I hope someone can help me diagnose a no crank problem on my 2004 F350 6.0 diesel.

My troubles result from someone trying(but failing) to steal my truck. They broke the igintion key cylinder in half and I had to drill it out and replace with another that was keyed to match. This was done and all is back together.

Now I can't get it to engage the starter when I turn the key. Here's what I done so far:
- checked battery and connections - are good
- checked computer codes - there are none
- checked starter by bypassing starter relay and giving power to starter solenoid directly -- it cranks and starts the truck
- listened to starter relay when I turn key - it clicks so I think it works
-checked ignition steering column actuator - its good and moves the ignition switch.

When I turn the key everything lights up as normal, I can hear the fuel pump working and everything seems fine - it just won't engage the starter.

Any ideas or help would be appreciated.

 

If the starter relay (in Central Juction Box) clicks, that means the ignition switch circuit is working.

Check fuse F113?

Change starter relay?

Manual or automatic?

 

Fuse f113 looks good

Its an Automatic

I have not yet changed the starter relay - dealer's not open till tomorrow - I do hear a clicking sound when i turn key past start but I'm not sure if that's the relay making the noise. I tried it with the relay plugged in and with it pulled out and it sounds the same.

 

I checked starter relay with multimeter/battery and it appears to work well.

I also checked voltage in the pins in the truck. Pin 30 has 12 volts always. Pin 86 also has power always - reads about 6 volts. I think its only supposed to have power when the key is on?

 

Then it's probably not the starter relay you've been hearing.

If pin 30 is battery voltage, then F113 is good. Check pin 86 with the key switch in START only. It should go to battery voltage then and only then. Otherwise, the open circuit voltage on the load side of the relay socket is an indefinite value. Ignore it.

Look for an identical relay in the box and swap them if you have one. Keep track of what you're doing (write it down) unless you want to open the door to new issues due to confusion.

In order to diagnose, you MUST know definitively if the starter relay is clicking or not.

 

The issue seems to be that I'm not getting power to pin 86 when I turn on the key. There is some stray voltage (about 4-volts) always at pin 86 but turning the key does not result in an increase to battery voltage so the relay is not activating.

I tried another relay but that did not fix it. I took the original relay out an bench tested it and could make click when i applied battery voltage

 

Pin 86 is supposed to get power from the ignition switch via fuse F31. Go check that fuse. If good, check to see if it goes HOT in START. If not, go to the dark green wire at the ignition switch and check it in START. If it does not go HOT, then, assuming your turn signals and 4-ways work, there's something wrong with the ignition switch (most likely). Either the switch is defective or there's something wrong with the adjustment of the linkage between the cylinder and the switch.

 

It turned out to be a faulty ignition switch. Thanks very much for your help. Dan

QUOTE=projectSHO89;15424202]Pin 86 is supposed to get power from the ignition switch via fuse F31. Go check that fuse. If good, check to see if it goes HOT in START. If not, go to the dark green wire at the ignition switch and check it in START. If it does not go HOT, then, assuming your turn signals and 4-ways work, there's something wrong with the ignition switch (most likely). Either the switch is defective or there's something wrong with the adjustment of the linkage between the cylinder and the switch.[/QUOTE]