Ok guys, Im pretty mechanically inclined, so keep this in mind as you run ideas through your head. Monday it snowed pretty good here in kansas, rare for the middle of april, but anyhow, I got my truck stuck and it sat for 2 nights. When the snow melted and the dirt roads dried up, I went to go get my truck (1988 F250 7.3 IDI C6 auto Long bed ext cab), and it started up fine and I ran it on home, trudging trough water puddles and splashing water 6 feet high...lol. Thing is, I went out today and tried to start it, no click, no NOTHING, but my glowplugs work, everything lights up and works, but no starter. Here is what I have found. I DO have a gear reduction starter, and I have heard that splashing through mud and water kills these starters, but that is not the case here. I can jump the solenoid that is mounted on the passenger inner fender with a screw driver and my starter magically comes to life, and it cranks over perfectly. Common sense says "well replace the solenoid", so I did, with a brand new one, and still nothing, and again I can jump it with a screw driver and it works, but not with the ignition switch.
I even tried the solenoid off of my tractor which I KNOW works, as it starts my tractor up fine, and still.... nothing. So my conclusion is that the wire that goes from the igition switch to the energize terminal of the fender mounted solenoid is not getting power when it is energized. A few ideas I have is that I shorted something and blew a fusible link somewhere, and I checked all my fuses, they are good. So I have a short somewhere or a blown fusible link somewhere. Does anyone have any ideas as to what links to check or what wires to check? Thanks
Dave

 

on the pass side look at all the conections and take apart and put back together under the heater housing is a large conection this is a know prob with all ford trucks this is the conection for all the harness to and from inside to outside

hope this helps

 

Possible ignition switch went bad. Check for power.

 

I always end up doing the old tried and true-if you aren't getting power to that wire, I'd trace it backwards. A manual with wiring diagrams will help. I know that Haynes isn't the most popular of manuals but I had one save my @$$ over the weekend. Hope this helps.