Flasing dash lights and start troubles

Hey guys, can anyone steer in a direction to start with my dilema before I send my truck to the shop. A local shop changed the intake manifold gasket on Friday and it sat until Sunday when the truck would not start and acted funny when it did. I was not around when my wife tried to start the truck but another fella had to jumper the solenoid. While driving my wife noticed that the a/c fan kicked off and would eventually come back on and then off again. Also some indicating lights on the dash (parking brake and others) would flash individually. Now the truck will not start at all after a couple starts yesterday. When I got it started it started great. But I changed the solenoid last night (with a new one for a diesel, a little longer) and it still won't start. Also one time with the key in the off position and no one in the cab the interior and parking lights turned on for about 30 seconds. Does it sound like a bad ground? Could it have been from the shop taking stuff apart in the engine area and not putting it back on tight enough? Also I was able to get a reading on the solenoid and I was getting only 10.4V, is this to low for the solenoid? One time I had the key out and the dash lights were still faintly on until I moved the ignition back a little more and they went totally out. Could my ignition switch be going? Where should I start?

Bob

I'd start with the ignition switch. I just replaced mine for doing the same thing.

You might start by cleaning the cables to the battery. My truck had similar problems and even though the cables felt tight, they weren't making good contact. On mine there is a double cable on the plus side that needed to be cleaned between the tabs.
Also be sure you buy a good 6 point box wrench for the battery posts. They are easy to round off. My only 6 point was a tiny wrench so I went to the auto parts and bought a wrench made for this exact purpose.

Bob B

I brought it in the shop and it ends up it is the starter and the ignition switch. I was worried about the shop chasing electrical problems for a week. What confused me was that two problems arising at the same time and I was thinking of one complicated problem. Also the fact that another guy jumpered the solenoid and got it going. Looking back I think that he got one of the last kicks out of that starter, just a coincidence that it happened when he was jumpering the solenoid. Now the shop put a new starter in and recommended that I get a new ignition switch, very soon. Is it tough to change the ignition switch? Any special tools?

Bob

Exactly what kind of truck is it? I just did mine on my 97(replaced the starter too) and the trickiest part to me was not breaking the plastic tab that turns the switch from the key. it's located right behind the switch itself. pull it straight out. I didn't use any special tools.