White_limo

1994 5.8L XLT Automatic

Yesterday about half an hour after getting back from work I hopped in my truck to go get some food and it would not start. I have

• Jumped it. No change
• Trickle charged
• Multimeter reads 12.3V on battery
• Checked voltage to solenoid. It's getting juice
• changed solenoid anyway since it's cheap
• Cleaned terminals
• Checked grounds to fender and motor. No bumps in wire. No obvious corrosion
• checked fuses
• tried turning the key with headlights on to see if they dim at all, they didn't.
• Hit starter with hammer. Then hit it again...then again.

None of these things caused any change whatsoever in the behavior. It still lights up everything just fine, clicks once, and doesn't crank at all.

I'm 90 percent sure it's the starter since I had problems with it last winter that were fixed by hitting it with a hammer. However, that was within the same VERY COLD week and I haven't had any problems at all since.

I'm curious if there is anything else I should try since I really don't know what I'm doing and am learning as I go online. I've read there could also be issues with the ignition or neutral safety switch but I have no idea how to check those or if they are even an issue I should be considering in this situation. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

88xlt

Well, if it clicks once you are getting power to the solenoid on the fender. I assume that is where the click is coming from? Will it click once for every time you turn the key to start? If so the ignition switch is probably sending the signal to the fender mounted solenoid anyway.

You could bridge the two large terminals on the solenoid to bypass the ignition switch.

To bypass everything as far as controls bridge the large and the small terminals on the solenoid on top of the starter. Not so dangerous with an automatic transmission, but best done with a remote starter switch.

White_limo

Yes, it's clicking every time I attempt to start it. I do assume the they're is no problem with the fender mounted solenoid since it engages every time. I just tried bridging the two terminals on the fender solenoid but nothing happened. I assume it's supposed to click? There was the tiniest of sparks but that's about it.

88xlt

By bridging the two large terminals on the fender mounted solenoid, you are bypassing it so even if it was bad and everything else was good the engine would still crank over. Yes the fender mounted solenoid will usually click if it is working and getting power to it if something else is causing the engine not to crank over.

That leaves the small, about 10 or 12 gauge wire that runs between the fender mounted solenoid and the starter, or the starter itself. This is assuming all the large battery cables and their connections are good.

To eliminate that 10 or 12 gauge wire do as I said in the last paragraph under #2.

White_limo

Thanks a ton for this reply. I'm still a bit confused though. How is it that when turning the key the solenoid mounted on the fender will engage but it doesn't do anything when bridging the terminals? Is it because by bridging the terminals I'm running power from one terminal all the way through the wire to the starter and back to the other terminal on the fender mounted solenoid? If so, how does that differ from turning the key? Doesn't the power have to flow from the fender solenoid down to the starter either way?

88xlt

When you activate the fender mounted solenoid by hitting the key you engage a washer of sorts inside the solenoid, this washer bridges 2 contacts inside the solenoid, that is supposed to send the signal down to the starter also this washer hitting those 2 contacts makes the noise you hear.

Now when you manually bridge the 2 large posts on the solenoid you are bypassing the inside workings of the solenoid. Also by doing this you are providing a direct contact between the battery and the starter, thus eliminating any possibility that the solenoid is the reason for the starter not working.

Any more questions post back and i will try to answer them. Or anything I didn't make clear, ask again.

White_limo

That makes complete sense. I already knew how the internals of the solenoid worked but somehow I didn't make the connection that I'd be bypassing the internal mechanism by bridging the terminals. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I will attempt your previous advice on the starter tomorrow after since it's late here and I work in the morning. Do you know of any diagram, pictures, or video available that shows how to connect a remote starter switch to test the starter? All the the info I have found is anything but clear. Do I just run it from then positive terminal on the battery to the "s" terminal on the solenoid connected directly to the starter?

88xlt

Just go down to the starter. There will be a solenoid on top of the starter, different looking than the fender mounted solenoid. Simply connect one terminal of the remote starter switch on the large terminal that has the battery cable on it, connect the other terminal of the remote starter switch on the small terminal with the small wire coming to it. In this case it doesn't matter where you put the red or black colored connector, because when you hit the switch it just connects the two together. Give the connectors a good shake or twist to make sure they make good contact.

Now obviously feed the switch part up top of the truck and push the switch. If the starter doesn't work now and you're sure the cables and connections are good and the battery is charged, the next step would be remove the starter and have it tested. If you go to remove the starter don't forget to disconnect the negative battery cable first. Any more questions just ask.

White_limo

I will try this asap. Though I was under the impression that I was supposed to run one clamp from the positive terminal on the battery and the other to the small terminal on the solenoid on the starter. I assumed that way if the starter engaged I could assume it was a problem with the connection between the battery and the starter in the wiring. Is that something to check also or will that not work or diagnose anything?

EDIT: Just thought of another question to bombard you with. Hope you dont mind. I can't seem to find a remoter starter switch locally and I can't wait 3 days to have it shipped. I think I have a work around though... Could I just disconnect the battery, hook up a small jumper wire between the positive terminal and smaller terminal on the starter mounted solenoid, and then reconnect the battery with the key in the start position? That way I'm out of the way of any moving parts when the power goes to the starter. I assume it would work fine since the only thing I'm really doing here is bridging the terminals and this would do that.

Chris_1

iTrader: (1)

Or just make double sure it's in neutral and then just cross the connections with a little screwdriver. Safety glasses - it might spark at you a bit if you hit ground.