Hello

I have a problem with my F150 2001, Lariat- sometimes it wont start ! sometimes it will start, sometimes there is a delay when I turn the key and it will start. I took it to the Ford mechanics and they couldn't find the problem, they cleaned off corroded wires, checked my new battery, told me that it could be the starter motor- that it might have a bad section and that is why sometimes it starts and sometimes it doesn't.
I guess I am hitting a bad section? I don't know if I should get the starter replaced, they quoted me $292 parts and labor.
I am trying not to make this a long thread, but I am so confused and worried that I might get stuck somewhere? The Ford mechanics just put in a new directional switch for me a few months back and I am thinking that it might be that they messed something up in the steering column? I have done the key thing and it didnt start with either key. I have tried starting it in Neutral, but I cant get the thing to get into Neutral when it isnt started. It is really weird that sometimes I can turn the key 4 times and it wont start and then it will. When it doesnt start all the lights come on on the dash, if thats any help? it all looks normal, there are no noises, just no engine !
Today I turned the key and just held it there and after a few seconds it started !!! like a massive delay or something....
Please, if someone can give me any advice I would be so grateful ! I am a female and I think that when I bring my truck into Ford, they just brush me off. My husband is also deployed, so I am having to deal with this myself.
Thank you so much.

 

do you have any friends/coworkers who could take out that starter for you?? autozone tests them for free. you have a auto trans right?? its possible the linkage needs to be adjusted. i had a dodge that did that. it was a pain. try tapping up on the shift lever while turning the key at the same time.

 

when it has a big delay does it have a rough start? like sound real bad and everything as its starting up?


when its having a hard time starting have u ever tried to hit the gas pedal to see if it helps?

does it have any idle problems?

 

No the engine doesn't start rough, it sounds normal to me and there are no idling problems.
I don't have any friends that can help me with the starter, we are all military wives. I think I might just have to get a new starter and see if that fixes it? but I hate to spend that much on something that they are not even sure that it is the problem, but they don't have any other ideas and they are the Ford people !!!

 

It could possibly be a defective ignition switch, if it is a flat spot in the starter, the next time it doesn't start tap the starter a few times with a hammer and see if it starts. If you do that a few times and it starts everytime after hitting the starter, then you know you need a new starter. Just make sure you check for loose connections...the battery terminals and starter cable.

 

Also if you have a remote start, that would tell you if its the starter or bad ignition switch.

 

ask around for a private mechanic in your area with a good reputation. and bring it to them. if you explain your problem im sure they can help. sometimes the small shops are better than the dealer.

 

And, Fed_Up, you should be able to get the shift lever into neutral before it starts. Remember though, the ignition must be in the ON position (the one just short of START) and you have to have your foot on the brake. If you do those two things, it should go into any gear.

If it starts in neutral, I'd suspect the Digital Transmission Range (DTR) switch is faulty or out of adjustment. Switches can develop bad contacts and it should be easy and inexpensive to replace.

Since you're not reporting bad noises when it DOES start, I tend to think the starter is OK.

I also agree with Keith. Ask around for a private mechanic that knows what he's doing, or, is there another Ford dealership in town?

Finally, I know others join with me in wishing for a safe and speedy return for your husband.

- Jack

 

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions I REALLY appreciate it. I am not sure where the starter motor is, so I could bang on it ?? Gosh I am hopeless !!
I will try to put it in gear when I start it again, I didn't know how to do it, with the key one away from 'start' and the other things.
I do have a mechanic here in town, but I am not sure if they are any good, we really only just moved here last summer and then my husband got deployed. I think I will check it out.

Thank you for the well wishes for my husband, he will be home in four weeks !! after 6 months in the Middle East. I am half tempted to just live with this problem until he comes home and then he can take a look at it. As he is frustrated that he can not help me out as he is so far away, he was the one who suggested that I go online and seek some answers.
Yesterday I held the key in the start position until it started, really weird right?? it took like 3 seconds.....???

 

Yup, you don't need the aggravation of a tempermental truck on top of everything else you're dealing with.

The "delay" in starting makes me more and more suspicious of the DTR.

It could possibly be corroded contacts in the ignition switch itself too. Once upon a time I had to drive my Honda all the way across town while holding the ignition switch just beyond the ON setting. It I didn't, the engine would die - faulty switch.

