This is actually for my Ex but I know this forum gets more traffic.

Truck was running fine up until now. After the WTS light goes out, I crank it and.... nothing. It doesn't even try. It's not a battery problem. I have 12.6 V from each battery before and after cranking. The lights are bright, the horn works, the dash lights are strong and bright all both before and after cranking. It just doesn't want to engage the starter.

I tried my backup key as well, thinking it might be a problem with the PATS. No dice.

Any ideas where to start looking?

 

Sounds like my problem. Have you tried jumping the wire under the hood? On the passenger fender there is a thick(ish) wire. Disconnect the plastic plug and put 12v to the wire. If it cranks, it's not your starter.

Maybe the relay or ignition switch. Rule out starter first.

 

This video is for a 6.0 but the wire is the same.

 

That doesn't look like it applies to my truck. I have a fuse #301 but it's not in the corner and my owner's manual says its the horn relay. I found a 30A fuse for the injector driver module, but it's in position 106. Even assuming that's the right one... I can't find the wire on the passenger side that he's talking about.

 

I figured it out and I bet it's not a common one.

I was thinking about it and decided to look at the voltage gauge while the engine was cranking. It wouldn't move a bit. There wasn't even any current going to the starter. I started to wonder what would cause that? Maybe a broken starter wire? Bad TRS? I decided to jiggle the transmission lever just to eliminate that... and it started right up.

So maybe my TRS is telling me in advance it's going to go south.

 

I suspect your neutral safety switch is misaligned or going bad.

 

TRS = transmission range sensor = neutral safety switch.