ok so im in iraq so when i have to diagnose my truck i have to work thru my stepdad. here is the situation my truck wont start.....turn over or even click when u turn the key.so i thought bad starter and/or solinoid. well other things came up well my stepdad was trouble shooting.and the gauges did some odd things too. so to jus make it easier im gonna paste and copy our conversation here and please help me if u can.the gauges and the smokeing part is what scares me. besides my truck wont start.

the conversation:

solareclpse20002000: i found out starters r expensive.like 200 bucks.hope its cheaper at autozone
barry: i want to try something to see if it is the starter cyclone before i mess with the starter
barry: we tried to jump the truck and it had power to all the electrical units but would not start so i am thinking that the starter cyclnode could be bad solareclpse20002000: but yes i think u r right.but on my truck the starter solinoid is part of the starter
barry: i will check and do my best not to get one to expense if you want i can get a rebuilt
solareclpse20002000: if u can rebuild it and find a kit to rebuild it thats cool too.
solareclpse20002000: and it does click when u turn the key to start it right?makes a clicking sound under the truck?
barry: no the last time we tried to start the truck no clicking noise the gauges all went to there oppsite direction like if u reve ur rpms all the way to the red line but then we tried to jump and it started taking the jump but only making a clicking noise and the needles on the gauges went all the way to the right then corrected themselve in the right position, the batteries are ok brand new no problem jumping them but like i said before when she went out to start it no clicking noise needles on gauges went all the way to the right
solareclpse20002000: they went to the right and then back to the normal spot right?
solareclpse20002000: each time?
barry: yes
solareclpse20002000: ok i think thats a self test fo the gauges.i know poniac grand am's do that too.i seen some vehicles do that
solareclpse20002000: but no clicking nothing
barry: the first time yes but when we went to jump it we got clicking noise but we had to stop because my jumpers where smoking so i have to get heavy duty jumpers
solareclpse20002000: um thats not good.
solareclpse20002000: smokeing is never good.they were hooked up right?
solareclpse20002000: i wonder if i have a circuit that is crossed somewhere or something
barry: yes jr they were hooked up right i was there to make sure
solareclpse20002000: k
barry: if thats possible it should of all started when the truck first arrived or after we got the new batteries put into it
solareclpse20002000: true
solareclpse20002000: did u hook all the wires up correctly when u put the new batts in?
barry: yes i know what i did
solareclpse20002000: ok
solareclpse20002000: not dounting u jus makeing sure cuz it sounds weird.
solareclpse20002000: did u hook the jumpers on jus one batt or one to each cable?cuz i have 2 batts.the truck has an 18v wireing circuit if i remeber correclty...or 14v or 24v i dont remebr i jus know thats y it needs 2 batt's
barry: let me check with ford and asked a few questions also will check with on of the stores to see what it will cost for a starter or cellanode i know one thing that when we tried that day to start it i used a screw driver to spark the starter but got no spark at all to start it
solareclpse20002000: what did u connect the screwdriver to.there is something that looks like a starter solinoid,,old type,, on the top of the engine please tell me it wasnt that...thats the glowplug relay
solareclpse20002000: we need to find out if there is a certain way to jumpstart the truck.im sure there is with 2 batt's
barry: we tried to jump it on the battery near the passager side and it just clicked got the gauges and we stopped to try it on the other battery my cables where hot, so tried the other battery did the same thing but this smoke was coming out of one of the cable so we turned everything off
barry: no i got underneath the truck and tried to jump the starter itself
barry: i think i have to get heavy duty jumpers but i will asked at the auto store when i get a chance
solareclpse20002000: ok
solareclpse20002000: if it didnt do anything when u jumped the terminals with the screw driver it is the solinoid.let me ask on ford-trucks to see what they say
solareclpse20002000: but i think its the solinoid
barry: u still havent spelled it right but by the looks of it u are getting close lol
solareclpse20002000: lmao yea i know.hey GA education here!!


im sorry for the format i had to do but i couldnt really figure out how to break this down in my own words...now im jus confused.do i have a wireing problem or were the cables jus hooked wrong?or were the guages self testing? and the starter,,should i jus replace the solinoid if possible or the whole thing? thanks yall jr

 

Well the first thing that comes to mind is the guages jumping like that usually happen if you disconnect the batteries. It's kind of the self test thing described in reference to the Pontiac. If it's doing that more than once check to make sure the cables are properly connected (both ends) and there is no corrosion on the cables (both ends). If you've got a bad connection somewhere it's possible that the jumper cables are trying to draw enough amps to power the glow plugs and starter through the cables. That can cause overheating in the cables.

I'd also check for blown fuses, make sure the batteries are wired together properly, and check the starter solenoid relay on the passenger fender. Use a test light or preferably a multi meter to check voltage at the batteries, solenoid relay, and starter. No spark with a screwdriver sounds like your not getting power to the starter.

Stay safe in the sand box.

 

cool thanks.i was thinking the gauges was a self test thing and a freind of mine here with a F350 confirmed this. as for the cables smokeing my freind also says he fried a set of cables before on his truck because they were cheap low gauge (numericly higher) cables as are the same type of cheap cables my stepdad used do i think eveything is ok just the solinoid is toast. power doesnt go to the solinoid on the starter until the key is turned right? so u cant "jump" the terminals and start it,if im understanding this correctly.but in theory u can jump it at the starter relay on the fender. which isnt what my stepdad did.he tried to jump it at the actual solinoid on the starter.so im thinking solinoid or relay.a test light should solve the issue from here.or volt meter.i have both. i have a wireing diagram of the starting system here on paper and cant send it to my stepdad,does anyone have that so i can copy and paste it to him? thnx again guys

 

Why don't you have your father in law join the site so he can participate in the conversation? Just point him to the right thread.

Maybe these will help you.

 

i need to get him in here

 

If it's an automatic you should also check the neutral park switch. if it's not working or not adjusted right you get lights and gauges and nothing else, no click, bump or anything. Try pulling the shift lever up when you turn the key if it's an automatic and see if it starts. On manuals it's a different switch I believe on the clutch pedal. The simple things are what drives us crazy. By the way the two batteries are still a 12 volt system, you have two because you need a higher total cranking amps to turn over a large engine like that.Hope that helps.

 

cool i didnt know that i thought we were on an 18 or 24v system. but this is what i got so far.barry,mystepdad said when he jumps the terminals nothing happens no click or nothing.but he said when the jumper cables were hooked up before they started smokeing he was getting a click but that was all.im so confused at this point i dont know what to replace first.im hopeing i can get a solinoid instead of haveing to buy the whole starter with unit but i dont know if thats possible.and i know the batteries are both brand new.like 2 months old. its jus so hard to troubleshoot this over a computer thru another person.so where do i go from here?

 

Where did he attach the jumper ground lead on your truck? Battery or body? Sounds like your ground is bad. If it is, and he hooked up to the body ground, then all the power was running thru the flimsy jumper cables. Clean the truck's battery ground at the body.