Bronco will not start

[GKM007]

I've started my new Bronco about 5 times since I bought it on Saturday. Started it this afternoon washed it, then went to start it to move it, nothing. No click at all. Check battery its fine.



Book said to unplug red with blue stripe from main relay and connect it to battery. Now it turns over but wont start and smells really gassy, prob flooded.



Book gives thing to check as neutral safety switch and ignition switch. Ignition switch works tho it seems as it will turn the motor over when jumped. Got underneath and the neutral safety is plugged in and looks like it could be newer?



Help, it has to be something easy I'm missing. Its driving me mad that it has started fine and now an hour later she is dead.



Its a 84 Bronco 2.8 C5 if this will help you guys troubleshoot.

 

[Spott]

Are you getting a bright strong spark? It sounds like you've got fuel.

 

[GKM007]

I have not checked for spark yet as I should be able to start it with out having the main relay jumpered. That at the moment is my main concern.

 

[Spott]

There are a few different parts to the ignition switch. Perhaps the "Start" portion of the switch has failed, but the "Run" portion remains good.

Or, the NSS may have failed, despite its appearance.

You'll have to test them to be sure; merely guessing and hoping doesn't provide answers.

Do you have a test meter, or even a test light?

 

[GKM007]

Yeah I have a test meter.

My thoughts on the ignition switch though if it is jumpered it will turn over with the key. Take off the jumper and it will not. If the switch was bad would it turn over at all?

I am trying to find my wiring guide in the book I have but cannot find it yet. Trying to figure out where the Red w/ Blue stripe goes.

 

[Spott]

Wait... where are you running a jumper from and to, and how does the key affect that? Let me know all the connections and disconnections you've made.

If you're running a jumper from the + battery terminal to the large lug on the solenoid (relay), and that permits it to crank normally when the key is turned, then you have a bad or loose battery cable or clamp.

The red/blue wire should supply 12v to the slim lug on the relay, when the key is turned and the clutch/transmission is pushed in/in park.

Let me get home this evening, and I'll look up the wiring diagrams for your truck, to make sure I'm not mistaken, and help you troubleshoot your problem. It'll be 5 hours or so.

 

[GKM007]

Main relay just aft of the battery / The 84 Ford Shop truck manual I have said to disconnect the red with blue stripe on the main relay post and jump a wire from the post to the positive on battery. Once I do that and turn the key to start the starter fires up. Not sure if disconnecting the red/blue caused me to have a no start but it would not fire. I did not do much after that as it was 10pm and did want to be that jerk neighbor cranking on my motor.

Once I connected the red/blue back to post and turn the key nothing again.

I will have to check my cables again but when I looked at them they were tight looking / also the cable on the starter itself was tight. But worth another look

 

[Spott]

If that red/blue wire is really fat, like over 1/4 inch, then that's your main + battery cable, and there's something wrong with it (or the connectors).

If there are other wires hooked to that wire, then they're not getting enough power, either, to run everything else in the truck .

 

[Spott]

Try hooking that red/blue wire back up to the relay, and connecting a jumper to the same post as well. Then try starting the truck.

 

[GKM007]

Definitely will try that when I get home from work... Hard to concentrate today all I can think about is this issue lol.

I'll be home at about 7pm Pacific time

 

[GKM007]

So truck starts, although really really hard to get it going. Once started it was really rich and smoky. Probably from the handful of times of no fire. Took it for a drive around the block to warm it up. Runs like nothings wrong.



Ok so what am I bypassing when I'm jumping that way? The main relay? Be odd if that thing was broke, it looks brand new not even dust on it yet. But I guess stranger things could happen.

 

[Spott]

Nope. The only thing you're bypassing is the main battery cable (the fat red/blue wire), that connects the positive terminal of the battery to the relay post.

That cable and/or the connectors on the end, is bad. Maybe the cable is chewed partway through, or maybe there's a bunch of corrosion, or maybe it got flexed too many times at the connector and is nearly broken.

You can get a new one at RockAuto.com . You'll have to clip the extra small wire(s) at the relay connector, and either hook them to the auxiliary wire on the new cable, or install a ring lug on them to mount to that same relay stud.

 

[GKM007]

All connections are tight that I can find in relation to that relay and starter. I can get a new NSS from Autozone 42 bucks but is there a way to test it aside from buying a replacement? It has to be the NSS or Ignition itself on the start position. NSS is easier to replace so I would rather start there if it is a switch out parts and cross fingers kind of scenario. Wiring is my downfall on vehicles, so if there is a way to test these two parts with a meter I would love some instruction.

 

[Spott]

It's the battery cable. You've already proved it. That's the only thing you bypassed with the jumper cables. The battery cable can be bad even if the connections are tight and clean.

The NSS and ignition are working correctly, or it wouldn't crank when you turn the key. You've proved they're both good already.

 

[GKM007]

I was mistaken on my original assessment. It will not turn over with key while jumpered. Jumpering it makes it turn over automatically.

As a side note I have stickers on both door windows that says the car has a security system installed. They do not look like after market stickers (look very factory), but in 84 it would not have come with an alarm of any kind? It does feel like a passive alarm having a dead key.

Could it have to do with;
http://www.autozone.com/batteries-s...i-4wd/1984/6-cylinders-s-2-8l-2bl/368100_0_0/