Starting Problems
 

I have a buddy who has a 1997Ford F150 Ext. Cab XLT 4.6 liter 4x4, who is having problems getting his truck to start. When he turns the key it clicks. He has replaced the solenoid on the fire wall. When he turns the key alll the lights go off execept his after market fog lights they come on. Him and another person start to take starter off by taking the wires off then puting them back. Then the truck started. Can the ground wire on the starter be grounding out the wrong way it was intended or something else. After the wires were put back on the starter and the truck started. He shut the truck off then it started doing it again. Even with charging, jumping the battery does not work. Can anyone help please?

try making sure all the points of contact on the starter (two bolts) are very clean as well as the ends of the connecting wires, the position of the starter is in a place that collects a lot of dirt and road depree, i used a good throttle body cleaner on mine to clean just the points of contact, as well on the back left side of the fire wall , right beside the heating tubes that go through the fire wall, is a flat metal ground wire point , make sure that is firmly secured as well

hope that helps, as well try starting it in neautral if it starts with out fail that way, its an issue with your gearshift settlement in the collum , a fairly easy fix

Thanks for the reply. I will have him check all those points. He did say when a friend of his removed the wires off the statrter in the process of starting to remove the starter thaen put the cables back on it started. Then he turned the truck off and try to start the truck again and it done the same thing it done that I explained.

No clue as to the fog lite thing, as to the lights going out during starter engagement, this could be just a low charged battery. Kind of a back yard trick I have used over the years to determine a starter issue versus a battery issue was to turn on the headlights and beep the horn while engaging the starter. If lites and horn quit, the battery is at fault. If the lites and horn remain on then its a starter issue.

thats a great little trick . i will try that next time i need to determine the same thing on a vehicle. Thanks for the heads up

Thanks for the rply. We will try that. I have not herd but does make since. The lights going off and fog lights coming on still occur if when the battery is being jumped. We will try that. Could it be that one of the wires, mayit be ground or hot, are bad and need replaced? Thanks everyone who replying.

The fog lite thing is beyond my experience, you need an electrical guy versed on these newer machines. I seriously doubt if its normal, on the other hand can't see why it would interupt the starter, if that is what it is doing.