I am having issues with my 53 f100 6 volt not starting. When you turn the key on then hit the starter button nothing happens i.e. no click, no noises, no starter motor spinning.

Wind back a week ago I decided to make new battery cables and order a new battery as I was having some issues starting my truck in cold weather but once I got it started it ran like a champ.

I made new cables from 2/0 wire, soldered lugs on, new gold plated battery terminals, new optima 6 volt battery and even changed the starter solenoid.

When I was cleaning up the harness that goes on the solenoid (3 wires - ground wire to firewall I think, firewall junction block then starter switch, hot wire not sure where it leads yet) I saw the insulation had been eaten away over time and there was bare wire so I used electrical tape to cover it but was hesitant about it.

After hooking everything back up I turn the key and hit the starter button nothing. I tried installing the old starter relay with no luck, triple checked cable connections (compared to pictures), used a continuity test to test the cables making sure the ends did not get messed up.

I started checking connections first verifying the battery was working and was charged, then I turned on the headlights and they came on, next I checked the starter button and have confused myself more and need some help. There are two cables going to the switch when I did a continuity test without depressing the button the voltmeter was beeping indicating a connection. When I depressed the button no change the voltmeter was still beeping.

-Is the switch just bad?
-Maybe the 3 wire harness that is on the starter relay is shorting out (wires touching)?

If either was true wouldn't as soon as I connect the battery the starter motor would start spinning or I would at least hear a click from the relay? I am leaning to something in the 3 wire harness but am confused on how it could be causing the problem of nothing happening.

Thanks for any help and the long winded post. As a side note I am not changing to 12 volt and will stay with 6 volts.

 

If this is still a positive ground system, and you have the original style 3-post starter relay, this is how the wiring should be connected:
Battery Negative terminal to one large post (the same one that feeds 6 volts to the Ammeter); the other large post to the Starter Motor; the small post to the Starter Button. The other wire on the Starter Button has to go to ground to complete the circuit. The battery Positive terminal should be connected to the engine block for a good ground.

Does your starter relay have a button on the bottom? If so, you can eliminate the starter Button from the circuit by pushing that button, which closes the contacts in the relay, and will complete the circuit from the battery to the starter motor if you have everything wired correctly.

EDIT: That's how a '51 or '52 is wired. I just reread your question and see it is for a '53. I'm not sure if it's the same, but I believe any 6 volt positive ground system should work like I said.

 

It is a positive ground system. I also have the original style 3 post solenoid.

On the starter button that makes no sense I thought the housing was the ground. The switch is momentary with 2 wires so it should be just connecting the wires per say when you press the button down right? I though when you turn the key you are putting 6 volts on one side of the starter button and when you press the button its should connect the other side wire sending 6 volts to the terminal on the starter relay closing the contacts allowing voltage from the battery cable to the starter cable. If I am misunderstanding this please correct me.

My relay does not have a switch but I was actually thinking of unhooking the 3 wire harness from the starter relay and use make a tester with a wire from the battery to a momentary switch then to the post on the starter relay. It should bypass the ignition switch and starter button to allow the truck to start. Like minds think alike.

Excuse the bad paint drawing but here is how mine are hooked up.

 

Again, a '53 may be different as far as the starter button goes, but turning on the key supplies voltage to the coil, and has nothing to do with the starter button, at least on a '51 / '52. When the starter button is pressed, it takes ground to the solenoid/relay to complete the circuit. But yours must be different, as you have two wires on the starter button, and mine has just the one wire to the relay and its body is grounded.

So on a '51, if you press the starter button, the starter motor will operate. But the engine will not start unless the key is on to "energize" the coil. Before you worked on it, would the starter motor engage when you hit the button even if the key was off?

 

Joe, I don't think he ever said he had 2 wires on his starter button.


Chappy, I've read your posts a couple times, so if I missed this or you've already tried this, forgive me. But have you tried the basic old trick of just briefly sticking a piece of electrical wire (or a screwdriver for that matter if it will fit) across the 2 big lugs of the solenoid? If the starter hits, you know you've got a bad solenoid. That maneuver eliminates all the other variables. I've never seen anybody run the ground cable all the way to the starter housing like that. Interesting.

