Electrical Gremlins! Not starting! Relays clicking! Help!

[Dweano]

Hey guys, well...my truck is pooched. Here is the story:

It all started about a week ago. I drove to a persons house to pick up a bench (3 minute drive). Truck started fine. Shut it off. Loaded bench. Went to start...nothing! Literally nothing. No clicking, no lights on the dash. Guages didn't move. Nothing. It was as if the battery was completely removed from the truck. I tried jiggling things, moving things, etc etc. I popped the hood and heard a relay rapidly clicking on and off (or a similiar noise) which seemed to be coming from the passenger side headlight area (a module type looking thing below the air intake and behind the headlight seemed to be the culprit. I also heard a beeping coming from the passenger side foot area (in the cab, under the dash kinda) almost seemed the the fuel shutoff thing but I couldn't reset that so that wasn't the problem. Anyways...after some fooling around it started and I was good to go. Week goes by. Driving it a total of like...200 kms and 3 hours run time probably. And its all good.

Two days ago I go to start the truck again. Nothing. Same thing. A tiny click at first maybe. Then nothing. No power to anything. Except...my scanguage light up. Weird...so after messing around and finding nothing. I get a boost...and I crank it once...doesn't start. So I shut it off...take out the key...and the truck is still cranking! Not fast but its still turning over with ignition off and key out. Weird. This only happened once but I figure it is worth mentioning. So I disconnect cables. Reconnect cables. Then it starts up just fine. Lights on and everything . I drive twenty mins...shut off truck. Do my business...go to start. Nothing. Get a boost...starts. Drive back (30 min drive maybe). Shut it off...instantly try to start it again (maybe one second delay) NOTHING. No lights no crank no clicking. The usual.

Last night. I try to start it again. The usual nothing. Except my scanguage lights up and flickers for the next like...five minutes until I unplug it. Then I try to start. The usual nothing except this time the clicking relays happen. Take out the keys....still things going crazy. So then I turn on the lights (well...turn on the knob to high) at which point the clicking stops. And then the lights on the gauge slowly light up (like the oil light, check engine light, etc) try to start. Still nothing. Not even an attempt to crank. Weird. Plug in my scanguage...lights up...but NOTHING (as in the usual nothing...no dash lights or crank or click).

I almost don't think it is a bad battery but...its just very weird.

Anyways...any help would be appreciated!

 

[Elutheros]

I would start by checking the grounds from the battery to the block and to the starter. Sounds like it is trying to find a suitable ground because the big ones aren't working.

 

[Earl43P]

I don't know the 96 electrical set up.

In general, this sounds like a bad battery or battery cable, either power or ground.
My next suspect is the + cable going to the starter (or it may go to the fender solenoid).

If you do have a fender mounted starter solenoid, try replacing that because it is one of the few parts that can make the starter stay engaged with the key in Off. However, the starter itself can also do that. I've had good luck cleaning and lubricating wonky starters.

The other obvious problem could be the ignition switch itself. Could explain "no dash lights at all" and "starter won't crank" and "starter kept turning with key Off and removed".

 

[adsm08]

Pull your ignition switch out and physically inspect it. Not the lock, the switch. They have a habit of burning up and I suspect that yours has done just that.

 

[det107]

Hey guys, well........its just very weird.

I wouldn't be looking for Gremlins.......I think you should find your "pair of lucky horseshoes" if you want your truck to start up right-

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Ground wires and ignition switch (the one on the steering column under the dash) would be the place I would start.

Ground wires can lose their effectiveness and still look like a good wire. I was having some strange problems with my Choptop at one point and the one lead battery terminal started to melt a lil. I was trying to figure out what was going on when I flexed the negative battery cable all around to cut the end off and replace it and realized that I was hearing a crunching sound as I flexed the cable. Cut the end off and stripped about 2" of the wire to find that it was corroded pretty good inside the insulation. Pulled the cable off, got a replacement, cleaned the contact area on the frame and replaced it. While I was at it, I replaced a few other grounds on the truck. Problem went away. I also stopped using those cheap lead battery terminal ends, I went to the brass marine terminals, they seem to work much better.

 

[doorgunner]

Look for:


A. Battery cables corroded internally/ or at frame.

B. Bad battery (because of bad cables).

C. Bad ignition switch (down the column about a foot from the key-switch)

D. Gremlins (maybe D. & A. oughta switch places.

 

[Dweano]

Alright thanks guys. I never suspected the cables could be an issue but this makes sense now. I was planning on replacing them at some point...maybe it looks like now is the time! Ignition switch also makes sense...but where is it? I am kinda confused...not the thing you put the key in but down further? Hmm... I guess I will look around. Hopefully its not the Gremlins!!

 

[adsm08]

Take the column shrouds off and look for the white rectangular box with a screw plug in it.

That's the switch.


I think. Been a while since I played in a column that old, and the book don't have pics.

 

[doorgunner]

let us know what the Fix is.........................

 

[JPRanger03]

In general, this sounds like a bad battery

This, usually the simplest explanation is the correct one. I'm not saying it couldn't be something else, but I would get the old battery tested/replaced before you start tearing into your truck.

 

[Dweano]

let us know what the Fix is.........................

This, usually the simplest explanation is the correct one. I'm not saying it couldn't be something else, but I would get the old battery tested/replaced before you start tearing into your truck.

I am away at school with no shop and little tools...so it may be awhile. I am thinking I will swap in a battery from a friends vehicle and see. If it works then it is just a bad battery

 

[Dweano]

Well it is not a bad battery. Swapped a diffferent one in. Still nothing. No lights. No click. Nothing. Hooked my cables up to my dads dodge via booster cables. Still nothing.

I did boost it yesterday to drive it home. After it was boosted it was fine. And it also starts with a boost. So its weird.

Replace the big cables next? (ground basically)

 

[adsm08]

If it starts off a boost pack your probably have a problem with the cable ends. Are the nasty or broken?