2001 F150 4.6 V8 Triton
Automatic
Battery Tests Good
Starter Tests Good - I saw it spin and come out at the testing station at Autozone
Ignition Relay (the one in the fusebox)- New (8mo.)
Switch on the firewall on passenger side of truck - New (8mo.)
Battery terminals/connectors - Tight, no movement, Cleaned within the last week.
Starter connections - cleaned within the last week.

I am having trouble with my truck not starting. The issue has been occuring on and off for over a year. Usually it happens about once a month, regardless of weather.

I turn the key, and there is one click. Usually at this point, I can use one hand to gently pull the shifter "up" towards park and turn the key again and it will start. Recently it is not starting when I do this. I have tried many times, and have tried to start it in Neutral (is that even possible with an Automatic?).

With the key in the "ON" position I go under the truck and jump the starter cellinoid. I am jumping the small post to the big post where th wire comes from the battery. I do not touch the post that the wire goes into the starter.

I am very confused, because it starts just fine without fail and almost instantly when I jump the posts. It is drive-able this way, but I would like to resolve this issue, and resume using my key to start it since the issue doesn't seem to be resolving itself as it usually does. (lol)

A friend told me about the Ignition Starter Switch inside the Column. If I have time I will attempt to start the truck with a screw driver in the switch tonight to help narrow down the issue.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Where is that "click" coming from? That info is critical to keep you from getting lost out in the weeds.

Yes, that's also a standard key position for starting.

Wait on that until you answer my question above. If it's the relay on the firewall under the hood clicking, there's nothing wrong with the ignition switch or the DTR switch on the transmission.

You may need either a test lamp or a voltmeter to effectively troubleshoot this. Do you have one?

 

I will get a helper to turn the key tonight while I find the source of the click.

I can get one, they are like 10$ if I remember correctly- I really should have one in my toolbox anyways.

Thanks.

 

The Clicking is coming from the relay bolted on the firewall on the passenger side under the hood. I will need to get a multimeter. With hunting approaching in my state I may need to prolong this fix until after the season.

Where should I go from here since the click was the relay?

 

Your problem has now been isolated to either that relay, the fused (via fused links) feed from the battery to the relay, the starter itself, or the wire between the relay and the starter motor.

Shortcut, if no meter or test lamp is available:
1. Short from the battery-side relay terminal to the small terminal and listen to see if the relay clicks or not. If yes, go to step 2. If not, the fuse links are probably open.
2. Using a hefty screwdriver or wrench, short across the two larger terminals of the relay with the ignition OFF. If the starter motor kicks in, the relay on the firewall is bad.

Long way, with meter or test lamp:
1. Check for battery power on the battery side of the relay with meter or test lamp. If yes, go to step 2. If not, the fuse links are probably open.
2. Check the power on the starter motor side of the relay when the ignition switch is in START. If the relay is good, you will have power on that terminal. If the relay is bad, no power.

If you had power on the load side of the relay but no starter motor engagement, then check the heavy red wire between the relay and the starter for an open (under load). Look especially for corrosion in the wire near the starter motor terminal.

Since the starter motor engaged with the starter side of that wire shorted to the direct battery feed on the larger terminal, that would tend to eliminate the starter motor as the fault.

 

Okay. The truck stopped starting when i jump the battwry post to the little post in the cellinoid. But i did step 1 and heard it click. Then with step 2 the starger motor engaged. After following step one then step two ive replaced the relay. The truck atill will not start and still will.not start when jumping yhe battery post to little post on the cellinoid. I am stuck at work now with a 20 piece socket set and no wrenches (relay was replaced in the parking lot just now lol). What are the fuse links? How do i replace them? Is it something else?

 

(The new relay is much louder so the old one could have been bad but now the truck still isnt started. Could i have blown a fuse somehow? I will start checking them all with a tester and await a response as im totally lost now tgat the relay has been replaced.)

 

so did you do step #2 with the new relay ? ....... jump across with screwdriver and hear the starter motor crank, or does not crank now ?

 

The battery connection to the starter motor relay (on the firewall) should show 12V all the time. If it doesn't check the cable between the relay connection and the battery + post. (That cable also contains the fusible links.) The battery + should show 12V.


When you turn the key to START (or jump the battery connection to the little post on the relay), the third post of the relay should then show 12V. If it doesn't, the relay is not working.


If the third post of the relay shows 12V, follow the cable from the third post of the relay down to where it connects to the starter motor. That connection at the starter motor should show 12 volts when the relay on the firewall is energized. If it doesn't, that cable is defective.


If it does show 12V, check the other cable that connects to the starter motor. That cable should be hot (i.e., show 12V) all the time. If it doesn't show 12V all the time, that cable is defective.


If both cables show 12V when the starter relay on the firewall is energized, and the starter doesn't try to crank, the starter is effective.


But the first thing I would do is turn the headlights on. If they come on, try to crank it. If the headlights go out while trying to crank, either your battery needs charging or you have a poor connection to the battery.

 

Okay. Hunting has come and gone.

I took the truck to my mechanic's house after I replaced the relay. Since replacing the relay the Cellinoid on the starter died, and stopped spinning the starter when I turn the key. We replaced the starter.

Between the new relay on the firewall ($40), and the new starter (Under warranty- 0$) the truck starts fine now. I will keep this thread in my favorites should the errors persist. Thanks everyone for the help!!!