I just got done tinkering around. I figured out how to take off the horn cap and steering wheel without damaging it.Now for some reason the headlights, wipers, cdplayer, etc.. all work now. I looked around for a while and could not find anything.I do not know why everything magically started working again. All of the wires seem fine to me. None of the wires are melted and they were not all tangled in a hairball like I had expected. When I turn the key in the ignition it still cranks the truck but the starter keeps grinding, and now when I turn the key backwards in the ignition it tries to crank too. So once Again I have no clue what to do next.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave2180

When I turn the key in the ignition it still cranks the truck but the starter keeps grinding, and now when I turn the key backwards in the ignition it tries to crank too. So once Again I have no clue what to do next.

OK... the starter motor sticking is most likely your starter solenoid, it's under
the hood on the pass side fender, the battery + cable connects to it. Approx $30
at Ford, the Chinese-made variants available at many auto parts stores have a
BAD reputation on this forum so I don't recommend them.

Turning your key to START merely applies power to the red/blue-stripe wire (#5 on the below diagram) which is attached to a screw terminal on the
solenoid; the solenoid then directs full battery power to the starter motor
(while removing power from the accessories).



Concerning your steering wheel & lights & everything, it sounds to me like the
installed steering wheel grounds (shorts) out some wires that shouldn't be
grounded, the first ones I can envision are part of the turn signal switch. Look
around in the daylight, see if you can find what's causing that....

 

Check the Fuse Link at the starter solenoid. Especially at the splice where it connects to the harness wiring. You may have to peel back some of the protective tape. Make sure it's not corroded at this splice. This fuse link protects 90% of the wiring.

As for the starter being engaged from both the accessory and start positions, and it keeps cranking after you release the key. This is a classic case of the ignition switch being severely worn out, defective, or out of adjustment.

I'd replace it.

Also inspect the wiring around the ignition switch very carefully. Check the connector at the switch. Also Check for discolored wires, any wire splices, or signs of wires melting. You may have to peel back the black protective tape to see anything here as well. It can be rewrapped with black electrical tape when finished with the inspection.

Also I highly recommend that you invest in a good quality wiring diagram for your truck. It looks like you may be needing it, from my observations.

 

Well we had a long football practice today and I just got home, its pitch black outside so my hands are tide until morning. (I had time to work on her the past couple of days because I was suspended from school for about beating to death a guy who was messing with my girlfriend) Thanks a lot for the diagram and explanation ctubutis I learn a lot better by visualizing things. My current starter solenoid is a Chinese one but I am pretty sure it is still under its 1 year warranty, all I have to do is give auto zone my phone # and they will give me a new one if it is sorted. I've heard of people crossing over a shorted solenoid with two pieces of metal before, should I try it? If not then I will replace the solenoid tommorrow.
OK, 81 f150 explorer I will firstly check all of them wires and fuses again I might have missed something, I recently noticed some stuff all over the place inside of the column that resembles burnt gunpowder and its greasy, what is that? I will try to take pics of it some time and put it in an album. After I replace the starter solenoid tomorrow if nothing improves then my next step will be a new ignition switch. Also were can I get a wiring diagram at? are you talking about one of the ones in a Haynes manual? -Thanks

 

It sounds like Graphite grease. Some people use it for locks and the actuator rod mechanisim that goes from the lock cylinder to the ignition switch. It shouldn't be really greasy or sticky, but it should be slick to the touch... But without a picture of the substance, I can only speculate.

 

Maybe I'm reading things too fast and missing things? I totally forgot about the
headlights, I was focusing on the smoking steering column and trying to get you to pay
attention to that.

If you're saying the starter turns when you turn the key to the RUN position (before
turning it all the way to the START position) then I agree with 81-f-150-explorer, that
sounds to me like it could be your ignition switch on the column. I understood you to be
saying the starter stays turning even after you release the key from the START position
(which is usually a sticking solenoid but can be a sticking switch as the spring action
wears out). But, if it turns before you even GET to the START position, that's pointing to
the switch and not the solenoid.

