NEED HELP ASAP!!! Truck won't start! Trans safety switch?!

[Excell]

Hey guys, I have a problem. Let me describe to you what's happened thus far:

Last night I got in my truck and tried to start it. All it did was a loud click and all the dask lights were all on. When I turned the key the two 4wd lights and the ABS light would flash with the click.

The battery is good and the starter was just replaced.

Ok, so I pull the negative cable from the battery and bang on the starter relay and starter wires with a screwdriver. Reconnect the neg wire and get in the truck. Put the truck in Neutral and it started right up.

Now it's doing it again... won't start in Park or Neutral and the lights are all on and the two 4wd lights and ABS lights flas when I turn the key to start it. Just a loud click is all I hear.

It's a 1996 4.0l Control-Trac 4WD and the only mods I've done is a K&N replacement and the throttle ZIP-tie mod.

What the heck is going on! Help!

 

[Jason_25]

Sounds like one of the starter relays. The one on the starter or the one in the engine compartment.

 

[Excell]

There are two relays? Where is the one on the starter located? Is it internal?

Man I hope it's the one in the engine compartment.

 

[Positive Vibes]

How are the cables and connections? Any corrosion or frayed wires??

 

[Rydin Dirtay]

also check the starter cel.. however if the lights are coming on thats weird.. have you tried.. hmm bleh im at a loss for words. any other details?

 

[alphabets13]

sounds like same problem i had. it was the neutral safety switch on the tranny. it wasn't broke, just loose. i figured it out after i replaced the relay and solenoid. oh well, cheap fixes. good luck. i had my mechanic tighten it up for me.

 

[Excell]

RESOLVED!

I was another victim of corrosion.

The positive terminal on the starter relay, where there are two or three connections attached to it, had a layer of translucent corrosion on them. I did't see it last night because the light was dim. I guess when I retightened these connections last night I must have tightened it down hard enough to break through a little of this corrosion allowing the truck to start a few times.

Oh well, chalk this up to life experince!

FYI: Check these connections for corrosion before they get bad enough to get you stranded somewhere! :exp:

Thanks for all the help guys.