# Problems starting Ford F-250



## drivewaydoctor (Nov 26, 2008)

Hey guys,

Its a 1996 Ford F-250 Heavy Duty 5.9

Every now and then when I turn the key nothing happens. I jumped the starter solenoid and it starts right up. So I went out and bought a new solenoid and same problem. Every so often I need to jump the solenoid.

Any ideas?


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## scooled101 (Nov 19, 2008)

sounds like the ignition switch on the column to me


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## djagusch (Oct 15, 2007)

Check the voltage that turns the solenoid on. If you have no voltage or low voltage you know its something from the solenoid to the switch. See if the voltage from the switch is correct. If it is then the wire is bad in between the two points. If there is not voltage try replacing the switch.


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## Milwaukee (Dec 28, 2007)

could be ignition switch where you put key in are broke inside.

or check wire under starter? I think it red wire around 14 gauge. you should see. 

same problem with 94 F250 5.0L so we use hammer to 2 post on solenoid to start engine.


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## ahoron (Jan 22, 2007)

Girlfriend had same problem with 98 explorer turned out to be the battery. Don't ask me why made no sense to me either


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## drivewaydoctor (Nov 26, 2008)

Battery is brand new ahoron.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm thinking wire from ignition to solenoid too. Maybe I'll just keep using the old hammer trick until I can get time to pull the ignition out.


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## KGRlandscapeing (May 2, 2007)

Its a bad ground


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## MAR4CARS (Oct 6, 2005)

Automatic or standard trans? check ignition switch and also neutral safety switch if its a/t or switch at clutch pedal if its m/t. ive seen things as simple as a floor mat not allowing the clutch to go all the way down to let the safety switch close.


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## tawilson (Nov 21, 2003)

My '06 did the same thing last Friday and Saturday morning when it was below 0F. I could hear the solenoid clicking. A little heat from a salamander and it started up. I took it to the dealer and it worked fine for them, even with the --20F this morning. I'm thinking some moisture in the starter which finally dried out. Just wild guessing. I'm sure it won't start tomorrow morning now that I have the truck back in my yard.

Oops, just reread the OP and see he had nothing, no solenoid click, can't be same thing.


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

I had the same problem with my 89. I replaced the fender mounted solenoid and thought it was fixed. Two weeks later it did it again. Checked all the connections then looked at the starter. Humm it's missing something. The little sheet metal cover over the lever that engages the stater pinion was gone. It rusted away, the space was full of dirt and gravel. How it still worked I don't know. The part store guy was amazed.


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## drivewaydoctor (Nov 26, 2008)

More great advice, thanks guys! It's an automatic transmission. I don't think it could be the starter because when jumping the solenoid it starts right up no problem. I'm going to try and get a chance tomorrow to check some of the wires out if I get time before we have to go out and plow.


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## Mebes (Feb 7, 2004)

It is not the starter if jumping the solenoid works.

Next time this happens shift into neutral and try again.
Or just jiggle the shifter around in the park position while holding the key in the crank position.
I'm thinking neutral/park safety switch as MAR4CARS suggested.

S


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

When it does it again shift in to neutrel and try it. If it works the park switch may be bad. Or need adjusted. If it is the old shifter with rods and levers you need to spray all the stuff with fluid film or PB blaster and work it thru its positions. Then adjust it.


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## REAPER (Nov 23, 2004)

This is the exact reason why I hate fords. This problem dates back to their cars from the early 70's. 
Had the same trouble on a 71 Rustang I had. This one also melted the wiring harness all the way from the alternator to the ignition switch.
Same problem on a 74 Rustang fastback. Freaking was the year they had both metric and SAE nuts and bolts and ya never knew what was where. 
Same problem on a 83 Bronco. Good plow truck but full of problems engine wise.
I have also seen numerous people over the years with the same problem.


Does that year still have the brain box on em? Thats what use to go bad often back then. Double tighten the battery posts. Clean all the grounds you can. Check the NSS at the trans. Replace the ignition switch. But above all carry a nice wood handle old screw driver to jump that solenoid because that is what ya gonna do till ya sell it now.


