I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.
My stock '01 F-250 has full electrical, but will not start. After waiting for the WTS light to go out I turn the last little bit to engage the starter and absolutely nothing happens.

I jumped the gun in my trouble shooting and replaced the starter (stupid, I know) and it worked for a day, but now it's doing it again (turn key: silence). I've looked around and I think it's my starter relay, but I can't find anything that tells me where the relay is, or how to test it.

My other thought was that it was the ignition switch itself. Because this is an intermittent issue and I don't want to wait for the other shoe to drop I may just replace both the relay and the switch. So far I've been lucky that it only strands me at home, but if I keep pushing my luck I might not be so fortunate next time.

If someone could tell me where the starter relay is, how to test it, and give a recommendation on a replacement unit I would really appreciate it.

 

Starter relay should be on the passenger side fender... Try jumping it with a screwdriver across the two big lugs... If that works, replace it. If not, make sure your wiring on the starter is correct.

 

Thanks for the pointer. I'm sure the starter is wired up properly because it worked OK for a day after hooking it up.

 

check your wires where they come off your fender mounted relay down to the frame, ive seen chafed wires alot on those trucks

 

I'll check those wires. Right now I'm thinking that it's the Park/Neutral cutoff switch. I was staring at my dash while trying to visualize the starting sequence and realized that while the truck was in park the indicator needle was at the very far right of the "P". Pushed the gear change lever over to left and the truck started no issues at all.

Now I just have to wait for it to happen again and see if the truck will start in Neutral. If it does then it's that sensor switch and/or the gear shift lever alignment. If that doesn't work, then I know it's either an intermittent failure of something in the ignition switch/starter path.

Intermittent problems are a PITA

P.S. does anyone have a good wiring diagram for the starting system?

 

Update:

This issue ended up being the Park/Neutral indicator not being aligned with the starter cut out switch. If the indicator needle wasn't squarely over the "P" the switch wouldn't trigger and the starter would never receive the signal from the ignition key turning.

 

You can adjust that with the steering column wrap removed, or maybe it was the dash... Its been a while but there is an adjustment wheel there.

 

The adjustment wheel is accessible when you remove the fuse panel.

 

2001 F250 7.3 Diesel
Same situation: No power to the starter
Replaced:
- Ignition switch (key)
- Ignition control module
- Neutral safety switch
- solenoid
- starter

Have power to the solenoid, have direct jumped from the solenoid to the starter still no luck. Thinking fuseable links somewhere, but direct jump to the starter should have bypassed that. Checked/ replaced fuse 20 in dash panel and swapped out relays.

Know of known issues with shorts between dash fuse and solenoid, but getting power to the solenoid, weird bugger.

any ideas guys!

 

same issue, we replaced the starter and now it turns over won't start, and the relay replaced and continues very fast clicking when key is on. any suggestion? thanks for the help.