its a 98 with a 4.6, 120k

i am having trouble starting the truck, its got enough juice. it is just clicking when i turn it over. i cleaned the battery connections and even the positive connection to the starter. when i jump the celluloid the starter spins, but the motor wont turn over with the key in the on position. the starter will not turn by the just the key.

any ideas on whats wrong? the truck has been sitting a week or less. i did hook it up to the battery charger as well.

 

starter celluloid? i'm assuming your talking about the starter relay/solenoid on the firewall? if it starts fine when you jump that then thats the problem.

 

What do you mean "TOTALLED" , good story ???? I hit your link~ It doesn't look totalled and there's no story? What's up with that?

 

a diabetic with a blood sugar level of 29 hit me head on doing 80mph. i was doing 50mph. he went under the drivers side of my truck a little because i cut to the right but when he hit my rear axle it caused my to roll off the road and into a high tension telephone pole( a big one with the T section and transformers) the pole hit the passenger side of my pick up cab first, right at the top of my passenger window, and then broke into three pieces, my truck was propped up on one, the middle went flying in the air and landed in my bed, and the T section was bouncing up and down over my cab. the truck was still running. every panel had body damage.

as for the celluloid, i was jumping the one on my starter, it was spinning but not catching anything and making the motor turn.

 

Short the two large terminals on the firewall switch together. If the starter turns but does not spin the flywheel remove the starter and have it tested. Usually free at car parts stores. Make sure truck is in Neutral or Park.

EDIT: If the starter doesn't turn post back that it did not turn at all.
.

 

starter did not turn from the short from the firewall.

thanks

 

Holey crap! Someone must have got hurt! That doesn't sound good...What a ride that must have been

So that wasn't this 98 I take it .

 

From your descriptions it would seem that the solenoid on the starter is defective. I would remove the starter and have it tested at an auto parts store. I believe that you can purchase the solenoid separately if you feel up to it but with the age of your truck I would replace the whole thing.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

thanks jmc, i will take it out today and get it tested.

jbrew, no one got hurt seriously, everyone had seat belts. and wow what a ride it was, better than a roller coaster.