So I have an 01 F150 and when I go to start it, it doesn’t won’t crank or start. The gauges, lights everything turns on when in the run position, but when I go to turn the key all the way to start, then gauges and lights in the truck completely die and shut off. When I let go of the key, all the gauges and lights turn back on.

i have no idea what’s going on and how to fix it.

 

Sounds like a bad battery, battery cable, or cable connection.

 

Yep, start by removing and cleaning the battery cable clamps and posts with a wire brush and tighten securely.

 

Brand new battery and terminals from the cables are on it. That was my first thought too.

 

Then you should have said that up front.

Regardless, it is not a good idea to assume that something is good just because it is new. It is only known to be good when it has been proven to be good.

You'll need to use voltage drop testing (google it) to find where the bad portion of the circuit is at.

 

Sorry I didn’t write something out to your specifications. Voltage is 12.6.

 

Does that mean you replaced the cables too ? Corrosion in cables can give same effect as a bad battery.

 

No. Didn’t do new cables. That is beyond my level of knowledge to install new ones.

 

Do you get any clicking sounds when you try to start the engine?

 

No. The gauges cycle, then die when I turn the key all the way forward. No clicks no nothing. Brand new starter too.

 

You have a compromised power either +/-, start diagnosing.. Voltage drop test

 

How can you have the knowledge to measure voltage but not to replace a battery cable? Just curious. Did you use a meter on the battery terminals?

Testing voltage drop is really simple. Find a friend who knows a little bit and he/she will probably narrow things down by quite a bit. No offense but you are lacking quite a bit in the basics for electrical troubleshooting. Measure voltage across the terminals, and across the battery cable ends while somebody turns the key. The numbers acquired will have meaning.

The fact that everything loses power is a major clue. Does the clock reset to 12? Clue. Good luck.

p.s. 2001 still has the very basic starting system. No complex PCM factors involved. A simple old school starter relay on the firewall.

 

Another thing to test is the solenoid.

 

John I appreciate your straightforwardness with this. I’ll looking into this.

 

A faulty solenoid is unlikely to cause the gauges and lights to lose power. But the relay terminals are used as connection points for the power supply to other circuits. It is used as a terminal block by Ford. You might get lucky and accidentally tighten a loose connection by messing with the relay.

A wiring diagram would show the power circuit for the lights and gauges. Can't remember if it passes through that relay terminal.

Good luck. There's nothing wrong with not knowing but you can waste a lot of time and effort by pretending that you do. No offense intended. Many people do it.