Ok, my husband is ready to take it to a shop and have it diagnosed, but I don't really think it's necessary. We have a either 91 or 92 F-150 extended cab. It has nearly 300,000 miles on it, but it has always been very well maintained. About a week ago, it just wouldn't start. My husband thought it was a bad battery, and indeed it was bad, so we replaced it. It still wouldn't start, so he cleaned the contacts for the battery. That did not work either. He called his mechanic friend, and he said he thought it sounded like the starter. So my husband took the starter in to have it tested, and it was bad, so he replaced it. Still nothing. When he turns the key in the ignition, it doesn't click or anything. But the lights come on and the gauges bounce. Does anyone have an idea what this might be before he takes it in and spends triple what we would to fix it ourselves?

Thanks in advance for your help!!

 

oh, and he said he checked fuses too.

 

Starting problems are pretty easy to fix as there are only a few things that can go wrong.

Turn the key on and short the contacts on the starter relay with a big screwdriver with a plastic handle. If it starts then it's that relay.

Another possibility is the cables themselves. Although if the relay isn't clicking that probably isn't it.

There is also an ignition switch at the bottom of the steering column. With that many miles that switch often goes bad.

 

thank you so much! I will have him try that!

 

Is the starter relay different from the starter? (sorry, I don't know anything about trucks, just helping my hubby). If it's the same thing, he already replaced it.

 

Yes, it's completely different. Connected and related, but different.

 

The relay you need to check is under the hood on the fenderwell close to the battery. It should have two big wires (The positive wire comming from your battery and then one going to the starter) It should also have one small wire on one of the small post on the front of the relay. This is the wire from the ignition switch that makes the starter start. If you pull that wire off and apply 12 volts to that terminal the starter should turn. If it doesn't then the relay is bad, if it does turn over then the ignition switch is bad.

 

Or the safety switch is bad.

 

The starter relay shoud look like a black cilindrical part, in the location already stated.

 

Something like this:


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