Hi Guys,

I just refurbished this '87 F150 custom 4.9L.

I didnt touche the engine itself much, just replaced the PCV and EGR Valve, and Exhaust Manifolds.
I Replaced an old Rotted Cable going from the battery directly to the starter (Seen in RED in this video).

I replaced the in-line Fuel Pump situated just under the driver seat held in the Frame.

I turn the key to the "On", and instantly I get a moderatly loud "werrring" sound (hear it twice in the video)
If I just leave the ignition to "on" that werring comes back every 5-10 seconds.

If I move from "on" to ignition, nothing happens. no noise, no click, nothing.
This is my first time working on a truck...

I also have a OBS1 Scanner, I plugged it in, turned it on, pressed the "TEST/HOLD" button but it just stays on 0.00
Again, first timer here so I dont even know if I am doing that right. But the instructions were simply, leave truck off, plug in, turn tester on, hold test button.

I filmed my first attempt to start the truck. Please take a minute to check it out...
I can upload more videos of anything you guys want me to check.

I could really use some guidance.


Regards,

Denis

 

Hi Denis,

I don't know just how you have everything hooked up , but what if we started at the beginning?

First the negative post of the battery should be connected to the starter mounting or a solid connection on the engine block.
The positive cable from the positive post of the battery gets connected to one of the large terminals on the starter relay that is bolted to the passenger side fender well.
Then, another heavy gauge cable gets connected from the other large terminal of the relay to the top post of the starter motor. There should be one small terminal left on the relay and that gets a wire from the ign switch start position. When the key gets turned to the start position it energizes the relay which now provides battery power to the starter motor. Still with me?
Also, to the post on the relay that is connected directly to the battery should go 1 or 2 other wires with fusible links and they provie power to the inside of the vehicle.
Now the stage is set , lets see what is supposed to happen when you turn the key on.
Power from the ign switch energizes the EEC relay on the firewall and that relay lets the computer (ECA) provide the ground for the fuel pump relay also on or near the firewall. Both relays are the same #.
The computer will allow the fuel pump to run for 2 seconds only unless it gets an rpm signal from the dist.
I believe your vehicle has a low pressure pump in the tank and a hi press pump on the frame rail. If that whirring nose you hear is the hi press pump and it runs all the time , (You never run the pumps dry ! ) either the fuel pump relay is stuck closed or there is a problem with the wiring or the ECA has a problem.
Let's see how you make out with the info provided, OK?

 

First of all THANK YOU so much for taking the time to respond to me.
And thank you very much for you clear and detailed information.

Ok, So this morning with a night to sleep on it, I looked into things further.
I turned the key and heard that noise again, went under and around the car until I identified it as the Windwhield wiper motor! hahaha. I was in tears laughing.
I must have turn them on while replacing the dash.
So I unplugged the the windshield wiper motor because it wont turn off. (ill figure out why later)

So back to your information. As best I can tell, I have everything wired as you describe.
The advantage I have, is that I did not touch the starter relay side. all those connections are still hooked up the same as when I drove the truck in my shop.
So yes, the truck was running before I took it appart hehe.

So! With that said, now that I dont have the loud windshield motor going, I hear the highpressure in-line fuel pump priming for 2 seconds just as you describe.
Thats the new pump. I am not sure if the low pressure sending unit in the tank still works. I could not get the plug off so I cut the wires to get the tank off.
When I put the tank back in, I soldered the wires back in place. So Hopefully that is not an issue later.

Right now, the issue is that once the pump is primed in the "on" position, which I have done multiple times to put pressure back in the lines.
When I turn the key all the way to ignition, nothing happens. the dash flickers a little, but no clicking sounds, nothing at all from the starter as far as I can tell.
The Battery Icon is on and once turned completely the "Rear AntiLock" Light turns on as well.
But since I have never used this truck, I dont know what is normal or not.
I also dont know if any of the dash bulbs are burned out haha.

I tested the battery with my multi-meter and it reads 12v. I even removed the battery from my minivan (brand new battery) and tried it with that.
Exact same.

