I finally got a battery for fugly truck(79 F150 explorer) but it wouldn't turn over. I looked at the fuse labelled start sol which I assume would be the wire to the solenoid. It looks ok but I will probably replace it anyway. Theres no click at the solenoid when I go to start. It appears to just be dead. I checked both battery cables and moved the ground back to the engine block. Some body had bolted it to the top of the air cond bracket which is not bolted to the motor. That wasn't it.

I finally turned the key on and jumped the + over to the solenoid S post. After a couple seconds ole fugly fired right up. It has sat here for a month so I was totally amazed. Well it immediately started slinging power steering fluid but at least it runs. I'm not sure what else to check on the start thing. I'm wondering if maybe the park position starter interlock is messing up? I have stray wires hanging from the dash in a few places and I have no idea where they are from. What a nightmare. If you get within about a 3 foot zone of the truck you start turning black from grease jumping off the truck onto you, LOL. This is always the part of one of these projects that I really hate which is cleaning up the cruds and fixing other peoples stupid stuff.

 

Do you get any dash electrical? What about head lights? Is everything dead or will it just not engage the starter?

 

Everything else works except for the start wire to the solenoid. Does that thing have one of those fuseable links? I thought I noticed one there somewhere.

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/dcforum/User_files/mil1ion/3be9028c2536a7cc.gif



Do you have a Wiring Diagram ?


Dennis

78 F-150 429CJ 465,000 KM.(Original Owner)
68 Mustang 289 Sunlit Gold 80,000 Miles(second Owner)
64 1/2,260 Pre-World's Fair Mustang #8092
64 Fairlane 500 S/C,waiting for a 390 4-Spd

If The Girls Don't Find You Handsome,
They Should At Least Find You Handy!

 

Hot,
If your sure no power is getting to your solenoid then let's get started. Disconnect your ignition switch from the harness. Remove the iginition switch. Diagnose the switch itself. Identify the post marked "S" this is the lead for the starter. Determine which leads on the switch are constsant power. Determine continuity between constant power leads and starter lead.
Secondly, Determine continuity between ignition switch plug and solenoid. If you don't have continuity between switch and solenoid, pull new wire and be done with it.
KingFisher

 

Ok lets start by saying what I think it isn't by the faultfinding you used.
Since you jumped 12volts to the "S" terminal of the relay and the truck started, it isnt the starter, the battery leads positive or ground, the starter and its ground or the starter relay.
It also isnt a current limiter since the truck runs with the key in the on position, and the same power feeder is used to close the start relay and to power the igniton system.
So what could it be? Well the neutral safety switch is a good bet. Also the igniton switch could have bad contacts. And finally the wire, red with blue stripe, between the ignition switch and the starter relay "S" terminal could be broken.
IMHO best next step is to go to the neutral safety switch and check for power in and out when the key is held to start. If you dont have power in the problem is between the ignition switch and the neutral switch. If you have power in and not out, switch could be bad, or not closed due to improper adjustment. If you have power in and out, it is most likely a bad wire from the neutral switch to the start relay.
Oh all the wires from the ignition switch to the "S" terminal thru the neutral switch should be red with a blue stripe.
I am not really sure where the neutral switch is, I think it is on the steering column but maybe on those "new" 79's they are on the tranny.
Hope my meandering post is clearer than mud Beer it does a body good.

Sparky

 

It fixed itself, LOL. I remember pulling it down into low to see if adding fluid would get it to pull. No joy there. I'm gonna drop the tranny and go through it. Anyways, I put it back up in park and it cranks with the keyswitch now. I guess there must be some slop or dirt or something in that neutral saftey switch. Maybe the tranny clean up will find something there.

 

 

Hot,
That's most likely a bent linkage rod or worn linkage bushings. A trial and error approach with a lot of patients should fix it. What condition is the shifter arm? This is an AUTO, right? The column bearings can go out and add to the mayhem.
Good Luck, Have Fun,
KingFisher
P.S. There is a hole in the neutral safety switch which you can manually pull the switch to the park position, put a small drill in the hole and it will hold the switch in the park position; forcing the switch ON.