Well its only happened to me 3 times (currently stuck on the 3rd) but my 97 2wd would not start. First time i just hit it with the jumpers thinking i left a light on, fired up after getting just a bit of juice. Went to the shop and had my battery/alternator checked, shop guy also said starter sounded good. Second time was last night, tried the jumpers did not start, a friend of mine said that sometimes the fender solenoid freezes up and tap it with a mallet. Tried it and fired right up, so i went to the store and got a new solenoid to replace since the one looked old and used (245,000 miles on the truck). Went to take off today and same problem happened, so i replaced the solenoid (the one i got yesterday) and the truck still will not start. The starter is only 2 yrs old and still looks good, has no hard or long start delays when it would start. well any help would be nice, just tired of working outside in 9 degrees temps.

 

No fender solenoids with these models. You sure your in the correct forum? Hitting them with a mallet and that worked?

Yea the solenoid is on the firewall in these models. The starter solenoid relay anyway. I don't know what your checking and replacing but its not solenoid. I'm trying to think, - what's on the fender or fender-well ? Nothing electrical on the passenger side..drivers side yes.

 

yeah its on the firewall but listed as a "fender solenoid" .... i was stumped on that also. I have double checked the battery and getting 12.3-12.8v charge off it, loosened the battery terminals and cleaned them then tightened them back down double checking. then only thing left i can think off is replacing the starter which is setting over a nice area of ice.

was not really a hit more of little tap but it worked just enough to jiggle something in it i thought, but i am not sure how it worked just that it did, old school ford mechanics ftw.

 

Strange list for sure. The Fender Solenoid was pre-tenth generation. Tenth generation lists say "Starter Solenoid" For short. That's a bad short name, - full part name is "Starter Solenoid Relay". Not to confuse, but in short, they should call it what it and use the old short name, = Starter Relay. Besides, the actually starter solenoid piggybacks the starter. The one your referring to and again is the relay for the starter solenoid.
Pretty crazy huh, - who's ever renaming parts should get the axe and then some IMO. Problem with that is, they are correct in a confusing way. I know I didn't do it anyway lol.

Yea, for now , just test the relay. Turne the key to run and jump the relay w/large screw driver. Don't worry, it's safe as long the driver has a plastic handle. Truck should crank and run. That' an easy way to test the circuit.

If it cranks no start, then the problem is between the key and solenoid..usually, or as long as I'm full aware of what it's doing. If the truck cranks and starts (as it should testing this way), 9 out of 10 you have a bad battery or bad connection.

For 97/98 models, you have those damn MEGA fuses. The can be problematic at the connections. They can look good but cooper can oxidize in away we can't see very well.

I guess the major problems with these lye right at the starter motor connects, be it the large red wire that hooks up (look for corroison at the bend, - these also can corrode from the inside out, so look ) or that small red wire. Be careful with that small red one. Once you take a 10mm to it, the post may snap right off. So IF there's two nuts on that post like there should be, use two wrenches on it, so you don't snap it off.

Yep, it's cold laying on ice, a cold concrete floor isn't much better. At least you can slide around a bit easier on ice. I'm sure that comforts you right now. Could be worse, could be frozen lumpy gravel right! Man, that stuff smarts.

BTW - do you have a fairly decent mutli meter ? We'll give that bat a better load test if you do.