I get nothing when I turn the key.

import600 · Post by **import600** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:24 am

Like the title says, nothign happens when I turn the key. Now the battery is good forsure brand new. The starter is fine, so is the starter solenoid. Voltage regulator is good, But one of the posts is missing its connection, I have an open wire but I'm not sure if thats where it belongs.

Now if I use a cable to "hot wire the solenoid, she turns over just fine. As far as I can tell the ignition wires are intact and all plugged in solid.

Can you guys suggest where I should start? or what to look for here? Thanks

Kyle

rjewkes · Post by **rjewkes** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 12:45 am

could be a bad switch. selenoids can come damaged inside from parts stores.

CKiviaho · Post by **CKiviaho** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:08 am

Check all of your wiring from ignition to solenoid and make sure has not been unplugged or a plug has gone bad..Good luck..definitely time consuming..

Post by **FORDification** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:39 am

I would check your switch first. Here's a scan from the factory shop manual showing how to do this:

dcbullet · Post by **dcbullet** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:09 pm

How about your neutral safety switch? Is the little prong in the right location when you're in P or N?

import600 · Post by **import600** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:14 pm

I haven't actually seen this switch where is it located? The column That is in here isn't from this truck I installed it so that is a possibility.

I'm going to check continuity tonight. thanks for the input so far. Any other ideas let me know.

Kyle

Post by **FORDification** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 9:34 pm

So was the truck running before you changed columns and now after replacing the column it won't turn over? Then it's definitely the neutral safety switch, down at the base of the column inside the cab. Sounds like it didn't get hooked up correctly when you installed the new column.

import600 · Post by **import600** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:17 pm

Checked the key switch. It worked fine. Yes that switch is deffinently missing. I just check under the dash to be sure there was a mount for it. I have no idea what year this colum is from. I'm posting a picture of it's old plug. I used the plug from the original column and spliced it to the new colum I put in.

There was a hole on the colum to mount it. But like I said I don't know what year the colum is, so i don't know which switch to purchase. those are pretty pricey. but boy do I want this truck running. haha

Where does that switch plug in wire wise? I haven't seen an empty outlet under the dash.

Thanks again for all the input, deffinetly saving my time buget for this truck.

Kyle

import600 · Post by **import600** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:18 pm

Sorry just realized I meant plug not switch, with those pictures. haha

rjewkes · Post by **rjewkes** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 3:17 pm

o the deal comes down from behind te cluster and looks kinda like a four wire flat plug for trailer lights.

the hole should be identical enough, i betting your column is from a 73-79. your old column should still have that switch on it. you'll also need the little needle pointer thing. it should just snap on overtop of the tube inside the open area.

import600 · Post by **import600** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:22 pm

The old column was a three spd manual. so I don't think there's no switch on it. at least I don't see one.

Now when you talk about the needle you mean, The selector? like needle that points to gears or something different? If I buy a switch assembly from NPD, would it include everything I need for the switch?

Now that I've begun to think about it, it seems to me that, the Truck was never wired for a switch of that sort, which makes me wonder if there is even a connection like that under the dash. (I have no idea if that plug was standard equipment or not.) It had a 240 and 3spd manual. I just put the 429 and c6 in (I'm towards the end of this swap). When I did this is when I got the problems. I swapped the column, the engine and trans. I've also just installed a F600 cluster, which has the external plug, rather than the plug which fits into the cluster, (which is the type of cluster the truck came with).

I had wondered if any of these things were the cause of this. Before I did all this swapping the truck was fine electrically. So i just put everything back where it came from on the new engine and whenever I had to splice something, all of the wires matched up great.

Is the neutral switch detecting the position of the colum alone or the trans too? because I have nothing electrical running to the trans. I didn't think there was anything which was supposed to.

I hope I painted a good picture for ya'll. thanks again.

Kyle

Thunderfoot · Post by **Thunderfoot** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:35 pm

The wires on the plug your looking for should be (2qty) Red -Blue stripe, this is for the neutral safety and (2qty) Black- Red stripe, for the backup lights... for the four wires total...

Edit I think with it being a manual before, that there is a jumper connector on this (connector mentioned above)under the dash (hopefully someone will chime in here) there is another connector outside in the engine compartment that is a 4 wire square connector that should be yellow in color with the "Red -Blue stripe" and "Brown" wires on it be sure it is plugged in... Not sure how the reverse lights were hooked up on the manual trans, if there was a plug on the trains or if it had something in the column...

Post by **FORDification** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:33 pm

The picture of the curved steering column wiring connector indicates your column is from a dentside ('73-'79) truck. The picture of the base of the column shows it does have provisions for a neutral safety switch (NSS), and since the '78-'79 trucks had the NSS mounted directly to the side of the transmission rather than the steering column, we know that your column is from a '73-'77....so that's what you need to get it for.

You'll also need the NSS actuating lever, which just snaps into the shift tube in the hole in the column housing. Here's a picture showing what I mean...the shift tube is removed and setting beside the column housing, and you can see the actuator just snaps onto the shift tube and sticks up through the column housing to contact the NSS (which is removed in this picture, but can be seen in the picture I posted earlier).

Sitting here I can't recall how the NSS supposed to be wired in though. I can get some pics, but it might be a while before I can make it to the shop.

import600 · Post by **import600** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:52 pm

Excellent, I've got a Neutral switch ordered. But considering this thing was a manual, Would missing the NSS now still be an issue? I'm assuming because of the differnt column it would?

Also.. is there a place to get that actuator needle? Or salvage the only option?

Take your time. Those pictures will and have been a great help. Thanks all.

Kyle

dcbullet · Post by **dcbullet** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:50 pm

Kyle:

I'm a littel confused. Did your truck used to be manual and then you installed an automatic? because your sig says C6. The manual transmission had the nuetral safety switch located on the transmission itself (if I recall correctly). So if you've switched to a C6, you've got to get a switch to let the current go through to start the engine.

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