However... your truck seems to have been Frankensteined (as was mine) by previous
owners (a switch for the tail lights???? I have to wonder what for.) so the best thing any
of us can do is point you in what we hope are the right directions and places to look for
problems.

Removing the steering wheel and suddenly having the dash lights begin working
*generally* can point to a short caused by the steering wheel, BUT I don't think it can
affect the operation of the headlights, that's gonna be a bad ground or fusible link or
dimmer switch or headlight switch or hacked wiring (or a combination).

I realize you're still in HS and money is prolly tight for you, but I'm gonna STRONGLY
suggest you spend $25 and get yourself a factory wiring diagram; eBay and various
places sell 'em, google "ford factory wiring diagram" and see what you come up with.

I've purchased some manuals from this guy and am happy, here's what he has for you:
Lloyds Auto Liturature available for 1980, Fordtruck, Wiring Diagrams

You can connect a wire from your battery's + cable to the screw terminal with the
red/blue wire (#5 in the diagram) and that will cause the starter to engage. I don't know
what that would tell you, though (other than your stater worked at that point). You need
to verify if it's the switch or the solenoid or something else (e.g. fubar'd wiring).

 

if i am catching all of this it sounds to me like his power feed into the cab has problems.. bad pin.. corroded connection.. ect.. check the wires coming off the starter solenoid (battery side) going to the cab.. check the ends for any corrosion.. that is one possibility..

as for the starter sticking.. i agree with going to the ignition switch to deal with that issue.. but at the same time when your horn "shorted out" it could have melted some wires together causing a closed circuit to your started solenoid causing the starter to stay engaged.. an easy test is to unhook your starter side of the solenoid.. turn the key to the run position and use a test light to see if there is still power going out of your solenoid.. if there is.. check for the power into your solenoid on the small post..(marked "I" if i remember correctly) if you have power there.. just simply go back into the cab down to your ignition switch and check your wires there.. a hanes (preferably) or even a chiltons repair manual should give you the schematics and tell you what color of wire dose what.. it makes it alot easier to figure out electrical issues with a schematic handy.. and they should give you a "cheat sheet" so you can understand what the symbols are...

i think personally that the wires have melted together causing the whole starter problem.. if you had smoke and the smell of electrical burning from the steering column that there are some wires somewhere that are melted.. just hope they are not in the main loom where it is a time consuming task to fix..

 

Be aware that only replacement motorcraft and aftermarket starter solenoids have the "I" terminal. Original Factory solenoids only have the "S" terminal.

This is because the Ballast resistor start bypass wire was intergrated into the main harness and was deleted in 1980.

The replacement solenoids have both the "S" and "I" terminals, but the "I" terminal isn't used. This is because they fit a wide variety of vehicles.

 

Today I Got home late again, but I managed to replace the solenoid anyways. I began checking wires one by one and noticed that the one that runs from the starter solenoid to the starter looked pretty nasty, I recon that I missed this one before. The end of this wire was all sticky and had corrosion all over it. I replaced this wire and one other questionable one along with the solenoid, and I turned the key to crank it and wala it cranked up and is running better now for some reason. Before I would have to pump the gas pedal several times, this time I didn't since I expected it to grind the starter some more. Then I noticed that the reason the horn was shorted out was because the soldering on it was bad. So I re soldered it, (remember this is an aftermarket steering wheel), and now it works too! The only thing that I have not done is put everything back together and figured out how to make the tail lights work. Yea its funny the p.o also wired the turn signals to toggle switches, so when I take a corner I have to blink it back and forth. I am considering going ahead and replacing the ignition switch while I have everything apart, it looked pretty good though. But looks can be deceiving. I would really like to fix the turn signals and tail lights, and yes there are several more things that are jerry rigged besides this that I will have to deal with later.(I had to borrow all of the money to fix my truck from my dad, so when I can save up some money I will start on the other things unless the taillights and turn signals are pretty cheap) I am guessing that the wiring diagram would be my best bet to fix the turn signals and the tail lights.. right? Well guys thanks a zillion for the help, even though this is a small issue. Rep points to ctubutis and 81 f150 explorer.

