The sensor and connector *should* be keyed somehow.... so you can only plug it in one way.

 

That's what I'd think too, HY. But if it is keyed, I cannot tell from looking at the NSS. It's totally symmetrical in the 0, 90, 180, and 270 degree positions. The entire switch.

 

That is thoroughly weird.

They probably figgered it can only go on two ways, if it don't work right one way, flip it over.

 

Lol. I just hope I don’t blow my face clean off my skull. Not that I care what I look like anymore but I have to eat and breath.

 

Had truck towed to a local shop wife and friend she works with knows them well. Nice guy, softspoken, seasoned mechanic, at least our age. As I was talking to him his light bulb was on. Understood everything I told him.

Checked linkage. Looked perfectly fine. Repeated the Ralph/HY boogie woogie wiggle numerous times, nuthin. Had wife shift while I had my face under there. Everything moving as should.

Battery voltage 12.6ish. No idea on CCAs. Pulled cables, reattached. Nuthin.

Pulled starter relay. Jumped the 30 and 87 and the starter engaged and engine turned over so starter is getting power.

Swapped neutral safety switch. Nuthin.

Checked every damn fuse inside and outside of the truck. All OK. Put in new relays, swapped current relays. Nuthin.

Tapped starter with hammer and/or piece of rebar. Nuthin. Tried a few more times. Nuthin.

Looked around for loose or frayed wires within eyeshot including under the engine compartment fuse/relay box. Nuthin.

Stood on my head, sang God Bless America, and recited the Gettysburg Address. Nuthin.

So it’s in the hands of a seasoned, Butner, NC mechanic. I’ll know more next week.

 

You know, Ralph. You mentioned an ignition switch as a possibility. Seems I checked most every other possibility except the ignition switch. I hate to admit this but I copped an attitude this morning when I went back to apply some fixes to this no crank no start problem. I had a minor attitude problem driving there and it just got worse when I got there and the minutes ticked away laying in that parking lot. It was barely above freezing and misting out. All I wanted to do was get the hell out of there. I gutted it out with the work I did. It was done properly but I never addressed the ignition switch nor gave myself any opportunity. I just laid on the pavement with my frozen neuropathic feet and said F it, get the damn hook out here and tow it to the local shop!

Anyway, I sit here tonight kinda kicking myself for not checking that ignition switch. It would have helped had I asked one of you guys the best way to check it. But nooooo. I was hoping beyond hope it was a linkage problem and I suck with electronics. More attitude problems. I’m an ***.

It also occurred to me sitting here that I bought a new ignition switch awhile back. Maybe 5 years ago. Don’t even remember why I bought it but I never installed it. Truthfully, I forgot I had it till just now. I may have the wife drop it off at the shop on Monday morning in the event they need it.

So anywho, what’s done is done but that said, what is the proper way to check an ignition switch?

 

The FSM shows you using an ohmeter and working through the positions.

You can cheat some; since jumping the relay gets it to start, we can of course let out crank and cam position sensors, the coil, the starter itself, etc. That leaves the relay, the ignition switch wiring, and the ground for the relay.

Looking at page AN-7 (aka 8W-42), the coil side is grounded at the left headlight ground (right side shield it says). The 12V side is coming from page AN-9 (8W-44). That's from the witch connector yellow 14GA wire, at one end.

If you jump 12V to that and it doesn't crank the starter, you've isolated the problem towards the relay. If it DOES crank, it's switch back to the battery.

The battery 12V comes in the 12GA red, at the OTHER end of the connector (this from AN-9, 8W-44).

If you have 12V there, jumping that to the 14GA wire causes it to crank, and the switch does not ... well, there's your problem

RwP

 

Eliminate what you can. What’s left is what’s wrong.

Thanks, R.

 

Say Ralph, you never chimed in about that neutral safety switch I posted earlier. It has 3 pins and they are symmetrical. I see nothing keyed to force it in only one way. So this means it can plug in two ways. Does this seem right?

 

Seems right; I haven't been down on mine.

However, if you want to test - it's from the center to one or the other.

Adjusted right, one side toggles on for PARK and NEUTRAL, off for all other positions.

The other side is on only in REVERSE.

RwP