So i posted a forum page a while back, and thought i fixed my problem, but i was wrong. I'm having a re-occurring problem where sometimes the truck starts fine, sometimes it doesn't.

Whenever this problem occurs, i have power to the cab, lights, etc, but the truck wont start. Here is what i tried:

- I had the battery tested, and it works fine.
- i replaced the positive and negative cable for the battery
- i replaced the starter solenoid
- i replaced the fusible links
- i cleaned the battery posts
- i jumped the positive cable that runs to the starter directly to the battery positive post and the engine turns over and tries to start
- whenever the ignition switch is in the start position, my "brake" lights up on the dash, which leads me to believe it's not the ignition switch

i've tried just about everything... i'm losing my mind
Does anyone else know what could be the problem? It started perfectly earlier today when i went to wash it.. it only refused to start when i wanted to drive it some today.

I did take a test light and hook it to the S post on the solenoid and tried to crank the engine, the test light never came on. Shouldn't it? or am i wrong?

 

Is the problem it not turning over or it turns over but doesn't start? If it won't turn over. Is the truck an automatic or manual transmission?

If it's an automatic step on the brake pedal and move the shifter down into neutral and then try to start it.

If it's a manual, hold the brake shift it into neutral and try pushing in and releasing the clutch pedal a few times and then step it down and try to start it.

The problem might be the neutral safety switch ( auto ), or the clutch safety switch ( manual ) .

 

The truck is a manual 4 speed transmission. Sorry, forgot to mention. I have been startng it without the clutch engaged at all, which i found odd compared to other manual cars, but i figured it was just because of the age.

Problem is that the starter doesn't want to get up and spin the engine over unless directly jumped to the positive battery post.

I pressed the clutch petal down and up several times, trying to start in-between, but still no luck. Where is the Clutch safety switch located? under the dash? if i follow the clutch pedal under the dash should i be able to find it?

EDIT:
I found the real problem. Some idiot before me cut the wires on the clutch safety switch and twisted the copper wires from the solenoid and the ignition switch together, just barely. I twisted them together a bit better, and the truck fired up immediately. Some dumb*** butchered the wiring before me... go figure.

 

"Some dumb*** butchered the wiring before me... go figure."

Not unusual...hang around here for a while and you will find you are not unique in your experience. There seems to be a lot of not-profound re-engineering done out there and you, along with many of us, have been the 'beneficiaries' of said re-engineering.

 

I didn't mean that my situation was in any way unique, i meant it in a way, that i should have guess that was my problem. There has been several 'wiring' job, if you can even call it that, on this truck that looks like a blind man could have done better that i've had to fix.

 

Just wanted you to know that you 'shared the privilege'.