Hopefully y'all can help me w/ this...(90 E350 4.9)
First, when I was on the road today, my van would not start at one point.
When I turned the key I got dash lights and buzzer, but nothing else.
I finally got it started my messing w/ shift lever. When I got home it happened again in my driveway (how convienent), but this time I couldn't get it to start. I replaced the neutral safety switch and got no change. The new swith doesn't have an alignment hole like the original so I am not really positive that it is not still the problem, but I messed w/ it for long enough that I am reasonably sure it is not the culprit. I even sacrificed the old one to use as a bypass and still couldn't get anything.
The ignition switch is new (that causes odd problems when it starts to fail), so I doubt it is that.
I used jumper cables to jump the starter solenoid and got nothing!!!
Does that mean the starter is bad?
Shouldn't I hear something if that was the case?

Thanks for any assistance..

 

It's not entirely unheard of for a starter to get really hot and melt a wire. Check the cables coming from the starter, including ground(s). If you're applying direct current to the starter AND the ground is connected, then that points (pretty much directly) to a bad starter. Work backward from there

 

Thanks, it turned out to be both the starter and the solenoid.
Now it starts like new and with authority.

 

My starter just went kapoot today. Just ordered a mini unit off eBay. Time to switch cables while I'm at it too.