 

dave2180 - your problems are EXACTLY why I recommend getting a factory wiring diagram
book and not an aftermarket Chilton's or Haynes thing. The level of detail in the factory
diagrams simply blows away those other things.

If it were me (assuming little money), I would put together what I have right now and try
and figure out & fix why the dash lights & such stop working when the steering wheel is
installed.

If the ignition switch is working, my advice would be to leave it alone, you don't risk
breaking anything trying to take it apart. Have you figured out that some components
(especially plastic ones) on 30yo vehicles are fragile? There is also some pot metal
stuff inside the steering column, the steel rod that runs the length of the column and
attaches to the ignition switch connects to it. I understand that stuff is fragile, too.

Then, get a wiring diagram, and compare my f'd-up wiring to what the factory says it
should be and figure out what it would take to get it there.

I'm gonna guess that your turn signal switch has issues and some guy put in toggle
switches to deal with the problem rather than fixing it correctly. You might be able to get
a turn signal switch out of a junkyard; the yard near me will let me return & exchange it
within something like 10 or 30 days if it doesn't work.

You might be able to use a switch out of a car, too, but the location of the emergency
flasher switch needs to be the same. I don't *think* it matters if you've got tilt wheel or
not, I *think* they're the same.

But, it's gonna be a risk as they're likely ALL old (unless it had been replaced already) and
could be problematic.

But, they're cheap (at least at the yard near me).

Thanks for the rep points!

EDIT: After thinking a bit, a turn signal switch from a car would probably work but there
will be a difference... Your truck I'll bet doesn't have a key-in-ignition buzzer (my 1981
doesn't, and I haven't run across any reference to such a thing in my wiring diagram)
whereas I think that feature was pretty much standard on all cars by that time.

I'm pretty sure that feature was first made standard on the higher-end cars - Lincoln
Continental & Mercury Marquis and such - and was optional and part of what Ford
called a Convenience Group (or something similar) on other cars until the late 70s when
it was finally made standard equipment on all cars. To my knowledge, creature comforts
like that didn't become standard in trucks until 1982.

But, I would imagine you could use a switch that had the wiring for that buzzer, it just
wouldn't connect to anything in your truck. If you look at that half-round connector, there
should be a few empty holes that get filled in with wires when cruise control is installed.
One of those holes gets used by the key-in-ignition wiring, too.

I think your steering column can even accept the wiring for that buzzer up at the lock
cylinder area, there should be a hole where a screw holds a single connector on. But,
like I said, the rest of the truck isn't wired for it, so it won't do anything.

You'd have to look around in the junkyards, compare what you find to what you have.
standard

 

Key in ignition buzzer started on the trucks in 1984.

This is according to the 1984 wiring diagram. No mention of it in the 1983.

And thanks for the rep point, much appreciated.

 

The burning smell is most likely the ignition switch burning up inside. I had that happen on my 84, every so often I smell burning wires, pull over and started looking, never found anything. Few weeks later I started having the same problems as Dave2180, some switched power feeds would work and other would not, then all is fine, then there's that burning smell again. Again no wires found burnt. Then one night while on a rescue mission into the woods, that ignition switch started burning up with flames!!! Thankfully a friend who was full of recycled beer was able to put it out(use your imagiation) After that I had no power to start or run the truck, At least I know what happened now!~ A new ignition switch installed and all is fine, execpt for the recycled beer part......

 

Nice Eddeic 1564.
My steering column isn't tilt and the hazard lights have never worked either and I don't have the key in buzz. I was wondering, on the dash I have a idiot gauge to let you know that you need to put on your seat belt, does yalls work? Also about what RPM's do yalls trucks idle at when hot? cold? Mine is at about 900 when cold and 1200 hot. And I'm pretty sure it ought to be at about 500-1000... right? The P.O used this truck primarily as a mud truck and that is probably why he jerry rigged so many things, the rear gas tank is filled with sludge, the defroster is wired to a toggle switch, and the tank selector switch is a toggle switch too. this plus all of the other things I told y'all previously is some pretty good redneck engineering I guess. I would rather fix a lot of this since I'm not playing in the mud with this truck much. Also, I again really appreciate all of the help and replies which y'all have been adding.

