Robert Rausch

Several times over the last few months my truck has refused to start... or rather it will start up and when I let go of the key it will immediately die. So I think I know what that is... my idea is the fuel shutoff solenoid is getting the current to pull the plunger up, but it's not getting the correct flow of currant that keeps it held up.

The problem occurred again tonight. I had gone on an errand and parked for a few minutes. Got back into my truck and turned the key, it started and then died, started and then died, etc. etc. Finally I got a little wedge and wedged the arm open on the solenoid and it started up just fine and ran great. Got home and it shut down when I turned the key off--evidently the wedge had fallen out on the way home, but the solenoid stayed up until I shut off the key. This problem has me baffled. Does anyone have a guess as to where I should begin to look?

ET RAM

First check the linkage to make sure is is clean and operates freely. With key off pull up and see if it goes up smoothly and releases with spring pressure. Clean linkage if necessary.

You have 2 circuits for the fuel solenoid. One is the pull up circuit which is powered during start. The starter solenoid circuit feeds power to the fuel relay and the fuel relay powers the pull circuit on the fuel solenoid. This circuit only works when the key is held to start.

The second circuit is the hold circuit which may be your problem. This circuit is powered by fuse 9. Usually the fuse blows and you get what you describe, start and then dies. The reason is the pull circuit works but the hold circuit does not.

Since you say it seems to be intermittent, you may have a wiring problem. Check fuse 9 and make sure it is good, in fuse panel by drivers door. If fuse is good, check the circuit at the 3 pin solenoid connector. The pin for the red wire, IIRC. The white pin is the pull and the black pin is the ground. Turn key on and you should have electrical power at the socket for the red pin truck side. Check this a few time to see if you get intermittent action.

If you have power there, then the problem is in the hold circuit of the fuel solenoid and it needs to be replaced. I would not replace anything until you ID the problem first. There is a test for the soleniod itself to see if it works. See what you get with the above tests.

infidel

I've seen bad key switches cause this exact same problem.

G1625S

That happened to mine a couple months ago. The key cylinder is cheap pot metal and wears/breaks over time. The tab on the cylinder for 'start' on mine just up and took a dump out of nowhere.

Robert Rausch

Thanks ET Ram, and thanks Bill. I'll check all these things.