Jump to content
Bullnose Forums

Starting issues


Recommended Posts

Before I ask my question, I've been through this forum and several others and have followed the steps to figure out the issue. My 1985 Bronco with a 351W won't start or crank. I've replaced the starter, battery, solenoid, battery cables and starter cable. Still have no start or crank. I've double checked the wiring diagram to make sure everything is properly hooked up, and all is good with that part. Battery is charged. When I turn the key, I get nothing. No click or anything. Is there something I have possibly missed? Any help would be appreciated.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Take a screw driver, remove the small wire off of the starter relay. Jump it with the screwdriver from the batt stud to the small stud and see if the engine spins over. if it does then you can move on to the nutral safety switch. or the ignition switch or fuesable links.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you certain the starter cable (and ONLY the starter cable) is connected to the rear lug of the relay?

All the other cables with an eyelet connect with the positive battery cable to the forward stud.

Those smaller wires with a rubber lug are fusible links.

But it's very unlikely that all of them would fail at once.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you have power other than starting, i.e. lights, dash, radio?

Yes, the lights and power windows work. The truck doesn't have a radio. I tried to jump it with a screwdriver and still nothing. Nuetral safety switch was replaced when the transmission was rebuilt in February, but I suppose it could have gone bad. And yes, all of the connections are properly made on the starter relay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, the lights and power windows work. The truck doesn't have a radio. I tried to jump it with a screwdriver and still nothing. Nuetral safety switch was replaced when the transmission was rebuilt in February, but I suppose it could have gone bad. And yes, all of the connections are properly made on the starter relay.

If you can't jump it with a screwdriver there isn't much left.

Can you get the relay to click?

Either the ground from the block to battery is disconnected or the starter is dead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, the lights and power windows work. The truck doesn't have a radio. I tried to jump it with a screwdriver and still nothing. Nuetral safety switch was replaced when the transmission was rebuilt in February, but I suppose it could have gone bad. And yes, all of the connections are properly made on the starter relay.

When you jumped the starter relay on the fender with the screw driver, did it make a clunking noise? If not the relay( even tho it is new) may be bad. Take a pair of jumper cables and ground the ground side of the battery to the engine block and hook up the hot lead to the pos side of the battery and touch it to the starter side of the relay(cable that goes to the starter). If the starter turns, the relay is bad. If that doesent work, take the hot lead( pos cable) and touch it to the stud on the starter that the cable from the relay is bolted to. if the starter turns, it is good and the cable from the relay may be bad. As an after thought, try hooking up the jumper cable to the Neg post on the battery to a good ground on the engine and try the key. If it spins over, you have a bad ground cable from the battery to the engine.

All of the above is by passing the ignition switch and the nuteral safety switch except the ground cable part of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you jumped the starter relay on the fender with the screw driver, did it make a clunking noise? If not the relay( even tho it is new) may be bad. Take a pair of jumper cables and ground the ground side of the battery to the engine block and hook up the hot lead to the pos side of the battery and touch it to the starter side of the relay(cable that goes to the starter). If the starter turns, the relay is bad. If that doesent work, take the hot lead( pos cable) and touch it to the stud on the starter that the cable from the relay is bolted to. if the starter turns, it is good and the cable from the relay may be bad. As an after thought, try hooking up the jumper cable to the Neg post on the battery to a good ground on the engine and try the key. If it spins over, you have a bad ground cable from the battery to the engine.

All of the above is by passing the ignition switch and the nuteral safety switch except the ground cable part of it.

You don't need jumper cables.

You can use a wrench with a big enough head to pass over the divider or you can simply remove the starter cable and touch it to the hot side stud.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you jumped the starter relay on the fender with the screw driver, did it make a clunking noise? If not the relay( even tho it is new) may be bad. Take a pair of jumper cables and ground the ground side of the battery to the engine block and hook up the hot lead to the pos side of the battery and touch it to the starter side of the relay(cable that goes to the starter). If the starter turns, the relay is bad. If that doesent work, take the hot lead( pos cable) and touch it to the stud on the starter that the cable from the relay is bolted to. if the starter turns, it is good and the cable from the relay may be bad. As an after thought, try hooking up the jumper cable to the Neg post on the battery to a good ground on the engine and try the key. If it spins over, you have a bad ground cable from the battery to the engine.

All of the above is by passing the ignition switch and the nuteral safety switch except the ground cable part of it.

There was no "clunk" when I jumped the relay with the screwdriver. While taking the relay off in anticipation of replacing it, I noticed that the two wires that have the fuseable links attached, were "arced" together at the eyelet. I'm not sure how that happened, but it did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was no "clunk" when I jumped the relay with the screwdriver. While taking the relay off in anticipation of replacing it, I noticed that the two wires that have the fuseable links attached, were "arced" together at the eyelet. I'm not sure how that happened, but it did.

Was the battery cable on top of them or beneath them?

Have you tried touching the battery cable to the starter cable on the other stud?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...