On my 83 f150 4x4 5.8 liter truck, the battery, regulator, and starting solenoid test fine. When I turn the key, I hear a click sound from a silver box mounted on the wheel well over the drivers side front tire. Can anyone tell me what that box, with colored wires coming out, is for and would it stop the truck from starting? Also, would there a fuse I need to possibly replace which would cause the truck not to start?

 

I posted pictures of all this stuff just yesterday....

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post12116612

Are you absolutely sure you are hearing a click from a silver box and not the starter solenoid?

 

Have you checked your ignition switch? Its located on the steering wheel column just behind the dash. You have to drop the column to get to it, which is only 4 bolts. Just a suggestion, hope it helps. Its roughly $15 at most auto parts stores and takes 15-20 minutes to replace.

EDIT:
Dang Chris you beat me to it, I was about to post that link into my edit

 

Gotta be quick, Daniel!

 

To Ctubutis, I had my wife turn the key and I'm sure the sound is coming from the silver box over the drivers wheel. Thanks to you posts yesterday, I'm now able to identify the starter solenoid and voltage regulator which are on the opposite side of the truck near the battery...thank you for posting them. Do you know what the box that is over the drivers side wheel is called and why its clicking?

 

To Siloketh...and I hope I spelled that right. I thought about the ignition switch and can likely replace it but would that be the single click sound I hear when the key is turned?

 

That silver box that is on the wheel well of the drivers side should be an ignition module.

Does it say Duraspark II on the firewall side of the box, and have fins with the "MOTORCRAFT" on top of it?

Sounds like your module has failed.

 

Unfortunately there is nothing written on the box likely due to its age. If this failed, would it effect the ability of the truck starting? I will check the search area of this forum in the future...still getting use to everything. Thank you.

 

Does it look like that? Mine has fins on top.

The sticker might not be on top, it might be on the side of the box facing the firewall. It might have Motorcraft stamped into it too.

 

I appreciate the picture. Would a failed ignition module stop the pickup from starting?

 

Yes.

We haven't had anyone come on here and say theirs was making a clicking sound when theirs failed, though. If the clicking is coming from your ignition module, and the truck won't fire, then its definitely bad.

The typical symptoms we usually get are that the truck will die and won't start back up when hot, but will crank up when cold after the module has cooled down. Let it do this long enough and it'll eventually fail completely and all you have is a motor that cranks.

The motor will turn over, won't it?

If it turns over, but no spark, and the clicking is coming from the module, then it's time for a new module.

 

A failed module would keep it from starting but not from turning over. So, what, exactly, happens when you turn the key?

 

When I turn the key, I hear the clicking sound and that's it. The truck won't start. It's similiar to when the battery is dead...which it isn't. I charged it yesterday thinking it may have been.

 

Well, if you ask me, the clicking in the box on the driver's side (DS II module?) is a symptom and not a cause.

I don't recall a DS II box that clicks but I guess some aftermarket ones can/might, those things retard the ignition timing in START and this might have something to do with it.

Of course, it could be we're all wrong because none of us have seen this box and know for sure what you're talking about, it could be you have a truck set up for 2 batteries and you have additional components.

So, I would ignore the clicking for now and treat it as a symptom and do some more diagnosis but a picture of the mysterious box that clicks would be ideal. *hint* *hint*

Is it a single click or rapid-fire, continuous clicking? A single click (or thunk) would imply the solenoid is working and sending power to the starter, rapid-fire clicking is a sure sign of low battery power.

Do you have battery jumper cables? If so, try ONE cable and connect both sides of the solenoid together (the terminals with the fat cables). Will probably throw a lot of sparks, this is OK, don't be alarmed but make sure to make good connections.

What happens when you do this? This is removing the solenoid from the circuit to see if it's a cause of your problem or not. The starter motor should engage and turn over the engine when you do this, make sure it's in Park or Neutral and the parking brake is set.

 

What Chris said, a bad ignition module wont effect the engine turning over. I cant imagine it clicking since there are no moving parts in it. The picture posted above should id it for you.