93 2WD wont start

[93xltnewb]

hi guys need some help here please
X wont start, starter was new 3 monts ago i took out the starter and took it to the shop where i bought and they tested it on there bench and it worked just fine... saw it with my own eyes..
put it back in and still same thing it wont start...
all you here is a click, batter terminals have been tightened all lights go on
so i dont think its the battery ive boosted it already and it still didnt start
i need some ideas on what too look at next
thanks

 

[haley.dr]

first thing that I would do is make sure that you have 12 volts coming out of the solenoid and going to the starter. then make sure that you have 12 volts going into the starter. Is the click coming from the solenoid located on the starter, or the one on the firewall? try tightening the wires on the firewall solenoid.

 

[Brian_B]

Sounds like corroded wires somewhere.

 

[93xltnewb]

update
i replaced the starter with another brand new one still doesnt work
repalced the solenoid by the fender still doesnt work
wires were checked and they all read normal
all im hearing is a single tick by the passenger side fender under the air filter area..
any ideas please would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Blockay Sockay]

Sounds like a bad battery ground to me. Do all of your lights and electrical devices go off after the click, but come back on after a second or too after trying to start it? Check the battery cables.

 

[93xltnewb]

battery is strong.. reads 12v also it was tested at the store..
interior lights work DRL lights go on like normal when trying to start
but i do think it will end up being a wire of some sort
since all the mechanical stuff has been checked and starter and solenoid now are both new..
where do i start with the wires?
the wire that connects to the starter looks good from the bottom end.

 

[budwich]

wire can "look good" but you need to make sure that you are getting 12+ v out at that point. Also how are measuring the voltage.... at wire end to casing or wire end to frame body? You might have a grounding problem.... check at both.

 

[93xltnewb]

Hi to be honest with you im not very good with electrical stuff
im probably going to get a mechanic to come take a look at the truck
im scared that it will take him a long time to find the problem though causing me $$$..
also if i do have to replace the wires, how difficult is htis job?
im the one the installed my own starter and alternator and now im questioning weather i did somthing wrong to it or not...
when i bought the starter it came with male part of the red plug
which i knew went there, it also had a wire that went from the starter to solenoid, so i put the wire from battery to the other terminal.. did i do this correct?

 

[Blockay Sockay]

I have had this same sort of problem with my Explorer, except it had the symptoms I was asking about. I wiggled the negative (black) battery cable at the battery terminal and could get it to start every time. I cleaned the terminals and connection at the battery and it starts easily now. Try wiggling the negative (or positive) cable around and see if you can get it to start.

 

[budwich]

oh oh... I haven't ever done a ford so I don't know precisely what you have but ... I don't think you can easily wire them wrong.

One thing is to make sure we are talking the same "language".
First there is a solenoid on the starter (on the side about the size of half a fist). There is a starter relay on the frame / wheel well / firewall.

As you indicate, one wire comes from your battery (should be traceable). This provides the juice for the motor. The other wire comes from the starter relay on the fender well??? and goes to the solenoid on the top/side of the motor. If you have them wrong (ie. switched), you would likely hear the solenoid in the starter pull up as soon as the wire was connected (assuming the key is off).... that's because there is nothing to block it (ie. key / relay) to stop it.... assuming your battery is connected (which it shouldn't be during this work but that's another line). Do you hear the solenoid on the starter pull up? As some one else asked, are you hearing the starter relay click?

So I am actually not sure what you have wired??? I am not sure what "male part of a red plug" is???? You need to have two wires running to the starter "unit"... one for main power (usually a slightly heavier cable) and one for "control power" to activate the solenoid. You need to hear a click at the starter relay and at the solenoid otherwise nothing is going to happen in terms of start.

 

[93xltnewb]

the click im hearing is at the fender relay
if i cross that then i hear the solenoid on the starter..

 

[budwich]

sorry for being so slow... us canadian must be talking different dialects....... I am not sure I understand what you mean when you say by "cross that"???? It's is good that you hear the solenoid and the relay.... hopefully its a "one... two" type of thing with the relay first following quickly thereafter by the solenoid.... assuming you have some helping hand turning the key. You didn't really answer my previous question about two wire running to the starter.... you have two right.... its not clear (at least to me) that you have two connected.

 

[93xltnewb]

sorry for being so slow... us canadian must be talking different dialects....... I am not sure I understand what you mean when you say by "cross that"???? It's is good that you hear the solenoid and the relay.... hopefully its a "one... two" type of thing with the relay first following quickly thereafter by the solenoid.... assuming you have some helping hand turning the key. You didn't really answer my previous question about two wire running to the starter.... you have two right.... its not clear (at least to me) that you have two connected.

hi
yep i have 2 wire running to the starter
the crossing im talkingabout is when i used a screwdriver on the solenoid by the fender

 

[budwich]

good almost on the same page / language (keep those solenoids and relays straight... two different things...

are you saying that if you don't short the starter relay... (ie. just use the key), the starter solenoid doesn't "happen" but the starter relay does ??? :-{} and that the only way you can get the starter solenoid to "click" is to short the starter relay???

 

[93xltnewb]

yes thats what im saying
im out of ideas here other than chaning the batter wires etc..

 

[budwich]

Hey Julius....

Do you have access to a ohm meter? What your saying is and isn't strange but there could be some explanations. First off, the starter relay could be faulty.... even though you are hear a click there when you hit the key, the relay contacts that are suppose to be made aren't.... hence why your shorting makes a "better" connection. You can either measure them to see if they are shorted when operated or you can measure 12 volts on one side and then you should see 12 volts on the other when they operate. That 12 volts you should now see and "follow" to the solenoid on the starter and you should measure it there..... follow the wiring as best as possible and color codes.

The strange part about this is that your starter should have "turned over" once you shorted the relay IF the solenoid on the starter is good (they checked this) and of course, there is enough voltage (and current) going to the starter motor to cause this to happen ... cable and / or connection. Not sure what else to add at this point but maybe your checks will point to something.

 

[93xltnewb]

my neighbour and i checked the volts on the wires and according to him they were all good.. the guy was baffled as well
ive replaced the fender relay with a new one starter is new as well..
so im thinking its gotta be a bad ground or wire...
my problem is i dont have a clue on how to replace these things and not sure how difficult it would be... im very limited skillswise but i learn quickly..
the wires connecting to the battery will probably need replacing.

 

[budwich]

being as you are up here, rust is your enemy and grounds can be their target. I am certainly out of ideas without actually being there. check your ground between your engine block and battery / frame at both ends / points. Good luck... i hate electricity...:-(

 

[93xltnewb]

budwich...
locations brother..
where abouts am i looking for the culprit..
where on the frame is the ground usually connected?
sorry dude im a noob like i said

 

[budwich]

I only have limited Ford experience (less than 6 month with my ex.... almost trouble free....knock on wood) so I am somewhat "idealess" other than schematics that I have. Basically, the main ground from the battery usually runs to a bolt on the engine block somewhere.... I think. There are usually other grounds from the frame (above wheel wells in the engine compartment) to the battery... on S10 GM there was a lighter gauge wire running from the battery negative to the closest wheel well.

Note: I am still at a loss as to your "tracing" to date in terms of what you have found, things don't totally jive.... basically, the starter system is very simple so you just have to follow wires and cables as best you can checking continuity (ie. no resistance) and voltages (ie. at proprer levels).

Actually, I go back to your first statement "you boosted it already and it still didn't start". What were the symptoms during the boost. Did the starter click... was it the relay or the solenoid? It is possible your battery is too low.... maybe??