I posted this in the van forum, but since I am thinking it is an electrical problem, I am posting it here too. Thanks for any help.
Hi again. Yesterday I stopped for gas and started for church and got a shudder and lost power. But I managed to get it home. After it sat a bit the problem went away. I had a new battery for it because the other one was getting old, so I put it in. Today I started right up, no shudder, ran fine. I went to get a window at Lowe's. When I came out the engine would not turn over. It made the salenoid sound and when I turned the key off, it made a clicking sound and the indicator arm from the speedo and tack, both jumped just a little for about five seconds. Then stopped. I called AAA and arranged for a tow. I thought there would be a code, but nothing. And the battery had a full charge. Just to try it, I put it in neutral, and it started right up. I drove it home with no trouble. When I got back I turned it off and started it four times in park. So what kind of gremlin do I have now? No codes, and it is charging. Any ideas?
It has been starting fine all day.

Additional: I started it all day. At 4:30 I wanted to move the truck and it would not start in park. But it would in neutral. Isn't there some kind of safety switch on the trans that won't let it start in gear? Maybe it is out of adjustment????

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There is a neutral safety switch. Since you messed with the battery, I would double check your connections on the battery. I would make sure the terminals on the cables looked good, and I would go to the store and buy one of those battery terminal cleaners. Looks like the picture below. Take it and shine up the battery terminals and the cable ends. All it takes is a little corrosion to mess it up.

https://www.harborfreight.com/batter...rminal+cleaner

 

Thanks for the reply.
I do have one and used it to clean both ends. They are on solid and clean. I also used that protective spray on the after the battery was connected.
can the NSS be adjusted or how do I tell if it needs replacing?

 

I know vans are hard to work on, but can you find the starter relay? I am assuming in 2007 Ford was still using one. If you follow your large + cable from the battery, it should lead to a starter relay. Then from the starter relay another large cable will go to the starter. After all the junk and switches in the vehicle's wiring, in the end it all comes down to putting power to the small terminal on the starter relay, and that connects the two large cables and sends power to the starter. WITH THE VEHICLE IN PARK when it won't crank over you can take a small wire and touch one end to the large cable going to the battery + and the other end to the small terminal on the starter relay. It should turn over, even with the key off. You can go out and try it and be ready in case it doesn't start again. Usually if the key is in run and then you do the jump test, the engine will start.

If it passes this test, and fiddling with the gear shift lever makes it start, it most likely is the neutral safety switch on the trans.