I hope I have the correct forum for this. My truck is a 2000 f350 7.3 it was used prior to my ownership of it, but I’m the second owner and have been driving it for 12 years now. The problem I’m having started last year.

For some reason the truck won’t start with the key. It initially would start after a couple times cycling the key. That happened when I was on the way home from NYC back to AL. So I drove it home 19 hours without shutting it down to make sure I didn’t get stranded. I bought a new key lock cylinder and a remote start switch after checking all fuses.

the new cylinder didn’t fix the problem and by the time I tried changing the cylinder the truck wouldn’t start with the key more than 1/20 times or not at all.

the remote start allowed me to keep driving. So my next thing was since the remote start bypasses the solenoid I’d buy a new solenoid. That didn’t fix it (I bought a motorcraft brand so I hope it was a quality one that wouldn’t have been defective) I still have it in the truck and have to bypass it.

I’ve thought perhaps a bad relay, but can’t find any on the 7.3 so it’s almost a ghost problem I’m chasing.

I got a new ignition starter switch wire harness that bolts under the steering column, but that still didn’t get it. Could this be a grounding issue? Like a bad ground somewhere between the solenoid and key? Could the solenoid be defective? I did clean off all connections to the solenoid when I replaced it too

any suggestions would be much appreciated because I know hurricane season is coming quickly and it’s only a matter of time before I have to open the hood in the lightning and rainy weather.

thank you!!

 

Have you taken a look at the range sensor on the trans? Cheap and easy to swap.

Ive had two truck with intermittent no starts and that was to blame. Tried firing it up in neutral? If this sensor goes you'll get accessory power, and zero action when trying to start.

Perhaps your remote start system bypasses the range sensor somehow and that's why its working...

Good luck!

 

Have you tried starting it in neutral? Does your gear shift have any play or slop? Does the lever move through the gears fairly smoothly. Do you have a scan device capable of monitoring live data, like Forscan.

 

It is pretty simple circuit for start. When u turn the key to start, the red w/ light blue stripe wire on the electrical part of the ignition switch is powered. It goes through fuse 19 in the central junction box, through the clutch pedal jumper on white w/ pink wore if automatic or clutch pedal switch if manual, If auto, it then goes into the trans range sensor on the dark blue w/ orange stripe and out range sensor on a tan with red wire to the small terminal on the fender mounted starter solenoid. If manual, it leaves the clutch pedal switch straight to the fender mounted solenoid.

Things i have seen: the electrical part of the ignition switch has a little slot to it that can be adjusted forward & aft a little. My younger brother was sold a defective fender solenoid recently for his truck. He gave up and brought it to me to find out it was a bad solenoid.

If the small wire on the fender mounted solenoid is energized when the key is turned, it is the solenoid. If it is not, try holding up on shifter or starting neutral if automatic as suggested. I doubt it is manual with remote start but clutch switch could be bad if so.

 

As mentioned above try starting in neutral. When the transmission range switch gets sloppy on an AT this will happen.

Key it on with the right hand and put your left arm behind the steering wheel and pull up on the shifter with your left hand. Move the shifter around and see if there is a sweet spot where it cranks.

If that works at least you can drive it until the switch is replaced.

Also there are a couple torx bolts underside of the steering column that can come loose.

 

Thank you for all the replies.

I had actually seen a few posts about the neutral switch previously and I did attempt to start it in neutral which didn’t help. The shifter works properly (it’s been babied all it’s life) and the torx bolts are tight from when I change the starter switch plug under the column. I can still drive it without issues as long as I use the remote switch to jump the solenoid terminal.

I did check the voltage on the ignition input to the solenoid and have less than 1.vdc when the keys is turned to the start position.

I’ll try to track where that wire goes and see if I can find why it doesn’t have power. I didn’t know about a clutch jumper (mine is automatic) so I’ll check around on some diagrams and see what I can find. I do have the auto enginuity software but haven’t been able to determine anything with it. Honestly, I only bought it to see if I had a crooked mechanic and I’ve only fiddled with a few diagnostics in the software.

Thank you once again!!

 

Since you don't have the voltage at the solenoid, check the output voltage on the electrical part of the switch on the bottom of the column. It is the red w/ light blue stripe that should energize with start function. IF it works there, check fuse 20 in the cab. Earlier, i said Fuse 19. I apologize, looked at schematic wrong. Everything else is accurate.

From FUSE 20 , it goes through the jumper for the clutch pedal to the range sensor out to the solenoid on the fender

 

Yeah, fuse 19 didn't sound right but 20 does so I don't have to research that one. When turning the key to start, do you get power at fuse #20 under the dash? A yes/no there will guide you on which way to go. Is fuse 20 blown? Are its connections loose or corroded?

 

Sorry for the delay, busy week.

I checked all the fuses and they all seemed to be fine. I have not had a chance to hook up a multimeter to anything yet. I did plug in the auto enginuity scanner and it listed some error codes I didn’t see before.

B1352, and B1869

Those are two new codes that were not there last year when I checked originally. I don’t have any powertrain codes, would the neutral safety switch show up on powertrain if there was an error?

i did a search on here for the 1352 code and found a youtube link to some guy pulling the key cylinder and showing a bent tab on the chime switch as a cause for the code?? I noticed mine was hanging loose under the colum so I put it back where it was, but I don’t know if I didn’t bend the tab out enough. Still no start with the key. I’ll try to pull out the multimeter tomorrow and check for voltage under the steering column and also check if the clutch jumper wire is there and connected. Are there any diagrams for that available? Like a road map of where these wires go?

thanks again for all the advice. I’ll try to check back tomorrow with updates on what I find.

 

Finally getting a chance to write back. Got a new job that worked me into the ground the past few months, but I’m back to the job search so I have some time to fix the issue I hope.

so I changed the range sensor which didn’t fix anything, left the new one on the truck. I couldn’t ever determine where the clutch jumper was mounted under the dash.

still no fuse issues, but when I was driving to work bround the first of June I had the ac clutch coil pop a fuse. No ac in the south really sucks so I think I’m going to plan on a move before long.
Haven’t had the money for the ac compressor yet, but I don’t know if a ground could be corroded. I finally got a little wire diagram to research the paths of the wires, but it’s a bit confusing for me (haven’t had much free time to study it due to the work schedule)

still having to use the remote starter switch to start the truck, but thankfully it still works.

any suggestions on where to look next or where that clutch bypass thing is?

thanks again and I’m terribly sorry for the delay.

 

It is a rectangle plug w/ 4 wires, gray color. It's under the dash about where your left knee might be. Should have a tab holding it to the metal frame of the dash.