 

I do have 2 wires on the back of my starter button but like I said I believe the wire is used to give 6 volts to the solenoid closing the circuit allowing the 2 big lugs to become a circuit giving the starter voltage. I am about 99% the solenoid is not bad as I had a good working unit and a new one out of the box and tried both. I do believe it is in the wiring just unsure where. I am going to jump the solenoid tonight but going to do it from the small terminal to the battery which should activate the solenoid verifying its 100%.

6 volt is very finking so more grounds are better and that was done before I got the truck I just made replacement cables not changing where cables went . It was running and driving before I touched anything that's why I suspect the 3 wire harness at the solenoid as they looked mangled.

 

Oh okay. My misunderstanding on the button. Sorry. Yeah I'd say you definitely have a hidden problem in the harness itself. Let us know what you find.

 

WHATEVER YOU DO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR TRUCK IS IN NEUTRAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO START THE TRUCK FROM OUTSIDE
Yes I know I was yelling

 

That reminds me of another good safety point: DON'T LET YOUR KIDS PLAY INSIDE OR AROUND YOUR TRUCK. The starter button will bump the starter with or without the key, and if they manage to put it in gear......could be a disaster. That shiny button is too tempting for them.

 

Chappy,

If you are running a positive ground as you've sketched, the solenoid should operate if you connect the small terminal to any battery "-"...so

1. try a small jumper wire and momentarily connect the small terminal to the battery negative ...(so the big terminal right next to it will work) (caution here....it should crank...make sure it's out of gear!!!). Do this with your switch disconnected for now. That will verify that the solenoid works. The solenoid is an electromagnet...it gets "+" from the surface that it's mounted to & will get "-" as a momentary connection when you push the button (or during diagnosis...from the small wire you're holding).

If that works:

2. If your switch has two leads on it...one comes from the small connection on the solenoid....the second goes to a battery "-" connection, so the big lug on the solenoid hooked to the battery "-" will do. When you push the button, it closes the circuit and provides a momentary connection to the battery "-".

Dan

 

OK, I'm gonna try again. If this is a Positive ground system, and if it is wired correctly, the Positive terminal on the battery is connected to ground, and the Starter Button is meant to put a ground on the small terminal on the Starter Relay. The Negative side of that relay coil is connected to the large post which is also connected to the Negative terminal on the battery.

If all this is wired correctly, putting a negative on that small post won't do anything. There will be no difference in potential across the contacts on the relay coil, and it will not energize the relay. One large post goes to the battery negative, and one large post goes to the Starter. One side of the relay coil is connected to -6 volts, and the other side is waiting for a positive ground from the Starter Button.

 

Joe,

It kind of depends on how the 6v solenoids are wired internally....I have one at home. I'll take it off the parts truck and play around with it and post a picture or two.

Since a lot of the guys posting here have one wire starter buttons, it would make sense that the electromagnet in the solenoid gets its negative connection internally....and the small terminal has to be connected to positive (anywhere on the body or frame) momentarily to energize the solenoid.

Chappy....you should take your solenoid off the truck and test it with a battery and a couple of jumper wires to see if it's working. Use one jumper to hook the "+" battery post to the solenoid mounting pad, and use a second jumper to hook the left side big terminal of the solenoid to the "-" battery post. Hook one end of a third jumper wire to the small solenoid terminal. Now...touch the small terminal wire to the "+" or the "-" battery post (one or the other) to see which one makes it energize (you'll hear the click when it does). It won't hurt anything if you connect it to the wrong terminal.

Dan

 

A little more...

I suspect that Joe is correct...pushing the starter button momentarily connects the small terminal to the battery "+" (the body or frame).

So...for your two wire switch...one wire should come from the solenoid small terminal...and the other connection of your switch should go to the body or frame (i.e. the battery "+"). Pushing the switch momentarily connects the solenoid to the body/frame which is the same as the battery "+".

I also have a 50's Motors manual...I'll see if they published a wiring diagram that is more clear than the Ford manual.

 

Hey guys have a problem with ignition when turn on and try start nothing happen no clicks no estarter nothing. Just took cab off the frame the truck used to start no problems before I remove the wiring harnes I did try new starter solenoide no luck same thing no sure if starter broke is any way to make it work with out using harnes just to tested in place? Is the wire coming from estarter solenoide to estarter should have power when turn key to mine doesn't have power when I do that please help

 

Sorry guys my truck is 1956 f100 272 v8 3 on tree