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i just picked up a 98 f 150 short bed 4x2 with a 4.2 v6 5 speed. I drove it about 6000 miles or so all highway to and from work.I got the oil changed ,tranny flushed,and fuel injecters cleaned.today. 2 starts and 40 miles later i went to start it and all i got was a click from the starter relay on the firewall. i changed that and while investigating the problem found that one of the pos. cables connecting to it (the one that is actually two wires with a rubber mold sepperating them)was corroded pretty bad so i replaced the tip of it.I thought that would fix it and the results are the same , just one click at the starter relay.the starter hasn't shown any signs of problems. but i did push start it to get it home,while driving the battery light did flicker a few times .does any have any suggestions?
SOunds like you have a dead battery to me....that clicking is the nosie that it will make letting you know that its dead same w/ the battery light haha..sounds like you replaced everything but the battery! Take it to an autozone or similar parts store and have it checked....its usually free plus you'll already have a core there if you need a new battery.
-Chris
If your battery checks out ok you should check for power down at the starter.
When you turn the key to the start position there should be 12V at the small terminal on the starter. This comes from the relay on the firewall.
There should be 12V at the big cable on the starter at all times. The cable ends corrode off sometimes.
Never trust the dummy gauges in the truck especially when you have an electrical problem, thats why I said to have it checked on the tester. The guage could be reading good voltage but that doesnt mean that its accurate.
-Chris
The problem is now solved.It ended up being the power wire that feeds from the starter to the battery.Corrosian must have got the best of it.I replaced the tips and still no juice,but when I replaced the wire itself I got juice.Thanks fellas!
Hello pace-harris, I had exactly the same problem you did. Drove the truck to work and at the end of the day I got in it started it up and stalled it. I went to restart it and it wouldn't crank. Standard voltage checks showed ok but the amp check showed a problem. I used a set of jumper cables as a replacement power supply cable and the truck started right up. It cost me a days pay and a battery cable.-Joe
well the door ajar light kind of stays off but not all the time,i used the wd-40 in both jams.but it seemed to work but the light is still occasionally comming on,like i said not all the time though ,its still an improvment , thanks again
try cleanin it and then sprayin it with pb blaster ive found it works better than wd-40. te wd in wd-40 stands for water displacement that is all it it is for pb blaster does what everyone thinks wd-40 should be used for sorry if i stepped on anyones toes
try cleanin it and then sprayin it with pb blaster ive found it works better than wd-40. te wd in wd-40 stands for water displacement that is all it it is for pb blaster does what everyone thinks wd-40 should be used for sorry if i stepped on anyones toes
I second the PB-Blaster. I have used it on my door latches and it works great. When I first bought the truck it was fine but then last summer the dang light started staying on. I didn't find this site until after I replaced the switch . I try to spray mine at least every few months.