 

My Fasten Belt light works, but I unpluged the seatbelt buckle wires from behind the seat so it won't buzz. A very common occurance actually.

As for the toggle switches and things, I have to ask myself. Why?

Is it because the wiring is that bad, or did the Previous owner didn't fix it right and it's something simple? With all those circuts being miswired it may be wise to rewire the truck.


Here is what I would do if I were in your shoes...

A simple economical rewire would probably fix everything you need. You don't need to replace all the wiring either like in a total rewire, unless it's really hacked up, or burned.

What you will need...

1) Wiring diagram
2) A Multimeter that can read ohms and continuity in circuts.
3) several rolls of black electrical tape.
4) a way to fix broken, frayed or burned wires, (Shrink wrap, soldering iron and solder recommended)
5) wire ties.
6) a terminal removal tool to remove the terminals from certain wiring harness connectors.
7) Terminals, and wire of various colors.
8) A pad and paper to write down needed information on what you find.
9) a clean place to work, a workbench or some other such place.

-----------------------------------

Remove each harness seperately from the truck. I'd start with the main underdash harness, because that is the one that seems to be giving you the most problems.

Remove the dash pad, radio, instrument cluster, glove box, heater and a/c ducts etc... Disconnect all the connectors from the main harness, wire ties, clips, brackets, unbolt the fuse panel etc..., There are connectors inside the engine compartment that will need to be disconnected and the rubber grommets forced through to the inside as well. It's really not too complicated, just time consuming.

After you get the main harness out, start removing the old black protective tape. When you come to a wye where parts of the wire loom split off to go to other areas, you need to place a brand new wire tie at the wyes. This is so when you rewrap the harness with the new black electrical tape later, you will know where the original wyes were. This is important so everything will come back together properly.

After you have removed all the old tape holding the main harness together, inspect each wire in turn by following it and look for cuts, abrasions, burn marks etc... Then take your ohm meter and test the continuity of each wire in turn. You should have continuity on most wires. If you come to a wire that show resistance, make sure that it is supposed to have resistance. There are some resistor wires in the harness, and the wiring diagrams will show you them and what color they are. All other wires should have continuity with no resistance or very, very little.

If you find a wire that has a lot of resistance, and it's not supposed to, then you have a problem with that wire, and it needs to be replaced or fixed. With the wiring harness out of the truck, you can replace most of the wires simply one at a time. This is where a donor harness comes in handy. When you find one wire that is bad, you can take just that one wire from the donor harness and replace it in your old harness using the terminal removal tool. Failing that, a short piece of new wire to repair the problem will work. Using the shrink wrap and solder technique is usually best.

After inspecting the wires, inspect the connectors. Replace them if they are bad if you can. A donor harness comes in handy here too. The terminal removal tool makes changing most connectors very easy and professional, without splicing wires. Replace any damaged or corroded terminals with new ones. You can buy connectors and terminals at Ford. Or at least you could awhile ago. Things change and parts become obsolete etc... Just remember to remove one wire from the connector at a time. The Plastic Fuse panel can also be replaced in the same manner without splicing wires.

This is also a good opportunity to remove all the non-stock wiring the previous owner added to the truck. If the main harness is really bad off, which you would be able to tell after removing and inspecting, then a full replacement would be recommended from a donor truck of the same year and instrument cluster option using the same techniques above to determin if it has any problems as well. If the original is not too bad then repair is a good option. And with a donor harness there is always the option of putting the two harnesses together to make one good one.


After fixing all the problems that you find repairing wires, connectors and terminals, then you can rewrap the harness with the black electrical tape. Make sure you follow the same contours and routing of how it was wrapped originally.

After you do all the above, you should have a brand new looking and functioning main underdash wiring harness to reinstall.

Then go and do the same thing to the other harnesses in turn. Engine harness, the frame rail harness, etc... After you are done, the wiring should all function like it should again.

hope this helps...

 

Thanks for the advice.