habsfan

Hi my 1998 F150 4.6L engine just gives a single click sounding like it is
coming from solinoid? I cleaned the posts and cable connections to no
avail cant seam to jump start. The lights radio and all electrical things
work.The battery guage on the dash shows proper voltage,any suggestions!

Taif Road Warrior

habsfan wrote:
> Hi my 1998 F150 4.6L engine just gives a single click sounding like it is
> coming from solinoid? I cleaned the posts and cable connections to no
> avail cant seam to jump start. The lights radio and all electrical things
> work.The battery guage on the dash shows proper voltage,any suggestions!
>
Bad starter

Remove it and Pep boys or Autozone will test it for free.

Al Bundy

Maybe you have a loose connection down on the starter. If your lights
don't dim and the voltage gauge stays in the same place when you hit
the starter then no current is being pulled into the starter. Hence,
the bad connection theory or a dead starter. If you could tap on the
starter with a hammer, rubber hammer, or a heavy piece of wood while
someone cranked that might elicit a start and comfirm the bad starter.
And if it has over 100K on it then I would just go get another starter
to begin with.

lugnut

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 17:58:52 -0400, "habsfan"
<bernie.murray@sympatico.ca> wrote:

> Hi my 1998 F150 4.6L engine just gives a single click sounding like it is
>coming from solinoid? I cleaned the posts and cable connections to no
>avail cant seam to jump start. The lights radio and all electrical things
>work.The battery guage on the dash shows proper voltage,any suggestions!


Don't pull the starter yet. That is a pretty good little
job if you don't have to do it. Check the ignition wire
connection to the starter solenoid on the starter. They
sometimes get loose or corrode a bit. The fix is to clean
it and use pliers to tighten the connector. Once you are
sure it is clean and will be tight, give it a good coat of
silicon or some kind of water proof grease or sealer to
prevent the corrosion.

Good luck
Lugnut

Al Bundy

lugnut wrote:
> On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 17:58:52 -0400, "habsfan"
> <bernie.murray@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
> > Hi my 1998 F150 4.6L engine just gives a single click sounding like it is
> >coming from solinoid? I cleaned the posts and cable connections to no
> >avail cant seam to jump start. The lights radio and all electrical things
> >work.The battery guage on the dash shows proper voltage,any suggestions!
>
>
> Don't pull the starter yet. That is a pretty good little
> job if you don't have to do it. Check the ignition wire
> connection to the starter solenoid on the starter. They
> sometimes get loose or corrode a bit. The fix is to clean
> it and use pliers to tighten the connector. Once you are
> sure it is clean and will be tight, give it a good coat of
> silicon or some kind of water proof grease or sealer to
> prevent the corrosion.
>
> Good luck
> Lugnut

I sure can't argue with your idea of looking for the easy connection
fix, Lugnut.
If I sense something is near the end of it's useful life, like a
battery, starter or brakes, I tend to go for the more complete changout
to provide longer term reliability. In the short term this costs more.
The poster did not state what the mileage was or his economic
constraints so he will have to judge which way to proceed. Diagnosis is
always the first move.

habsfan

Thanks guys for your input. The problem was a broken connector from the
positive wire going to the starter a $2.00 fix.
Thanks Again "habsfan"

lugnut

On 21 Aug 2005 15:22:12 -0700, "Al Bundy"
<MSfortune@mcpmail.com> wrote:

>
>lugnut wrote:
>> On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 17:58:52 -0400, "habsfan"
>> <bernie.murray@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>>
>> > Hi my 1998 F150 4.6L engine just gives a single click sounding like it is
>> >coming from solinoid? I cleaned the posts and cable connections to no
>> >avail cant seam to jump start. The lights radio and all electrical things
>> >work.The battery guage on the dash shows proper voltage,any suggestions!
>>
>>
>> Don't pull the starter yet. That is a pretty good little
>> job if you don't have to do it. Check the ignition wire
>> connection to the starter solenoid on the starter. They
>> sometimes get loose or corrode a bit. The fix is to clean
>> it and use pliers to tighten the connector. Once you are
>> sure it is clean and will be tight, give it a good coat of
>> silicon or some kind of water proof grease or sealer to
>> prevent the corrosion.
>>
>> Good luck
>> Lugnut
>
>I sure can't argue with your idea of looking for the easy connection
>fix, Lugnut.
>If I sense something is near the end of it's useful life, like a
>battery, starter or brakes, I tend to go for the more complete changout
>to provide longer term reliability. In the short term this costs more.
>The poster did not state what the mileage was or his economic
>constraints so he will have to judge which way to proceed. Diagnosis is
>always the first move.


I don't know if the starter on that 4.6L is a three bolt or
not but, if it is, the top bolt is a royal PITA to get out
requiring a couple of feet of extensions and as much
patience as sandpapering a wildcat's ass. I have seen that
connector bad on several occasions.

Lugnut