I have a 1987 F-150 xlt 4x4 that I a couple of weeks ago. The guy that had the truck before me said the ignition switch went bad and just hot wired a starter button under the dash.

What he did was run a wire from the + side of the battery and the solenoid on the firewall to the push button he mounted under the dash. This works fine, but the truck will start in gear if the key is in the run position.

Well, today I replace the ignition switch and the truck would still not turn over to start. Could I have a wire broken down from the ignition switch to the solenoid? Or where should I start looking for the cause of the problem

Thanks in advance for any help!!

 

is the starter solienoid bad cause it sound like he bypassed it if he ran a wire from the battery to the push button to the starter sounds like he bypassed it now there is a wire that goes to the solienoid its usally push on sometimes it has a nut on it its the smaller wire have someone turn the key to start and you put a meter on it to see if it gives power if it does replace the solieniod if it doesnt have power than check to make sure your getting power to the ignition switch but sounds like the solieniod more then the ignition switch why he did that is beyond me its like 20 dollars for the solieniod it prob cost more for the switch

if you could if you dont understand post a pic cause it might be just wired wrong but check to see if there is power going to that line when you try and turn the key to the starter position

 

Here is what the did. He took one wire and ran from the + side of the battery to push button switch, then he took another wire and ran it from the same push button switch to the starter solenoid mounted on the fender, which in turn bypassed the ignition switch.

I replaced the ingition switch thinking it was bad and found that not to be the problem. So, I am back where I started with this problem.

Let me know what you need pic's of and I will get them.

 

need pictures of the solenoid, the starter and the battery, and possibly the ignition switch and the push button

 

Sounds like the original owner bypassed the neutral safety switch or the clutch switch depending on transmission. Find and fix.

 

He did bypass the neutral safety switch, which is why I am trying to find out why it will not start with the key switch. The way he has it wired up the truck will start with the automatic trans in gear.

All my solenoids have check out to be OK. The only other thing I can think it could be is the rod in the column.

 

Is the neutral switch working? Check with an ohm meter, should have continuity only in park and neutral.

 

I don't know if it is or not. I assumed it was because every once in a while I can turn the key switch and the truck will start (about 1 out of 50 trys).

I will check it out before I start taking the column apart.

 

I will try to post these pic's today!

 

Even a bad nuetral saftey switch will work sometimes... Have you tried to start it in nuetral?? sometimes only one point will go out on the switch.. most the time being park because its used most.. but nuetral may still work...

I had a Neon that the Nuetral switch went out on.. it wouldnt start in park most the time.. but i could put it in nuetral and start in everytime...