i got in my truck this morning and tried to start it, NOTHING. no click, no nothing. ok, so i noticed that when i turned the key i didint hear the fuel pump (i can always hear the fuel pump start before the truck starts). so i check fuel pressure with the key on but the engine off and its 0! ok so now im thinking my fuel pump went bad or something. then i took the key out, then put it back in and turned it back instead of forward (not sure what that position is called) and i could hear the fuel pump starting and fuel pressure went up! BUT when i turn the key forward and put it in ON again, no power whatsoever, and no fuel pressure. any ideas? could this be a dead battery? maybe a bad ignition switch? ahhhh, HELP PLEASE! give me any ideas you have, i dont care how abstract they may be, i need all the help i can get, i NEED to get this truck working ASAP because im at college and i have my truck here with me, and my beater honda is at home, thanks!!! (sorry for the long post)

ps. 89 f-150 2wd 5 speed 302

 

UPDATE: i got the bright idea "maybe if the battery is dead the headlights wont turn on or they'll be dim" so i went out and turned them on and theyre as bright as ever. so, i went ahead and played with the key switch a little more and now the fuel pumps will not come on at all, nomatter where the hell the key is. im guessing i have a bad ignition switch then, right? ANY other ideas welcome, thanks!

ps looks like next time i go home im gonna have to leave the truck and take the honda, its a little more reliable

 

NEW UPDATE: fuel pumps DO come on when you turn the key back, just not when you turn them forwards. also, the radio is not getting any power, but the headlights are.

UPDATE: ok, i tried turning on the headlights again but theyre getting very little power (very dim), the radio is getting no power and the power windows dont work at all either. im really thinking its just a dead battery. what would cause the battery to die overnight by itself when i didint leave any accessories or lights on? i checked the contacts on the battery and theyre clean.

 

well, when batteries decide to go, the just go. Did you check all your fueses, I doubt any are bad but... I would get a jump from a friend and go from there.

 

fuses are all good, im gonna try to jump start it as soon as i can find some jumper cables (i thought i had some in my truck but i dont and i cant find anyone with some, just my luck!).

 

If the headlights are bringht you know the battery is good. If the radio won't work, even with the key on i would say you either have a bad igniton switch or you blew one of the main fusible links. I'm betting on the igntion switch.

If i remember correctly if you find the gray wire with the yellow stripe and splice it to one of the yellow wires, it will bypass the switch so it will run. Then just touch the red wire with the light blue stripe to a yellow wire and it will crank (remember to push in the clutch)

I just did that from memory so i'm not sure if it's right.

-Jon

 

well, it turned out to be a dead battery. it wouldnt hold any charge so i went and bought a new one. what could have caused it to just die like that overnight? i mean, when i went to start the truck yesterday it didint even crank or click at all, it was completely dead! the day before it started up and worked flawlessly. i gotta watch my battery gauge now, i want to make sure my alternator isnt bad too

 

Donate,

Watch the gauge, and to be safe check the alternator. Other than that don't be concerned.

With modern injection these days there is often little warning of a battery on the way out. When my factory battery finally went it was at a gas station. Luckily it cranked after a mintue, but when I got home the brake lights killed the truck. The battery had NOTHING left when I checked it, and I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

 

well, my battery is dead again. im off to where i bought it to see if i can make an excuse and exchang e it for another. i guess its time for a new alternator!