98 F150 occasionally won't start

jaldrete · #1 10-17-2005, 09:56 AM

My '98 F150 ocassionally wont start. This has happened 2 times in the last 3 weeks. I will drive somewhere stop the truck and come back out in 30 min or so. When I turn the key the only thing I hear is the fuel pump turn on and off when fuel pressure has been reached.
The first time I waited 6 hours and it started right up. The second time I waited 4 hours and again it started right up.

Anyone ever experience this behavior?

yotermanic · #2 10-17-2005, 10:35 AM

Are a bunch of electrical type issues showing up when it doesn't start? My roomate's truck did the same thing and almost left us standed in BFE Kansas. I noticed some gauge issues and light issues when the problem occured, took it to work the following Monday and slapped a GEM module in it and haven't had a problem since. The tech hotline said a GEM module would not cause that concern but it fixed it anyhow. Good luck with it.

~manuel~ · #3 10-18-2005, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaldrete

My '98 F150 ocassionally wont start. This has happened 2 times in the last 3 weeks. I will drive somewhere stop the truck and come back out in 30 min or so. When I turn the key the only thing I hear is the fuel pump turn on and off when fuel pressure has been reached.
The first time I waited 6 hours and it started right up. The second time I waited 4 hours and again it started right up.

Anyone ever experience this behavior?

is this a "no crank no start" or "crank no start" condition?

jaldrete · #4 10-18-2005, 05:58 PM

Won't crank all electrical looks good. As if solenoid not getting power.

When I turn the key the only thing I hear is the fuel pump starting and shutting off once fuel pressure is reached. No solenoid click,nothing.

Everytime this has happened I am away from home without my tools and multimeter. If I wait 3 hours it cranks fine and then OK for 3 weeks or so

peppermrj · #5 10-18-2005, 06:08 PM

Clutch switch or neutral safety switch. Try neutral and wiggle the shifter.

peppermrj · #6 10-18-2005, 06:18 PM

The 2 no crank no starts that happened to my 98 were both at the starter. The end of the battery cable had broken off. The next time the exposed wires going from the solenoid to the starter had just disintegrated.

~manuel~ · #7 10-18-2005, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaldrete

Won't crank all electrical looks good. As if solenoid not getting power.

When I turn the key the only thing I hear is the fuel pump starting and shutting off once fuel pressure is reached. No solenoid click,nothing.

Everytime this has happened I am away from home without my tools and multimeter. If I wait 3 hours it cranks fine and then OK for 3 weeks or so

check to see if it cranks in neutral if its an auto.if it does then the PRNDL switch may be bad.if the solenoid doesnt even click i would suspect the fender mounted relay(if it is equiped with one)is intermittently sticking, as i have seen a few of those go bad on fords.if its a stick shift then another possibility is a neautral safety switch.and as peppermrj replied the starter itself can be defective.good luck

jaldrete · #8 10-20-2005, 10:12 AM

Utomatic. Won't crank in park or neutral. Where is the fender mounted relay? Right or left side?

jaldrete · #9 10-20-2005, 10:13 AM

Automatic that is.

peppermrj · #10 10-20-2005, 02:12 PM

Should be on the firewall. Just follw the positive battery cable. When this happens you need to check for power at the starter with either a voltmeter or a simple 12 volt test light. If you have power it is the starter. If not follow the wire back till you find power and the problem.

sjtapout · #11 10-28-2005, 11:27 AM

I just got a 1999 f350 and this happened to me. It would start then if I turned it off and then tried to start it again nothing would happen. I thought it was a problem with the alarm because the alarm light would flash. So I opened the hood and found a wire being held by a screw in the back of the engine compartment on the driver side and it was loose so I tightened it and have never had the poblem again.

jaldrete · #12 10-30-2005, 06:05 AM

Happened again. No power to starter relay so it will not energize. My guess is there might be a problem with the starter interupt relay. Where can I find this relay? Also where is the RAP located?
I can get the truck started by jumping battery 12v to starter relay thus energizing relay and providing voltage to starter.

fordin K · #13 10-30-2005, 10:12 AM

verify where you have power to. and find out if any circuits with "hot in START " only circuit s are also affected. could be a starter switch problem. you may have to trace that circuit to see it is sending to starter relay circuit.

jaldrete · #14 10-30-2005, 11:17 AM

This only happens once in a while looks like every three weeks or so. Hard to trouble shoot day to day. I do need to know where the RAP module is located. I think I know where the starter Interupt relay is. Assume to be under dash Relay #4.

unclebubbles · #15 10-30-2005, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaldrete

Happened again. No power to starter relay so it will not energize. My guess is there might be a problem with the starter interupt relay. Where can I find this relay? Also where is the RAP located?
I can get the truck started by jumping battery 12v to starter relay thus energizing relay and providing voltage to starter.

Sounds like you`ve exhausted most of the possibilities, but here are a few more to try. If you can jump the relay and start it , the starters ok Youre problem could be in the ignition switch itself. To check, take the plastic cover off from under the steering column, so you can access the switch. Remove the gray plastic cover from the switch harness connector. Look for red wire with lt. blue tracer, it may be white/pink. It will be located just above and to the right of the screw that secures the connector to the switch. Its a small wire, 16 ga. i think. Backprobe this wire, with a test light, at the connector. I dont like to poke holes in wires, but thats up to you. Now turn the key to the start position. The light should light, this is the wire that energizes the relay. Since this is an intermittent problem, you need to do this when its having a no start fit. If the light lights, the problem is likely the neutral saftey switch. Test it in the same manner, the wires are usually the same color code all the way to the relay. If the light does not light the problem is the switch, OR , the actuator mechanism that operates the switch. You can take the switch loose, and operate it manuallu to check this. The contacts in the switch could be burnt causing the intermittent problem.
Didnt mean to write a book here, but i guess you could on this particular problem. Hope some of this helps, good luck
Later
Ed

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