Yesterday went to use my truck, 7.3 automatic and it started as normal. No issues whatsoever. Shut it off and a short time later went to move the truck and had nothing. No crank, no clicking. I hear the glow plug solenoid working but when I turn the key nothing happens...and all the lights on dash and radio go out. When I release the key all the lights come back on. If I jump the starter solenoid on the fender the truck cranks right up as normal. Replaced the starter solenoid and the starter switch on the column..to no avail. Alt position and position 2 everything works correctly but when I try to start nothing...and while attempting to crank again...dash lights and radio go out until I release key then they come back on...help please?

 

lights going out sounds like a bad connection either on the batteries, or maybe a bad ground wire at the block.

 

Thanks...I cleaned and tightened all battery connections first. But have not checked ground connecting on block, is there only one ground to check?

 

one on each battery to the block, and there should also be one smaller ground wire off the passenger side battery to the body. don't remember if there is a body ground off the driver side battery.

 

Hi,

Driverside Batteriegroud goes only to the Block! Iknow that about my Enginechange ;-)

best regards

Torsten

 

Um, I'd look at the relay on the passenger's side fender well. First, use a screwdriver and cross the two large terminals. If it cranks, the starter and wiring are good.
If not, check wiring to starter and or starter itself.

If it does crank, pull the boot off the 3rd smaller terminal on the fender well relay. Short that to the bigger terminal which has all the wires(one of which goes to the battery). If it cranks, then your problem is from that smaller terminal wire to the ignition switch in the cab.

That should narrow it down some.

 

"Lights" going out when you turn the key to START, depending on exactly WHICH lights, is normal. The START position opens contacts for some (but not all) of the RUN circuits.

Stop throwing parts at it and TEST. If jumping the relay works, troubleshoot from there. Check for voltage at the small trigger wire going to the relay while an assistant holds the key to START. If there's voltage, check relay (again) and connections. If not, check (again) ignition switch, and check Neutral Safety Switch on the transmission (aka Trans Range Switch). Try starting in Neutral. Try moving the shifter from Neutral toward Revers and toward Drive, _while_ holding the key in START position. If any of that helps, NSS is either out of adjustment or needs replacement.

Is the column shifter loose/sloppy, by any chance?

 

shifter will have nothing to do with lights going out when the key is turned to start. that is a bad batteries or bad connections.
since the truck will if the solenoid is jumped, it is a bad ground somewhere in the system.

 

Uh... I'm pretty sure my truck(s) have always done that. The switch is designed to disconnect some loads when in the 'start' position.

 

^^^^^ Depends on what the OP means by "lights". Indicators, illumination, odometer display? They're all switched differently.

 

Does the trigger wire for the starting solenoid on the passenger fenderwell get its power through the nuetral safety switch? When and what voltage should be present on this trigger wire? The slide indicator on the column has been slightly misaligned for a while...meaning when in park, it's between the "P" and "R" or when in nuetral it's between the "N" and "D". Currently shifting the transmission from park to nuetral makes no difference. ..Is there a way to get it to indicate totally in "P" or "N" or the other gear selections, I remember once having to reselect the "P" position and it cranked normal...but not this time. It is just very odd to me it all of a sudden does nothing, up this point the truck was working normally

 

............

 

when i read "lights go out when turned to start" i think everything goes dead like a bad connection will cause.

if it is just dash lights go out, than yes that is what they all do.
the shift indicator is adjusted by a small thumbwheel on the shift indicator cable under the column cover.
the trigger wire to the starter relay goes through the neutral safety switch.
so if the neutral safety switch is not in park or neutral the truck will not start.
and the trigger wire should have 12 volts to it.

 

Thank you...for your information. Is there a procedure to properly adjust the nuetral safety switch. I'm leaning strongly to it, I'm not getting 12volts on my trigger wire. The 12 volt signal is only present on this trigger wire when actually in the cranking position correct?

 

I don't have the procedure offhand, hopefully someone with an automatic will chime in. But you can check it easily enough. Here's a terminal diagram of the connector:


If you disconnect it, and jumper the two terminals indicated, MAKE SURE you're actually in PARK, it should start. If it does, it indicates the switch is out of adjustment or faulty. Another test would be to leave it disconnected, and put an ohmmeter on the two corresponding terminals on the switch itself, and have someone shift through the gears. It should have zero resistance (continuity) ONLY in Park and Neutral, and infinite resistance (open) in all other positions.

That's correct.