I have been having hard warm engine starts lately, finally catches just before the battery goes dead? now the other day, someone slammed the passenger side door and the engine started turning over (not starting) with no key in the column. I had to get in and turn the key to start, which fired the engine, then off on off,I did this a few times, and then it shut off and stopped? I plan on replacing the solenoid, but anyone have any other Ideas what else to look for? the solenoid was replaced not to long ago which a cheapo unit. also I have found a burned out coil wire? so that also was replaced recently when it would not start then at that time, now this hard starting, and self turning over with no key? am I on the right track? thanks, for any help... I'm thinking the solenoid is sticking closed or something inside is arcing?? HELP!!!, victor

 

Since you fiddled with the keyswitch to get it to stop, I would suspect something in the column. The first thing I would do is replace the ignition switch that is mounted on top of the column, under the dash. If the solenoid was welded, nothing is going to stop it from cranking except taking the battery cable off.

 

Dave is probably right about the self-starting issue. As for the hard starting, it is possible it is the ignition switch on that as well - maybe it isn't giving the ignition the 12 volts it needs to run the engine. Does it catch as you let loose of the key, or just finally catch as you keep cranking?

 

I had a lot of work done to this 1984 f150 302/auto that has 37,000 miles, really! some of the things pertinent to this were the ignition switch,(because it would not return to run from start by itself) all the spark plugs and wires, dist. cap, dura spark box? new battery, new solenoid relay. New carb.(holley 600 for ford with kick down) ran great for a while, then became hard to get running, ran like the coil wire was pulled? had to call my mechanic to fix it...he said the coil wire didn't register any voltage but the coil did. he tested the coil wire, it was shot, even though it was fairly new? again it ran great for two weeks, then hard to start again? seems more of a problem when the engine is hot or it is wet outside. engine turns over fast, but does not catch to fire at first, but then cylinders kick in one at a time? then she runs great once she gets all going? lots of power, smooth too. now today, it was hard to start after sitting for 3 hours, finally again, one cylinder at a time she came to life. (By the way she starts great every time when cold?) My mechanic tested the coil hot and cold, said it was fine? no idea how it was tested though? I do have a new one on hand which is going in soon. Today, after I got her running, my dad needed to stop to eat on the way home, (diabetic) so I took a chance, as I locked my door, he shut the passenger side door hard, and she started turning over, not coming to life but just turning over? I got back in and put the key in and after a couple of on off turns with the key, ( the engine fired to life every time) she finally shut off. she was still starting even when running? Then acted fine all the way home after lunch? I have had a lot of ford in my day, but have never had the problems I am having with this truck...My understanding is that the solenoid is the only thing between the starter and the battery? and since this is an automatic, my book says the one other small wire on the solenoid is for the neutral safety switch?, am I correct? I hope this a better explanation of the problems? thanks, victor

 

I'm with these guys...I don't think it would be the solenoid. We've all heard of solenoids sticking but not just going closed from a jolt...I guess anything's possible but I would go on the assumption that something is getting it 12 volts.
Most likely from the ignition switch....through the neutral safety switch. The 12V sourse to pull that solenoid in comes from the ingition switch in the start position. It goes through the neutral safety switch but that only acts to interupt power if the transmission is not in Park or Neutral (for an automatic) but should never be a sourse of power....unless you got some strange cross wiring going on.
So yes the book is correct...and you are probably looking at a Haynes manual and it does say "neutral safety switch". But remember....it goes from there back to the ignition switch.
So in short....for that starter to be engaging....the solenoid must be closing...and to do that...it must be getting power from the only source it is supposed to. And that's from the ignition switch (through the neutral safety switch). This all assumes it is wired the way it's supposed. So start with the ignition switch

 

Here is a simple diagram

 

If he put a new ignition switch in, he may not have installed it correctly. They have instructions with them, but people do not seem to read them. It has a pin that keeps it centered, and you leave the pin in place till you get it installed and bolted down. Then you pull the pin.

The"not wanting to start" and "cylinders slowy kicking in" sounds like the plugs and the engine are fouled with fuel. This would be a carb problem. Once it's warmed up and you know it will be hard to start, turn it off, and go out and take the aircleaner off, and take a flashlight and look down the carb throat. If you see fuel dripping into the engine, that's your problem.

 

Ignition switch fixed the "auto start" on mine.

 

I had the solenoid replaced and that did the trick? starts great now? I was told it had the wrong, and "cheapo" solenoid. the one on the truck had four posts, the new correct one has three just like in the ford manual. My mechanic showed me with the old one that he could get it to lock up by jumping from the small post to the large posts? it did lock up and keep trying to turn over? then he banged on it and it stopped? and every fourth start it would lock up again? I purchased a correct part from NAPA, and it works great so far, Hope this takes care of it, Thanks to all who posted help, and if it does occur again in the future, I will suspect the ignition switch, even though it is new? I also had a "chevy" type distributor put in, fired right up! I kind of suspected this for the hard hot starts? I am thinking there were more than one problem here, and this will take care of that I hope? also if anyone has ever tried to put one of these billet dissys in, you may find that the oil pump end is to long, 1/8" off the end and all is well. ( this was a pro comp brand) we checked two of them, and both were 1/8th inch to long, so I guess this is a design flaw? for some reason she would not seat all the way down without taking the 1/8th off the end, these are cheap and clean up under the hood as well. anyone ever do this? any problems? thanks, guy's, victor

 

I should have said I suspected the coil, not the dist. I liked the chevy set up as the coil does not sit right on the manifold, it's on top of the dissy, and I know coils can break down when old when they get hot. I had other fords with this problem and this seems like a good fix to me? I lets you know in time, victor

 

Your retro-fit distributor doesn't have the spark-retard feature during starting. So that will make it hard to turn over when the engine is hot.

 

I'll let you know more as time goes on, I know it's winter here in NY, but after running a it, after she warmed up, she started right up with just a touch of the key, and to test it out to see if it was hard starting when I left it sit a while, but still warm, 1/2 hour later, she started right up again and kept restarting at the touristic of the key. I don't know, maybe this will be a problem in the summer more than now? I'll let you know. This distributor has a vacuum advance. One other thing I noticed is she does not down shift as soon? or maybe that's in my head? before you didn't have to put much into the pedal to get it to down shift, now it seems to wait a little longer? maybe now if it does not spend as much time in first gear it will get better mileage? again maybe my mechanic did something else, as he wasn't there when I picked the truck up, But from what I've' seen, it doesn't look like you can adjust the down shift?, but again, I'm not a mechanic. I will keep an eye on the starting when warm, but for now she is running better than ever before, Thank's for all your help, victor

 

I don't know why you say I will have hard starting? it has been running fine since the switch out, starts easy, runs great, best thing I've done so far, Just hate that it's not all ford now, but better is better...and looks cool with it's clear robby the robot clear dist. head.

 

I'd like to see a pic of the distributor.

 

Or a movie of it in action!