Truck won't start.
Truck won't start. Not sure what the solution is. Wouldn't start one day. Assumed it was a dead battery bc that's what solved the problem 6 months ago. Figured it was a bad alternator. So i replaced the battery, but wouldn't start. When I turn the key, it gives a click as everything shuts off and comes back to life when I release the key from start position. So i rewired the terminals bc they looked corroded and rusty, and it starts fine. Drive it for a week without any issues whatsoever. Then it happened again. Same thing. Turn the key, click, nothing. Only this time everything stays on. Tried to jump it twice, and nothing. New battery again bc it's stranded, nothing. So i replaced the terminals and cleaned up the wires and nothing. Bypassed the solenoid and nothing. Anything else i can do? Solution? Any advice/ideas would be great.
If you're putting 12v to the S terminal on the solenoid and it's still not cranking then it limits you to either the Solenoid/Starter being bad or not getting a good connection between the battery and solenoid.
93 f150. And I used a scscrewdriver to connect the terminals on the solenoid. Sparks when not turning the key, nothing when the key is on. I switched around the relay fuses (black boxes?) under the hood. There's 3 of them, not sure if that was a good idea or not. None of the 3 combinations worked. Hit the starter with a hammer and that didn't work. I don't want to replace the starter like I did my battery only to discover that's not the answer.
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,329
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
I was actually just kidding when I added Ford to the list... figuring this was a GM forum. 
If I remember right, those models still had the starter relay (what we all used to call the solenoid) on the inner fender. There would be two large gauge wires (one from the battery and the other to the starter) and one or two small gauge wires labeled "S" (and "I" if there are two small wires). The S wire should have power when the ignition switch is in the start position. You can test that with a test light or multimeter... unplug the S wire from the relay and test it for power when your helper turns the ignition to the start position.
You can test for a bad starter relay by shorting the two large terminals together. Some models have the two large terminals next to each other so a screw driver can be used to short them. Some models had the two large terminals on opposite sides of the relay so you'd have to use something like a jumper cable to short them together. BE CAREFUL! There's a lot of current there so make sure you're insulated and only touch them for a second or two. If the starter turns then you know the relay is bad. If it doesn't turn then you know the starter motor or solenoid is bad (assuming the cables are intact and your battery isn't dead).
If I remember right, those models still had the starter relay (what we all used to call the solenoid) on the inner fender. There would be two large gauge wires (one from the battery and the other to the starter) and one or two small gauge wires labeled "S" (and "I" if there are two small wires). The S wire should have power when the ignition switch is in the start position. You can test that with a test light or multimeter... unplug the S wire from the relay and test it for power when your helper turns the ignition to the start position.
You can test for a bad starter relay by shorting the two large terminals together. Some models have the two large terminals next to each other so a screw driver can be used to short them. Some models had the two large terminals on opposite sides of the relay so you'd have to use something like a jumper cable to short them together. BE CAREFUL! There's a lot of current there so make sure you're insulated and only touch them for a second or two. If the starter turns then you know the relay is bad. If it doesn't turn then you know the starter motor or solenoid is bad (assuming the cables are intact and your battery isn't dead).
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,266
Likes: 165
Had a guy bring me one acting the same way and finally wouldn't start any more. It ended up being the ground cable. It looked perfect nothing visual at all. But when you cut it open it was all corroded solid green on the Inside. After seeing that I went ahead and replaced both of them just in case. But it fired right up after replacing the Ground cable. Check and make sure the cable connection at the starter isn't loose too. Even if slightly loose it can arc under load enough to cause just enough corrosion to not make. Check and clean all your grounds just to make sure.
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