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Need help with no start issue

Smokinthehippies

Smokinthehippies

3/4 ton status
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Millard, NE
So I went wheeling over the weekend. Lots of bouncing around. Later on I turned off the truck, every thing was fine. 5 minutes later I go to turn it back on and I get nothing.

When I turn the key "on" the brake light and seat belt light come on like they're supposed to and radio comes on.

Push it to "start" and nothing. Everything goes dead.
Tried jumping the starter and got it to spin but it wouldn't engage the plunger to the flex plate.

Had my wife being me a new starter and swapped that on. Same issues so now we know its not the starter.
Battery connections and everything are good

So I now need help
1. Where to start looking to solve the problem.
2. Any ideas on what it could be

My two thoughts are either the ignition switch or the park/neutral switch.

But I don't know how I'd test those or bypass those to make it happen.

Any help is much appreciated guys I'd like to get it back out this weekend.
Thanks
 
Neutral start switches do malfunction from time to time. It is mounted on the steering column and is shaped like half a donut. You can bypass it by using a wire to close the circuit. The ignition switch is a 9 prong unit and also mounted around the steering column. You can bypass that one too, which is basically hotwiring the vehicle.

Before suspecting those parts, I'd take a real careful look at your wiring and grounds, as they are more likely culprits. With all the bouncing around it's possible you could have knocked something loose, or even damaged plates in your battery.
 
Probably should check for voltage at the junction block on the firewall, then if voltage there, to the fuse panel on both of the red wires.

May be a fusible link issue, checking what is getting into the cab/fuse panel would be my first step. Obviously some of it is working or you'd have no interior voltage, but there are two of them, and they run separate components. One is ignition, and one is lights, roughly.
 
Battery should be fine as its an optima that new.

Where would these wires be coming in that I need to check? A certain fuse or after/before the fuse box?
I'm not the greatest with wiring
 
Battery should be fine as its an optima that new.

Where would these wires be coming in that I need to check? A certain fuse or after/before the fuse box?
I'm not the greatest with wiring
 
If you jumped the starter at the solenoid and it spun,but refused to engauge the flywheel,that tells me you have power there,but either you jumped the wrong terminals (you touched the battery positive cable to the connection at the motor itself that comes out of the case instead of the one the purple "crank" wire goes too),so the motor spun but the solenoid was not activated to push the drive out into the flywheel--or the solenoid or fork mechanism is bound up and wont let the bendix drive pop out and crank it over..

Make sure the solenoid bolts are still there and tight--I have had them fall out on a few of my trucks for no real reason before!..and see if the plastic cap on the solenoid where the wires attach is intact and not cracked too..also see if the starter bolts are tight and if it may have been whacked against something hard enough to crack the nose of the starter--a front driveshaft can sometimes whack it when you bottom out on something,or a stump or rock,etc..

OK,I just saw you replaced the starter!..:doah:..

Now you have a new starter,so its time to check the wires...have someone hold the key to "start"and see if a test lamp shows power is getting to the purple wire on the "S" terminal at the starter...(make sure the purple wire was not accidentally put on the other "R" terminal,that one is not used on trucks with no points..)..the "S" terminal is the one closest to the engine,and hardest to get at,of course..

if not,there is a break in the wire, or it could be the neutral safety switch is bad (try holding the key in the crank position, while you move the shifter to other positions,it might just be out of adjustment--hold the brake on so if it cranks suddenly,it wont take off on you!)...

You can take the purple wires off the neutral safety and jump them together to see if the switch is bad and keeping the starter from activating...if you see power at the purple wire from the ignition side with the key in the crank position at the switch,then its probably the wire that failed somwhere between the NS switch and the solenoid...

Fusible links can sometime fail "halfway" and still let some current flow,but not enough to actually power up the starter like it should ...they are usually in a conduit near the tranny dipstick,where they get burnt by the hot exhaust manifold...there are two of them on red wires that go under the positive cable at the starter solenoid...

I had so many of my GM trucks burn up fusible links that I now buy new links and run longer wire from them right to the battery positive itself,that way they never get roasted by the exhaust and are much easier to change if they ever failed from a short...then all you need for wires at the starter are the battery cable and the purple wire..
 
Smokinthehippies said:
Where would these wires be coming in that I need to check?
Click to expand...

I believe there is one that runs off the back of the starter up to the junction block which will be located on the firewall, just to the left of the brake booster, as you are looking into the engine bay. Then that splits in two, with the two wires going from the junction to the fuse panel firewall connector.

If there is voltage at the junction block the problem is not the fusible links. They can be "intermittent", but that's not normally the case.
 
Is there a way to bypass/ ground out the park nuetral switch? I'm pretty sure that's my issue and I don't want to dig thru the coloumn.
 
Don't know which wires do what or go exactly where. Obviously a plug you can disconnect, it's the half moon shaped plastic piece at the base of the column. For temporary you could jumper it, long term I'd be looking at cutting splicing, or just replacing.
 
I'd definitely check the ground lead from the negative terminal to the block, as well as to the frame. And double check both leads at the battery just in case.

If you still need help this weekend, maybe I could convince my wife we need to take a trip South...

Clay
 
dyeager535 said:
Don't know which wires do what or go exactly where. Obviously a plug you can disconnect, it's the half moon shaped plastic piece at the base of the column. For temporary you could jumper it, long term I'd be looking at cutting splicing, or just replacing.
Click to expand...
I'm more worried about diagnosing right now, once I know for sure what in looking at I will do a proper fix.

ccarley said:
I'd definitely check the ground lead from the negative terminal to the block, as well as to the frame. And double check both leads at the battery just in case.

If you still need help this weekend, maybe I could convince my wife we need to take a trip South...

Clay
Click to expand...
I am going to take probably the day after Xmas and do nothing but work on this truck. I will go thru all of the grounds and wiring to make sure that's golden as well as start checking voltages. I should be able to get it licked on e I get the time to open the hood and take a look around.
 
Ok well I'm under the truck now. Checked the starter and its getting good power from the battery. But it's getting nothing on the purple wire. So my problem definitely is from the coloumn. Biggest issue I'm having is finding the purple wires from the coloumn to check and see where the problem is coming from. I'm a wiring dumb dumb
 
Hazah!!!

So fixed the no start issue sorta.

Finally found the park switch. On top of the coloumn down by the firewall. Hard for my fat ass to get in there. Anyway. Found a plug that's yellow wire and a purple wire. Pulled it off and jumped it with some wire. Starter turned right over.
Unfortunately it made a terrible grinding noise so I'm assuming my new starter isn't lined up correctly lol.

Gonna fiddle with that but maybe things go my way I can get it started here in a few
 
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