Just to rule out a bad battery, when it DOES start, does the starter motor seem to spin at the normal speed? It would sound "slow" if your battery were low, and I'm not hearing you say that.

There's a guy in this forum going by the name of SSCULLY that usually has some good ideas. Maybe he'll read the thread and give you some thoughts too.

Hang in there!

- Jack

 

Thanks Jack !
The battery is brand new and they checked it out when I took it in last week. I called and spoke to the Ford guy this morning and asked him about the switch and he told me that they checked it out last week and it was ok. He also told me he checked out the DTR and it was ok, but he still advised me to start it in neutral. I havent done that yet, as I havent been out today. But I will tomorrow when I go out.
He wants me to have the starter changed, he told me that when I bring it in next week, they will check out the switch again, but I have a feeling I will just bite the bullet and get a new starter.
I would just be bummed if I spent $300 and it still kept on doing it. And the Ford guy also couldnt get it to NOT start in the shop..it started everytime for him ! errrr....he said it would be better if it didnt start for them they could get a better picture of what could be wrong. He told me that they starter is under the truck?? and I would have to get on my back to hit it with a hammer?
But I have to say that everything sounds normal when she does start....perfect, accept for this little problem..
I just want everything to be perfect for when my husband comes home, he deserves it.

 

Yea, well.... Don't forget there are two of you who deserve things to be "perfect" when you guy comes home. As a 20 year Air Force vet who flew in Vietnam, I have some idea of the heartache/anxieties/frustrations/loneliness you two are experiencing.

I wish I could get more "warmed up" to the idea of a bad starter. The one time I had one, in a Ford, it didn't engage the ring gear in the engine properly and the result was a horrible noise some of the time, but other times, everything was fine. When you say the starter doesn't even turn over (for a time) it tells me it is not getting power. (SSCULLY, where are you?). And, this points me to a faulty ignition switch, faulty DTR, or possibly, a faulty starter relay.

I think the relays are fairly trouble-free. So, I'm back to the DTR or the ignition switch.

If the truck doesn't start for you, don't try it twice in Park. Leave the ignition ON (some warning lights will be on, the radio and AC fan will be on - if you don't turn them off, like me), put your foot on the brake and shift into Neutral. If it starts then, it's an erratic DTR - I'd bet on it!

Again, hang in there! What's the old saying, "It's always darkest before the dawn"?

- Jack

 

I'm not sure on your year model truck, but on my 1999 250 there is a starter solenoid on the passenger side fender under the hood. I had similar no start symptoms like your having. If it doesn't have one then I would assume it would be attached to the starter. If this link works look for something that looks like the 2nd and 3rd picture in that location. If it's there I'd be willing to bet one of the guys at the parts store would be happy to change it for you. It only takes a few minutes.


http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductL...pe=575&PTSet=A

 

I am definatly going to start the truck in Neutral tomorrow ! I am also beginning to think that it is the ignition switch. I don't have a remote start. I will let you know how I get on with it....
Thank you for the suggestions about that wire, I will also try to have a look where it might be.
And you are right Jack, it is darkest before dawn ! thank you for understanding about being a military spouse, my husband is a Naval Aviator and also has been flying. And in the grand scheme of things, the truck problem is nothing compaired to seeing him walking across the ramp at homecoming.
But I certainly feel like pulling my hair out !!! when it doesnt start !!

 

Big hijack here -

Janet's Son (my Stepson) is a Naval Aviator too.

They're a rare breed, aren't they? (Never thought I'd have a "squid" in the family, but you can't count on anything, can you?)

Back to your problem though. Don't bother with the Neutral start unless you can't start it in Park. What you're trying to do is show that it will start in Neutral when it doesn't start in Park. The switch contacts in the DTR in Park can be bad (due to frequent use), but since we don't normally start our vehicles in Neutral, they tend to be OK.

The starter solenoid in the post before yours is also called a starter relay. Either name is correct and a fault in this thing will prevent your starter from getting power. It could be the problem, but they tend to be fairly reliable. But, a problem here could cause your symptoms.

So too can a faulty ignition switch - but I'm betting on the DTR. (And I'm just an amateur).

Aren't modern vehicles fun?

Hope I'm making sense here.

Let us know how this turns out, OK?

Again, hang in there!

- Jack