Starting issue 1985 Ford F-250

50

Asked by J_Suds Jul 04, 2016 at 07:49 PM about the 1985 Ford F-250 XL Standard Cab 4WD LB

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

So one day my old Ford wouldn't start. No click in solonoid,
nothing... I narrowed it down to be an issue somewhere
between ignition and solonoid as I could jump posts on
solonoid to turn it over. Dropped steering column and
noticed ignition switch was pushed all the way back so I
adjusted it and it started right up (one time) then nothing.
So I replace the switch, hook it up and starts right up. Okay
problem solved put her back together! Ugh... I bolt steering
column back up and test it... nothing again so I drop it back
down and nothing still. I have a bright idea of jiggling
steering column back and forth while holding key over and
what do you know it starts again. Well at this point I'm
curious so I do that 3 or 4 more times to see I'd I can see
anything odd and now the starter gets stuck on. I pull the
key still on. Run around to pull the battery cable and now +
side of my battery doesn't show juice with test light and if I
reconnect negative cable the starter starts turning over. Do
I have a bad ground under the dash or what? I'm somewhat
mechanically inclined but I hate troubleshooting electrival
issues.

2 Answers

70,875

tilt wheel/bulkhead connectors are a common problem... I WOULD PUT A NEW SOLENOID ON IT...THERE INEXPENSIVE...IT CANT HURT...ALSO SPAY EVERYTHG IN STEERING COLUMN AND WORK IT THRU EVERYTHING.. ok...

50

New starter solonoid on firewall already put on if that's what you are referring to. That was first step. I didn't even know I had tilt until I was tightening down steering wheel nut and it dropped a position, thought I had broke it at first . Could that have done something to the connectors. The only wiring that looks questionable is where they spliced in a tekonsha (spelling) trailer brake box into a yellow wire running up the column. They used one of those cheap 2 wire into 1 plastic connectors.

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