Here is the issue -
A 92 Bronco - 5.8L, 88,000 miles. Last night I stopped off to get cash, shut if off, and when I came back it wouldn't start. Solenoid would not engage. Came back the next day certain it was only the solenoid, but an electrician nearby helped me do a little trouble shooting. Turns out no current even getting to the solenoid. Battery was charged, terminals clean, no blown fuses, no loose wires that we could find. I got it going by shorting the terminals on the solenoid and drove it home. After I got it home, I shut if off, then out of curiosity I tried starting it again. Of course it DID start - THREE TIMES!!

Confused, baffled,and bewildered. One thing that's in the back of my mind is that coincidently, the odometer showed 88,000.7 miles at the time I shut it off at the bank and subsequently would not start. I wonder if there's some kind of software glitch or something that signals the ignitition system inoperative at 88,000 miles. Just a guess - but I'm grabbing for anything I can think of right now. Possible defective neutral safety switch, or ignition switch - but why is it starting now??

Any help would be appreciated!! Obviously I don't trust it and am probably going to just replace all of the ignition system components, including wiring, just to be safe unless I can get a satisfactory answer somewhere.

Thanks!!!

 

I had an issue with the starter on my f-150, when it was hot - right after driving - it wouldn't start. When it cooled off, it started fine. It drove me nuts. I'd charge the battery for a few hours and it would cool off and start. Heat soak will aggravate a starter that's on it's way out. I'd recommend watching for a pattern like this. The wiring side of the starter is pretty simple. Check for corrosion in the heavy cables that run to the starter. The starter solenoid is pretty simple to check. They're cheap, so when in doubt, replace it. Good Luck.

 

Thanks for the tips!!!