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## dellwas (Oct 16, 2005)

Check the ford truck forums:

www.ford-trucks.com

www.dieselstop.com

It's a common problem if memory serves me right. There are a couple of wires that run along the steering column that can chafe through. In any case search the two above forums and I'm sure you'll get lots of hits.



drivewaydoctor;718261 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> Its a 1996 Ford F-250 Heavy Duty 5.9
> 
> ...


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## strube (Jan 14, 2009)

had the same problem with the solenoid on my plow a couple days ago ended up being a bad connection


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## ALC-GregH (Nov 26, 2008)

sounds like a NSS is going bad or out of adjustment. Have you tried wiggling the shifter when starting the truck?


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## davespark (Jan 3, 2007)

*Another option...*

...Same thing happened on my old Chevy Astro, so I added a momentary switch below the steering colum...it provides a parallel 12 volts to the solenoid...just bypass the ignition switch path. The ignition switch still needs to be in run obviously...

-d


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## tc21 (Feb 24, 2007)

Those older fords are notoious for the ignition switch wearing out.


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## Randy26933 (Jan 14, 2009)

The genius that I bought my 86 250 Diesel (automatic) from ripped the wires from the Neutral Start Switch, so he ran a cob job to start the truck. He ran one wire from the hot side of the solenoid into the cab where he put a push button switch. Then he ran a wire from that switch to the other side of the solenoid.

Turn the key to set the glow plugs and then push the cob job switch.

Great idea. Except for the fact that if the truck happened to have slipped into gear, you were off to the races.

When rebuilding this truck I took out a few other cob jobs. I find that its usually cheaper and less aggravation to just fix things correctly the first time.


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

That was my evil cousin _" JuryRig1 _" at work. Rather then spend a little money and do it right. He goes to the trouble of rewiring and adding complex procedures to do a simple task! Could also be the little adjuster on the transmission linkage is rust welded. Without the ability to get the bolt loose ( most times it's rusted beyond getting loose ) When you can't get it loose you can't adjust the park switch or replace it. And of course that piece is no longer available!


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## Randy26933 (Jan 14, 2009)

*Rust? On a Ford?*

The actual cause of the NSS switch not allowing the truck to start, was the fact that the cab mounts had rusted and the cab was settling on to the frame rails.

This threw the geometry of the shifting linkage off. The NSS thought the truck was in gear.

Rather than cure the disease some people make a lifetime of curing the symptoms.


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## davespark (Jan 3, 2007)

*one way to look at it..*

...is as a cob-job... but in my case i look at it different. i had a solenoid problem, so I replaced the starter AND added the "cob-job" parallel switch. The switch doesn't solve any problem, but it provides insurance should ANY of the signals involved with getting 12 volts to the solonoid fail. I look at it as insurance. Of course, i carry tools and other parts as well...

-dave


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## Randy26933 (Jan 14, 2009)

*Point Taken.*

We have all done things to limp home or to a place of repair. Using the solenoid jumper as a back up or fail safe is one thing. My genius was using it as his primary. Safety is the main reason the switch was originally installed.

Of course my New Holland dealer is fond of saying that the first thing a farmer does when he takes home a new $80,000.00 piece of machinery is take off or defeat $10,000.00 worth of federally mandated safety equipment


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## Luke_P (Sep 16, 2008)

that year of truck is notorious for ign swithces, done a couple myself. as mentioned before nextime it wont start pull the signal wire from the solinoid and put a multi meter on have wife turn key, no power you know where it is. Cheaper fix on a truck that old "may" be to pull a column from a wrecked truck may work for ten years may work for a day. ealy 90's gm stuff was even worse. grandprixes where horrible, freind had a standard one that kept getting a dead battery, when he parked he parked real tight to another car(small drive) and left in gear. eventually noticed car touching other car and gravel turned up. Damn ign was shorting and rolling the starter which pushed it into the other car and turned the tires untill the battery died, gotta love it


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