87 F250 XLT Larriot

Parked it roughly 3 years ago in fall. The next spring I went to start it and there was no power to anything at all. Besides the red little battery light on the dash. When I say nothing powers up I mean nothing. No lights of any kind horn starter. Nothing but the red light. I can turn it over by jumping the solenoid. It will run for as long as the gas burns up that I dumped in the carb. Won’t keep running because fuel pump has no power to it.

id like to get it running again. Plan to work on it when it gets a little warmer.

when it was running there was some kind of electrical problem that when you put on the turn signal the gauges would jump a bit.

I’m better at mechanical repairs than electrical this serious at least. What would you guys suggest to do to check?

 

Ok button not clickable because Engine is not selected. Check my signature below to see why. Sorry (alldata+autozone+ebay) don't know what XLT Larriot is.

 

You might consider these things to start with,

Get another battery, why ?
No battery will hold a charge for 3 years. That battery has sulfated and may not be able to be saved..
When installing the new battery, make sure to clean the cable ends with a wire brush or battery post cleaning tool.and the posts on the battery BEFORE installing the battery cables.. Then you should have power to the vehicle. Turn the headlamps on to verify good connections,they should be bright. If the vehicle sat outside check for animal visitors or residents. Don't forget to add some fresh gasoline.
Now attempt to start the engine, see if it starts .If not , just what does it do?

 

Definitely not the battery. I don’t keep a battery in it. I grab a working battery from a different vehicle. Battery worked perfectly in that vehicle. It’s been a while but I’m pretty sure I cleaned the cables for good connection.

I think I checked the fuses too. I recall there being a main fuse in there under dash that once when I drove it regularly. Years and years ago. Would not turn over needing to get to work but I found it fast enough to get to work. But that was years ago and my memory can suck from weeks ago if not days.

as for gas at that time it was only a short few months old. But gas has nothing to do with it.

;145804]


You might consider these things to start with,

Get another battery, why ?
No battery will hold a charge for 3 years. That battery has sulfated and may not be able to be saved..
When installing the new battery, make sure to clean the cable ends with a wire brush or battery post cleaning tool.and the posts on the battery BEFORE installing the battery cables.. Then you should have power to the vehicle. Turn the headlamps on to verify good connections,they should be bright. If the vehicle sat outside check for animal visitors or residents. Don't forget to add some fresh gasoline.
Now attempt to start the engine, see if it starts .If not , just what does it do?[/QUOTE]

 

Someone brought up ignition switch. For one what would that have to do with 99.9% of all powered stuff? But that did make me think because the steering part from the steering wheel to dash is a bit sloppy if it’s not locked in. It can move from side to side. It’s a heavy duty truck with heavy duty wide tires with a power steering that out for a while wasn’t working so it took a lot to turn it which messed it up a little.

And again to steering wheel is firm in one spot at all times but when you grab the adjuster made to raise or lower it.

But I ask can anything in the ignition switch cause a total no power to anything besides a tiny red battery light on the dash smaller than a dime.

this hasn’t been a day to day vehicle in 20 years. It was just 7 years ago I changed the 460 engine. And after that I drove it 3-4 times a year when a truck was needed. It gets under 10 mpg.

 

If it runs when you jump the solenoid, how is power getting to the ign system ? The key is on.
Power is coming from ign sw.
Did you check the inertia sw ?
Is it getting power AND is power going thru it ?

Seems like we have been here before.

 

The solenoid is directly connected to the starter on one side and battery on the other. If memory is right. Jumping it with a screwdriver is the same as turning the key.

 

Never heard of a inertia switch

 

If you type in ,,"inertia switch location on 87-91 Ford trucks", there is a U tube video explaining all about it.

 

But an inertia switch only shuts off the fuel pump not every single electric ran thing on the truck correct? Thanks