The only wires I have not put back into place are a bunch of grounds.
I have not put the fenders back in so I have the battery hanging out on a ladder (as seen in the vid.)
Could the ground wires be an issue? I think there is one near the starter relay and another one next to the windshield washer pump.

ALSO: Initially, the wire going to from the starter to negative lead of the battery, was bolted to the frame in the middle.
There might have been metal to metal contact there to serve as a ground. I couldnt tell because of so much corrosion.
So I replaced the wire but ran it directly from the starter to the battery.
Could THAT be the issue?

Other than that, i'm stumped.

Looking forward to your advice!

Denis

 

Ok so more tests, I got a secondairy battery wire and bolted the negative back to the frame as it was before.
So now it goes from starter, to frame bolt to negative end of battery.

No change.

So do any of these plugs need to go somewhere?
https://i.imgur.com/FE5XbWG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xXh3sqh.jpg

 

A little side note, grounds are very important since they are part of a complete circuit.
If I understand you correctly you are getting no response from the starter relay on the right fenderwell when you turn the key to start, correct?
If that is so, make sure the fenderwell sheet metal has a clean good ground or the relay will not work. To eliminate that possibility , just run a new ground wire from either the engine or the frame directly to the bolts that secure the relay.
Now that you know you have a good ground there connect your meter ground to either that ground or the neg terminal of the battery and place the meter where you can see it , then connect the positive meter lead to the small terminal on the starter relay. watch the meter when you turn the key to the start position. If the ign switch assy on the lower end of the steering col and the "neutral safety switch" (MLPS) are OK the relay should close and the starter should operate. Does it?

By the way once you provide a ground for the wiper motor it should cycle once and stop.

 

Oh the relay needs to be ground in order to work! Rigth now its just handing on the tire. There are wires going to it from the positive battery but its not screwed into the fender (since the fender is not installed) and the ground wire is not connected to anything.
Ill install the fenders and wire things in place. see if that helps.

Ill let you know in a bit.
Thanks again!

 

Ok, so I put the fender back in:
https://i.imgur.com/tKDNEPM.jpg

And when I put the battery back in, something didnt make sense... the battery wire coming out of the relay to the battery was too short to reach the positive lead on the battery...
So I sat there looking at this for 5 minutes trying to figure out whats going on. Cause every diagram I saw was that Relay goes on the positive...
https://i.imgur.com/kvlfp5F.jpg

So I figured maybe it was supposed to be on the negative and thats why its not starting?....
Well the plume of smoke that came out of the relay the second I connected the battery in reverse... told me I was wrong...

So, yeah, Im going to buy a new relay now, and hopefully I ONLY fried the relay and not the entire electrical system....

Please take a look at the picture and tell me whats going on?
I cant find any pictures of when my truck's battery was connected but I dont see how that wire ever reached the positive lead...

Denis

 

Something of which you may not be aware.
Ford batteries (For Fords) have the battery terminal positions reversed .
Where looking at the battery from a side view terminal posts closest to you , most other batteries would have the positive post on the right hand side.
A battery for a Ford would have the positive terminal post on the left side.
Hope this puts a little lite on the answer to the cable length problem.

The battery in the pix appears correct ??

 

I replaced the Starter Relay and bought a longer battery cable so that it reaches the positive lead.
I am still left with the same result though.
Here is that attempt on video for your troubleshooting pleasure.

Here is a picture of the Relay wiring:
https://i.imgur.com/jKuSF4f.jpg

I dont have the other fender installed, here is that area with the corresponding wiring.
Is there something on that side that needs to be grounded as well?
https://i.imgur.com/sRybxdu.jpg

Is there somewhere I should be checking for voltage?

Denis

 

Hold up, just found this picture on the internet. I have the Ignition Switch, Alternator, Battery+ and Starter Motor Wired in, but I have nothing on that fourth small screw shown here for the "Starter Solenoid'
Do I have one of those? Am I just missing that wire somewhere ?