I am not really a newbie but I feel like one now. I've had this 1991 pickup for a good number of years and have done a good amount of work on it but today I can't even get it started. Overall the truck is in good condition but in this last year I haven't really driven it and it has been sitting in the driveway. It was running great when I parked it. Now after charging the battery (and even jumping it from my car), I get all the lights and accessories, I hear relays click but get nothing from the starter at all. A few years ago it would do something similar once in a great while and I did the typical troubleshooting with that, not finding anything conclusive but ending up putting in a new starter and checking and replacing some of the grounds. After that it always started and I did not have the problem again --until I tried to start it last week.

I went over everything I had done before and it still looked fine. I even sprayed a little Lectro-Motive on the starter and solenoid and gave it a little tap with a piece of wood in case it was sticky from sitting. One thing I had not tested properly before was the ignition switch itself. It didn't seem likely to have gone completely bad through disuse but when I tested it, I did find it that it was indeed not good according to continuity test chart in the service manual. Surprised but somewhat relieved I got a new switch and installed it this morning. It still did the same thing. Lights, accessories, relays but no solenoid or starter - even when jumped.

Everything was fine when I parked it last summer. Has anyone had a similar situation (that turned out well?) Any good troubleshooting suggestions in case I have overlooked something?

 

I had something along these lines the solenoid just needed new contacts and plunger .

Could very well be Giant Spiders ate through the neutral switch wiring

Like yours there were no problems when I started it last .

I even went so far as pulling the plugs thinking it might have seized fast from sitting .

Plugs out I can turn it with one hand.

One never knows things happen

 

Thanks for the response. The wires to the neutral safety switch were the other thing I did not check thoroughly. I will probably do that next when it is not 100 degrees.

 

As wyoming indicated , there are tests you can do to narrow down the source of the problem. If you search the forum for "starter clicks" or "no start" threads you can find some good info for troubling shooting methods. As for where you are at this point, you can fab up a 32" long 12 gauge wire with a female spade terminal on one end to manually trigger your starter solenoid. The most common thing that is over looked are battery cables and connections. I'm a fan of upgrading to larger, high quality battery cables if you are still using the original ones. https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f131...flames-294216/

 

I'm just about there. The old battery cables still tested good and but while I was working on this I replaced them too. When I tap the switch terminal on the positive post the truck starts right up so I know the big stuff is fine. When I test the switch wire down at the starter I get continuity to the ground, so that is shorted somewhere and I have the problem narrowed down.

Right now I am looking at the 8-wire ignition switch connector and thinking about running a new wire from the starter up to it. I have a wiring diagram but don't have a good handle on how it relates to these actual wire and the colors. Am I right in thinking that one of these goes to the starter? Since it is shorted out I cannot figure it out that way. Am I also right in thinking that this wire also goes through the neutral safety switch on its way here? (Or is that one of the other wires?) I believe I should be looking for #6 but the connector is not numbered. -- Also, can I check the neutral safety switch from here?

 

There have been many other things to do but this afternoon I get to work on my truck again. I am really close now. Thank you for the responses so far.

I ran a wire from the starter up to the starter switch and I found a color key to the connector there. The starter wire should be black/white or black there.
With the ignition switch on, I can tap the white/red constant 12v with the new starter wire and start the engine easily and it runs fine. But - when I connect the new starter wire to the connector the starter does not click. Everything else lights up and I can hear relays click. The starter wire from the switch is not getting power. The switch is brand new.

I don't have a wiring diagram that is as detailed as I would like. Could someone point me to one? I have the 1993 service manual but don't see it there. Is the neutral safety switch in the circuit between the power and the starter wire at the switch? It does not seem to be between the switch and the starter.

 

I know more things with certainty than I did but there is still a bit of mystery keeping me from getting this solved.
The ignition/starter switch is brand new. The connector in the picture connects to it.

Building on things I know:

1. Both white and white/red wires have good 12v power

2. Black wire on right with the broken crimp goes to starter. Both the original wire that should continue from there and a fresh one I ran,
both will start the engine easily when 12v is tapped to it. If the neutral safety switch is in the circuit between here and the starter,
it is working properly.

3. When I test the new switch with a continuity tester I would expect to get continuity between one of the power wires (I tested both) and the starter
wire when the switch is in the "Start" position -- but I do not. Either this new switch is defective in exactly the same way that
the 25 year old one it replaced was or there is something I do not understand. I do get power continuity as I would expect in the "On"
postition to the ignition and accessory wires.

4. I am pretty sure of this:
White and White/Red -- power
Black/Red and Black/Yellow -- ignition
Blue/Red -- accessory
Black -- starter
Small Blue/Yellow and Whitish/Red -- ? I never get power to these. What are they for?

I know the simplest solution is just to add a momentary push-button starter switch, but I was hoping for a more proper repair.

 

Really this time. The problem is not electrical or with any of the parts I have replaced. The problem is almost certainly in the steering column lock. The key turns the switch on but does not turn far enough to get to the Start position. When I turn the electrical part of the switch with a screwdriver when it is not attached to the mechanical part it starts the truck fine. When everything is assembled the steering column is locked in the On position and unlocked in the Lock position. Something is not right.
It seems simple enough to assemble it differently but when I put it together with the lock shaft turned 180 the switch turns far enough to hit the Start position but does not turn back to the Lock position so the key can be removed. I've tried wiggling and tapping everything and rotating the shaft both ways. Nothing looks bent or worn excessively. The key is fairly new and the tumbler turns easily. It is an automatic with column shift. I've wiggled that interlock too. The problem seems to be in the column lock. Does this make sense? Has anyone had similar issues?

 

Solved. All along it looks like the cause of the problem was the steering column lock and column shifter interlock being sticky and not allowing the key tumbler turn quite far enough to get to the start position contact. I removed the column lock, cleaned it with WD40 and then lubricated it with white lithium spray. When assembled the same way it was, it now works nicely. The truck starts nicely and locks as it should.

I hardly ever regret putting new parts into an old vehicle and am glad this truck has a new starter, ignition switch and battery cables. Next time though the time required to correctly diagnose a similar problem will be shorter as I will know one more thing to check more thoroughly. Hopefully this thread will help someone else in the future too.