I went to start my truck yesterday when leaving work and I got nothing when I turned the key. I thought the battery was dead, but it is brand new and I didnt leave my lights on or anything so I didnt think that was the problem. I got back in the truck and just kept turning the key. After about 4 turns it caught and was jsut like normal. I let it warm up for about 20 minutes and shut it off and tried to turn it back on. Same thing happened. I drove it about 10 miles to the train station and went to run an errand in Boston. I came back about 3 hours later and it did the same thing. All I could think it was is maybe the ignition switch. Everything else electrical is less than 10 months old. And I checked all my connections, which are tight. When I turn the key I get a little click from the the solenoid but thats it until I turn it a few times real fast and then it catches. Here's ther weird part, I left it running outside of the parts store when I went in to order the new ignition. When I came out I noticed one of my license plate lights was one.....the one that never worked. Then my dome light started working again. It hasn't worked for a few weeks. When I finally got home I shut the truck off and turned the key. It started right up. I came back out and on turn 1 I got nothing on turn 2 it started right up. Could this be my iginition switch or is this something else electrical? I'm almost positive all my grounds are good. I cehcked the one to the block and the one to the firewall. Is there any others I could check? I'm about to go out and leave for work, so we'll see what she does today.

 

Just a sidenote, the truck started right up this morning. First turn of the key.

 

could be the solenoid.... try jumping it next time i wont' start. turn your key on, then take a short peice of wire, touch it to the hot side of the solenoid, and to the ign post on the side (might have to pull the connector off it to get at it.. and i think it has an "I" on it, if this works fine, then it's the switch in the cab. if it still does it with the jumper, then it's the soleniod.

 

Another side note
Jump from the battery + wire on the solenoid to the "S" terminal, that is the one that closes the start relay.

Sparky

 

Could also be the solenoid connections, especially the one leading to the battery. If you're getting at least a click at the solenoid each time then the ignition switch is probably okay, and the contacts inside the solenoid are probably dirty or burned and not always making a good connection, which means replacement, but I've cured this same thing just by cleaning all the connections.

 

The problem your describing could be from what the others have posted above...but I had this EXACT same problem in my mustang and my friends camaro, both instinces the power wire that is connected to the starter itself was just loose. Check to see if that's the case, mine would start on occassion until i tracked down the problem. Let us know you fixed it.

Mike

 

 

This exact same thing happened to my stepmoms '98 Expedition. It is the starter going out.