Ignition Switch, or Starter?

[Jon Vander Ark]

That cold spell seemed to bring out all kinds of demons on a 60 that was working great..

The latest is when I turn the key to Start her, nothing happens. I hold the key in the start position for 5-15 seconds and the starter will finally kick over like it should. If I bring the key back to the Run position after starter has engaged (but truck hasn't started) and then try again, the engine will turn over as normal.

But, if I bring the key all the way back to the off position (but not locked), and try to start it, I have to hold the key for the 5-15 before the starter will kick over.

So I'm curious, is this a starter issue, or an ignition switch? I don't mind replacing one, but I don't really want to replace both right now!

 

[Ducks]

Do you have a remote starter switch? I'd hook that up to the starter and if it turns over right away then that should discount the starter being the problem. I would guess that it is the ignition switch but don't know for sure.

 

[lehiguy]

Put a test light on the switched wire, black with a yellow stripe as I recall, that goes to the starter solenoid. You will know right away if you have a switch or a starter problem.

 

[Jon Vander Ark]

Hm, the problem is intermittent.

Of course when I was ready to test everything yesterday, it started working perfectly fine again. It worked all through my errands this morning and suddenly it has a problem starting again.

This leads me to believe there's a loose wire somewhere. I think the Black/White is the Solenoid..

I hooked up the voltmeter and this is what I got

Off - Nothing, of course

Accessories - Green wire 12.4

Run
Green - Nothing
Black/White - Nothing
Black/Yellow - 12.4
Red - 12.4

Start
Green - Nothing
Black/White - 11.4 - drops slowly by .1 every 2 seconds until the starter engages at which it drops to 9.5-10
Black/Yellow - 12.4
Red - 12.4

Guess I'm going to start tracing wires. I don't have a remote starter switch.

 

[2mbb]

Do you have a remote starter switch? I'd hook that up to the starter and if it turns over right away then that should discount the starter being the problem. I would guess that it is the ignition switch but don't know for sure.

I'm going to "x2" this. You should get a remote starter switch, or just run a reasonabley sized wire from the terminal on the solenoid to the positive battery post (can you say "hot wire!"). This will quilckly tell you whether it's in your low amp wires or not. If you're not getting any "click" then I'm hard pressed to blame the high amp wires. The remote starter switch also comes in handy for doing compression tests, rotating the engine to TDC (valve adjustments) etc., so it's a useful tool to have.

Don't forget to have the truck in Neutral and the key out of the ignition.

 

[brokenparts]

I battled the same thing for quite awhile and went through two starters. Each time I had replaced the starter the problem went away. After the second one I installed a remote push button type starter button. Starts every time now and its a nice little security feature too.