ya'll think.

Travis

PS...2001 Screw, 5.4, auto tranny 4x4. 175,000 miles.

 

My quess is that it's the positive lead to the starter/ soloniod. The end is expossed to alot of water and road grime (and salt in my area) causing corrision. Very common.

Mine looks horrible, but still starts. It will be the first thing I check after the battery, when the truck won't start.

 

would positive be the upper or lower terminal? I guess it doesnt really matter, as both of mine look almost new, and the lower one is covered with a soft rubber protector

 

It's the lower one on my starter relay. I'm guessing it's the one you used to jump the solenoid (never have done that, so I'm not certain). It'll be the heaviest cable under the rubber cap. Mine just recently snapped on me. Had power to everything, but just a sharp slamming noise when I turned the key enough to crank the starter.

 

Crownie- mines not even making a slamming noise, its just silent. The solenoid terminals are perfect...cleaner even then the ones on the battery. Anyone else got any ideas?

 

I don't mean to be a "one trick pony" here (since I brought it up on a different thread), but have you considered the "Digital Transmission Range (DTR) sensor? We used to call it something like the "Neutral Safety Switch", I believe. This little gadget keeps you from turning over the starter motor unless you are in a "safe" gear, such as Park or Neutral. (Another example of "Big Brother" trying to protect us from ourselves).

Try starting your truck in Neutral. It may work, and if it does, my guess is the switch is bad and it should be replaced. It's on the left side of the transmission now. (Used to be they had them somewhere on the steering column). I suppose it could just be out of alignment too.

My Haynes manual gives the procedure to do it, but it looks a bit "fiddley" (I know, it's not a word, but it expresses the thought so well) and you need a special DTR sensor alignment tool - whatever the heck that is.

The way this thing works is, it cuts off all power to the input side of the starter relay unless it "thinks" you are in Park or Neutral. Your symptoms point to this kind of explanation.

My advice is free, even though you've chosen to identify yourself with that "second rate" school in LA East. Now if you were a Wildcat, I might even be of more help.

- Jack

 

Second rate ehh? Thats not what your football, mens basketball, womens basketball, mens and womens track, softball, and baseball teams said

I know what you mean with the neutral safety switch...Ive got one on my mustang.

Starting the truck in neutral was one of ther first things we tried...no dice.

Could it maybe be the ignition switch? Bad starter? Blown fuse? But if it the starter was bad, wouldnt it not start when I jump the solonoid? Urgh...I hate cars with computers and all these fancy electronics.

 

the solenoid your jumping is it on the starter or off by itself check power while cranking it should be on both sides.

 

Im not sure. The solonoid im jumping is on the passanger side of the engine bay, on the fire wall, between the battery and the engine.

 

I was really referring to education here of course! (In other years, it might have included those "subects" you mentioned). And, I hope you know I was only "pinging" you.

I'm with you on disliking the computers in cars. They're only there to help the beasts meet the emmissions requirements.

I thought you said you "jumped" the solonid, and that's when it started. That's what told me the electrical input to the solonoid was bad, possibly due to a bad DTR sensor.

And, having no experience with these things, I thought maybe they had a bit of "slop" that might let them work in Neutral, like the old Neutral Safety Switches.

Since your car DID start, you have a good circuit in the "Run" position of your starter switch. I suppose the "Start" position could be faulty. It can't be a bad starter or blown fuse, not with what you're telling us.

- Jack

 

haha of course you are...thats why we have more national merit scholars then you do

Well, its not the battery, not the DTR, not the starter, not the solonoid, very unlikely that its the starter switch....im running out of ideas guys.

 

Disregarding the misleading reference to National Merit Scholars, why do you rule out the starter switch? It seems to me it HAS to be there or at least in the circuit from it to the starter relay.

When you put a voltmeter on the relay input contacts, do you get voltage when the key is turned to Start? If not, your problem is upstream of that point (elementary, to those of us associated with a good institution of higher education ).

So, if there's no voltage there, and I'm assuming there's not, the problem HAS to be in the wiring from the iginition switch (could it be broken?) or in the switch itself. But remember, the DTR is in that circuit. If it is bad, the circuit is broken.

I don't think there are any other alternatives (even for a Sun Devil ).

- Jack

 

Ill stick the DMM on it tomorrow at work and see what I can find out. I was loookin for my test light today, but I dunno where its at. Probablly in my box at work. I should probablly get rid of it, but its good for checking fuses.

 

When you find the cause of the problem, let us know what it was, please? It's good to have that knowledge in the "database".

And, I hope you get it sorted out soon!

- Jack

 

Do you by any chance have an automatic starter on your truck. If so try starting it from the remote. This worked for me. Mine would not start except for using the remote. Took it in to my dealership and they fixed it and called it a "programming error" whatever that is.